approximation between France and Russia which ended in the strange
phenomenon of an offensive and defensive alliance between a western
republic and a semi-eastern despotic empire.


KAISER WILHELM

Kaiser Wilhelm II had very different ideals for Germany, and in many
points he simply reversed the policy of Bismarck. He began to develop the
German colonial empire, and in order that it might be protected he did all
in his power to encourage the formation of a large German navy. He even
allowed himself to say that "the future of Germany was on the sea." It was
part of that peculiar form of personal autocracy which the Kaiser
introduced that he should from time to time invent phrases suggestive of
different principles of his policy. Side by side with the assertion that
Germany's future was on the sea, we have the phrases "Germany wants her
place in the sun" and that the "drag" of Teutonic development is "towards
the East." The reality and imminence of "a yellow peril" was another of
his devices for stimulating the efforts of his countrymen. Thus the new
policy was expansion, evolution as a world-power, colonisation; and each
in turn brought him up against the older arrangement of European Powers.
His colonial policy, especially in Africa, led to collisions with both
France and Great Britain. The building of the fleet, the Kiel Canal, and
other details of maritime policy naturally made England very suspicious,
while the steady drag towards the East rendered wholly unavoidable the
conflict between Teutonism and the Slav races. Germany looked,
undoubtedly, towards Asia Minor, and for this reason made great advances
to and many professions of friendship for the Ottoman Empire. Turkey,
indeed, in several phrases was declared to be "the natural ally" of
Germany in the Near East. And if we ask why, the answer nowadays is