The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

XII SOUTHERN SLAVS AND PANSLAVISM

In preparing the present war, Germany did everything in her power to promote the impression that the danger to European civilisation lay in Panslavism. Also during the progress of the war the Germans have not ceased to work in the same direction, trying, notwithstanding all atrocities committed in Belgium and the violation of solemn treaties, to represent themselves as fighters for liberty and progress against “the Panslavonic danger ”’ and “ Russian barbarism.” But the present World-War, in changing many ideas and dismissing many prejudices about the Slavs, has also among the Western nations effected a revision of the idea of Panslavism.

Panslavism, to trace it historically, is a direct outcome of the dismemberment of the Slav nations which brought in its train weakness and their oppression by more warlike neighbours. Slav authors like to connect the first dim idea of Panslavism with the Polish kingdom and its dynasty of the Jagellons. To them was attributed the tendency to unite all Slav nations in a mightier State in order to be able to cope successfully with the constant encroachments

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