26 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 



that she defied a Continent in arms. At the time of which I am 

 now speaking (1866) Prussia was ruled by a worthy scion of this 

 house — the late Emperor William, whose son, the late Emperor 

 Frederick (called affectionately by his people " Unser Fritz ") greatly 

 distinguished himself in this, as in the later Franco-Prussian war. 

 In addition to these men, Prussia had three who were veritable towers 

 of strength : in statecraft, Bismarck ; in strategy. Von Moltke ; in 

 finance, Von Roon. More than this : her army was furnished with 

 the breech-loading rifle ("the needle-gun"), while the Austrians used 

 the old muzzle-loader. These and other circumstances explain the 

 result of a campaign unexampled in history — the Bohemian cam 

 paign of 1866, ending in the great fight at Sadowa. At one blow, 

 then, the ancient house of the Hapsburgs, which had held sway 

 for 600 years, was hurled from its position as arbiter of Germany, to 

 make way for a power whose very name was- first heard but yesterday 

 in the councils of Europe. But Prussia, although young, was very 

 swift in action and very stern in dealing with conquered foes. She 

 deposed Hanover from her position as a kingdom because she had 

 sided with Austria [North Germany had generally sided with Prussia 

 and South Germany with Austria] ; and her ultimatum to her enemy 

 was, that she should withdraw from German affairs, should pay a 

 large war indemnity, and should give to Italy, who had helped 

 Prussia, and whom the Austrians very easily disposed of, the old 

 Italian territory of Venetia. But William was only King of Prussia 

 after all — not Emperor of Germany. A further step must be taken 

 before " manifest destiny," as the Prussians termed it, should be 

 fulfilled. The old score with France must be settled. Prussia went 

 on, therefore, quietly perfecting her army, obtaining information as to 

 France and her defences, uniting the North-German people, and 

 in general preparing for the struggle which she felt must some day 

 come, and which she determined should come when she was best 

 and France worst prepared. France was at this time an empire, 

 under the rule of Napoleon III., nephew of the great Napoleon. The 

 people were, to a certain extent, restless — they had not forgotten the 

 coup d' etat by which the Emperor had reached the throne. Yet 

 they were proud of the military successes they had won under his 

 rule — the victories of the Crimea, of Algeria, of the Austrian cam- 

 paign. They were proud, also, of their progress in the arts of 



