Prince Bismarck and his Policy. 103 



and his work. France, whose hopes for territorial acquisi- 

 tion had been dashed; the antipathy of the South German 

 states in the work of unification ; the particularistic ten- 

 dencies of the states, which were to form the Xorth German 

 confederation, were problems the solution of which taxed 

 his utmost energies. 



The political animosities in South Germany were fanned 

 by influences from the Vatican, which now, for the first 

 time, saw conclusively, that a united Germany under 

 Prussia's hegemony would be the death-knell to Romanism 

 in Germany. 



With a final desperation, means were set in motion in 

 Rome, Austria, France and at home to neutralize, if 

 possible, the efifect of the measures proposed by Bismarck 

 for political union and separation of church and state. 

 But the old, ideal longing after a strong fatherland helped 

 the new confederation to overcome all dangers and steer 

 onward to national unity. 



In the winter of 1869, von Moltke prepared his famous 

 campaign plan in case of war with France, which in 1870, 

 was carried out to the letter. 



There are suflicient evidences, however, to show that 

 ITapoleon himself was adverse to war. 



The Mexican campaign bad shown the utter unreliability 

 of his army, and the death of Maximilian was the crowning 

 act of an inglorious war. The intrigues of ex-King George 

 of Hanover at Paris ; the formation of a Polish legion 

 in France; the open letter of the elector of Hessia; the 

 agitation in Denmark and the encouragement it received 

 from Paris, showed that the emperor personally had lost 

 control of the situation. Victor Emmanuel, in a fit of 

 pious remorse, was ready to form an alliance with France, 

 contrary to the Welshes of his ministry. The intrigues about 

 the Belgium-French Eastern Rail Road ; the obstacles in 

 regard to the St. Gotthard Rail Road were indications of the 



