GERMANY AND HER NEIGHBORS 229 



the better training, the better government, or the stronger racial 

 fiber which causes the more advanced race to conquer and domi- 

 nate, but that begs the question. It seems to be a rule in history 

 that the following conditions generally go together: a stimulating 

 climate, health, energy of body and mind, originality and persist- 

 ence, high civilization, conquest and dominance of weaker races, 

 and spread of the type of civilization which has grown up where 

 the climate is stimulating. The civilization and energy of the f 

 people cannot be the causes of the climate. On the other hand, 

 there is abundant evidence that the climate has a great deal to 

 do with the energy of a nation and with its capacity for progress 

 and conquest. Hence in the broad view much of what is ascribed 

 to the race, training, and civilization' of a nation is really due to j* 

 health and climate. ^ 



This brings us to the question of where Germany stands in 

 reference to climate. We may say at once that the German 

 climate is much superior to that of her enemies who live east and 

 south of her. This is illustrated in Figures 26 A-B, two maps of 

 energy and civilization respectively, which I have described else- 

 where. Even in a country like Germany there is, as we have seen, 

 much anaemia and many other types of ill health, but not nearly 

 so much as in most other countries. When Austria first clashed 

 with Serbia, the Serbians .gave a good account of themselves even 

 though they were fighting with a power far larger than their own. 

 They had a fighting chance, as we may say, because they were 

 contending with a country whose average energy is not much 

 greater than their own. When Germany took charge of opera- 

 tions the case was altered, and Serbia quickly succumbed. Of 

 course the size of Germany, her education, her science, her racial 

 habit of obedience, all played a part in this. At present, how- 

 ever, we are merely showing that in her relation with the other 

 belligerents Germany's energy has been in accord with what would 

 be expected on the basis of her climate. Perhaps if the Balkan 

 States had had as stimulating a climate as that of Germany for 



