OF EDUCATION 31 



has gained the intellectual lead of the world, and how 

 we may put German wisdom into our own schools. 



During the first few years of the last century 

 Europe was shaken to its centre by the repeated vic- 

 tories of the French and allied armies under the lead 

 of Napoleon Bonaparte. Upon the defeat of the 

 Germans in the battle of Jena, in 1806, and the en- 

 trance of Napoleon into Berlin a few days later, the 

 despair of Germany was complete. The last days of 

 that year found all Germany without one ray of hope 

 for the future of their country. But in the early part 

 of 1807 it began to be manifest that national vitality 

 was still there ; and it soon began to show itself in 

 a spirited manner in the management of such social 

 affairs as Napoleon still allowed them to control. It 

 was during this period of subjugation and despair 

 that a few of the ablest and best patriots were already 

 devising the means of national reconstruction. They 

 had lost all hope of immediately improving their con- 

 dition. Their hope of ultimate success was in armies 

 stronger physically, stronger intellectually and mor- 

 rally : men who could utilize all their strength 

 through an educated will. In allowing Germany to 

 control her own educational interests Napoleon 

 struck a chord that has never ceased to vibrate. 



In a public lecture at Berlin in 1807, the noted 

 philosopher Fichte used these words : " That we are 

 no longer able to offer an active resistance is obvious 



