g campaign. They knew that they had increased their munition
output enormously, and their spies told them that Russia had
practically run out of ammunition, while England had not yet
awakened to the realisation that this is a war of shells.
The public saw the result in the spring. The armies of the Tsar
fell back all along the line, while in Germany the flags were
waving and the bells of victory were pealing.
All through this there was unity in Germany, a unity that the
Germans felt and gloried in. "No other nation acts as one man in
this wonderful time as do we Germans," they told the stranger again
and again. Unity and Germany became synonymous in my mind.
Love of country and bitterness against the enemy are intensified in
a nation going to war. It is something more than this, however,
which has imbued and sustained the flaming spirit of Germany during
this war. In July, 1914, the Government deliberately set out to
overcome two great forces. The first was the growing section of
her anti-militaristic citizens, and the second was the combination
of Great Powers which she made up her mind she must fight sooner or
later if she would gain that place in the sun which had dazzled her
so long.
Her success against the opposition within her was phenomenal.
Germany was defending herself against treacherous attack--that was
the watchword. The Social Democrats climbed upon the band-waggon
along with the rest for the joy-ride to victory, and they remained
on the band-waggon for more than a year--then some of them dropped
off.
The story of how all Germans were made to think as one man is a
story of one of the greatest phenomena of history. It is my
purpose in the next few chapters to show how the German Government
creates unity. Then, in later chapters, I will describe the forces
tending to disintegrate that wonderful unity.
Germany entered the war with the Government in control of all the
forces affecting public opinion. The only way in which newspaper
editors, reporters, lecturers, professors, teachers, theatre
managers, and pulpit preachers could hope to accomplish, anything
in the world was to do something to please the Government. To
displease the Government meant to be silenced or to experience
something worse.
CHAPTER III
THE CRIME AGAINST THE CHILDREN
The boys and girls of Germany play an important part in _die grosse
Zeit_ (this great wartime). Every atom of energy that can be
dragg
|