The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF

dreamt of a general union among Slavs. It was shown once more that Slav nations were liable to put above all other considerations their own narrow national interests, and were not prepared to sacrifice everything for the ideal of harmony in the Slav world.

Better knowledge of the facts has now dispelled in every quarter the old representation of Panslavism as an aggressive Slav confederation bent on the conquest of Europe, or even of the whole world. Such Panslavism has never really existed even as an idea, except in the heads of certain Germans who wanted to teach the Slavs what Panslavism ought to be. Germans unable to understand the Slav world, as they failed to understand Great Britain and France, judged the others after their own image. For more than a thousand years Germans encroached upon Slav countries. By fire and sword they have germanised millions of Slavs, and have incorporated in Germany hundreds of thousands of square miles of Slav territory. But their appetite grew in eating; they were not satisfied, and considered the Slav countries and peoples as a lawful patrimony and an inevitable prey. Hence the Slav resistance exasperated and irritated them. Of the Slavs the Germans could say: Cet animal est trés méchant, quand on Vattaque, il se défend. And quite sincerely the Germans complained of the Slavs, who did not understand the blessings of the German Kultur, and seriously meant to put an end to German aggression. For not allow-

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