ve more minutely here, we must still observe
that, even for the defender in most cases, there is no other effectual
means with which to meet the exigencies of his situation, to solve the
problem presented to him.

The battle is the bloodiest way of solution. True, it is not merely
reciprocal slaughter, and its effect is more a killing of the enemy's
courage than of the enemy's soldiers, as we shall see more plainly in
the next chapter--but still blood is always its price, and slaughter its
character as well as name;(*) from this the humanity in the General's
mind recoils with horror.

(*) "Schlacht", from schlachten = to slaughter.

But the soul of the man trembles still more at the thought of the
decision to be given with one single blow. IN ONE POINT of space and
time all action is here pressed together, and at such a moment there is
stirred up within us a dim feeling as if in this narrow space all our
forces could not develop themselves and come into activity, as if we had
already gained much by mere time, although this time owes us nothing at
all. This is all mere illusion, but even as illusion it is something,
and the same weakness which seizes upon the man in every other
momentous decision may well be felt more powerfully by the General, when
he must stake interests of such enormous weight upon one venture.

Thus, then, Statesmen and Generals have at all times endeavoured to
avoid the decisive battle, seeking either to attain their aim without
it, or dropping that aim unperceived. Writers on history and theory
have then busied themselves to discover in some other feature in these
campaigns not only an equivalent for the decision by battle which has
been avoided, but even a higher art. In this way, in the present age, it
came very near to this, that a battle in the economy of War was looked
upon as an evil, rendered necessary through some error committed, a
morbid paroxysm to which a regular prudent system of War would never
lead: only those Generals were to deserve laurels who knew how to carry
on War without spilling blood, and the theory of War--a real business
for Brahmins--was to be specially directed to teaching this.

Contemporary history has destroyed this illusion,(*) but no one can
guarantee that it will not sooner or later reproduce itself, and
lead those at the head of affairs to perversities which please man's
weakness, and therefore have the greater affinity for his nature.
Perhaps, by-and-b