f Berlin was founded as a
nursery for the new national spirit.

Under these influences the monarchy of Frederick the Great ceased to
exist; the authority of the "yunker" class which supported it and had
rashly brought on the war with France was temporarily eclipsed by a
wholesome expression of national vigor, and the enlightened liberalism
of Prussia became the stimulus for a similar movement in all Germany.
As to the army, Gneisenau and Scharnhorst entered with zeal upon the
task of reorganization, and the latter was a very genius of reform.
Napoleon at length showed his true colors, forbade his victim to
maintain more than forty-two thousand troops, and declared to the face
of Frederick William's brother in Paris that the occupation of the
fortresses had passed from the narrow domain of particular politics
into the great field of general policy. He meant, of course, that he
was thereby virtually holding in check not merely Prussia, but Russia
and Austria as well. The limitation set by him to the active military
force of the captive state was easily evaded by the subterfuge of
substituting new recruits for those who had completed their training
in the ranks; but the French occupation seemed to be virtually
permanent.

The military reorganization of Austria was already complete, and
Metternich wrote on July twenty-sixth, 1807, to Stadion, the minister
of state, that as the peace of Tilsit had sown broadcast the germs of
its own destruction, the wisdom of his correspondent's administration
would one day bring Austria to the point where three hundred thousand
men united under one will and directed to one goal would play the
first role in Europe, "in a moment of universal anarchy, at one of
those epochs which always follow great usurpations, and wipe out the
traces of the conquerors; an epoch of which no one can foretell the
date, but which nothing postpones except the life of a single man, and
which all the genius of that man can so much the less postpone as he
has not yet taken the first step to preclude its certain results."
This reference to Napoleon's childlessness and the dependence of his
system on his single life is clear enough. The Emperor of the French
was himself thoroughly aware of the influence exerted by such a
consideration upon the course of affairs, and in consequence his
dealing with Francis was somewhat less peremptory than that with
Frederick William. Nevertheless, the results were exceedingly
humil