256 Ten Years of my Life. 



Government, 'and amongst these tlie military ofiicers formed 

 the most numerous and the leading part. 



In no other country military officers occupy a position in so- 

 ciety similar to that in Prussia, and it is the natural conse- 

 quence of the justly admired and praised military organisation 

 of this country. It is generally acknowledged that Prussia 

 owes to this organisation its prominent place amongst the States 

 of Europe, and other countries are endeavouring to introduce 

 this excellent system, hoping thus soon to reach similar results, 

 and to counteract the military and political preponderance of 

 that Power. 



Though it cannot be denied that the victories won on the 

 battlefield by the Prussian army are the result of this military 

 system, and that the imitation even of the mechanism of this 

 system must increase the efficiency of rival armies, it will not 

 be sufficient to produce the same effect as in Prussia, if those 

 rival States do not endeavour to create amongst their people 

 the same spirit and feeling which pervade the Prussian nation. 



Other nations, prejudiced and blinded by vanity, will indig- 

 nantly contradict even the suggestion that this spirit and feel- 

 ing amongst the Prussians are of a higher order than amongst 

 themselves, and will point to former successes and to the pa- 

 triotism and sell-sacrificing enthusiasm shown under urgent cir- 

 cumstances. These historical facts are undeniable, but they 

 only prove that all nations, if stnnulated by extraordinary 

 agencies, are able to act just as bravely as the Germans did in 

 the last war. Courage and patriotism are to be found even 

 amongst the most debased nations, and it requires only the 

 proper means to awake them from their slumber. Other armies 

 have fought just as bravely as the Prussians, and other people 

 have shown even more enthusiasm than they did, when their 

 national independence or liberty were endangered. 



If tiie superior scientific military skill of Prussian generals 

 and the superior tactics of their troops won the victories on 

 the battlefields, the educational virtue of the Prussian military 

 system — whether intentionally or only indirectly, I am not able 

 to judge — has had other effects which are perhaps even more 

 important and beneficial than those that were the real cause 

 of the introduction of this system. In Prussia these educa- 

 tional effects are fully appreciated by most people, but I be- 

 lieve they are not sufficiently noticed in other countries, and I 



