victorious armies were everywhere greeted as saviours by the subject
peoples. But the old dynastic states proved to be of tougher material than
was expected. Moreover, it was not long before France found herself in
conflict with the national aspirations which she had called into existence.
The various republics which France set up all over Europe soon discovered
that they were nothing but tributary states of their "deliverer"; and when
Napoleon began his career of undisguised conquest, he unwittingly did even
more than the Revolution to strengthen the national idea in Europe, for the
nationalities had now become thoroughly hostile to France and fought in
alliance with their old dynasties to throw off the yoke of the hated
foreign tyrant.

This strange change in France from liberator to despot is worthy of some
attention. It is not good for a nation, any more than for an individual,
to be too successful. Moreover, the doctrine of liberty, whether in the
individualist or nationalist sense, if carried to extreme, is liable to
abuse. All to-day are aware that sheer individualism in the economic sphere
is an almost unmitigated evil; sheer individualism in the political sphere
and sheer nationalism are equally evil. France at the beginning of last
century was suffering from too much success, too much political liberty,
too much nationalism. Having overthrown the old _régime_ within the State
quickly and easily, she began to think she could do without the State
altogether: the result was anarchy, for which the only remedy is despotism.
Having, again, suddenly become conscious of her power and mission as a
nation, she began to send her armies across her frontiers to carry the
gospel of her peculiar "culture" to other and more benighted nations: the
result was occupation, which degenerated into conquest. Despotism within
and conquest without, both being summed up in the one word Napoleon--such
was the fate of the Mother of Liberty, who had loved her child "not
wisely but too well." Yet Napoleonism was a very necessary stage in the