Peace Theories and the Balkan War

Theories and the Balkan War, by
Norman Angell

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Title: Peace Theories and the Balkan War
Author: Norman Angell
Release Date: April 3, 2004 [EBook #11895] [Date last updated: Jan 29,
2006]
Language: English
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PEACE THEORIES AND THE BALKAN WAR
BY

NORMAN ANGELL
Author of "The Great Illusion"
1912

PEACE THEORIES AND THE BALKAN WAR
By NORMAN ANGELL,
Author of "The Great Illusion."
1912

THE TEXT OF THIS BOOK.
Whether we blame the belligerents or criticise the powers, or sit in
sackcloth and ashes ourselves is absolutely of no consequence at the
present moment....
We have sometimes been assured by persons who profess to know that
the danger of war has become an illusion.... Well, here is a war which
has broken out in spite of all that rulers and diplomatists could do to
prevent it, a war in which the Press has had no part, a war which the
whole force of the money power has been subtly and steadfastly
directed to prevent, which has come upon us, not through the ignorance
or credulity of the people, but, on the contrary, through their knowledge
of their history and their destiny, and through their intense realisation
of their wrongs and of their duties, as they conceived them, a war
which from all these causes has burst upon us with all the force of a
spontaneous explosion, and which in strife and destruction has carried
all before it. Face to face with this manifestation, who is the man bold
enough to say that force is never a remedy? Who is the man who is
foolish enough to say that martial virtues do not play a vital part in the
health and honour of every people? (Cheers.) Who is the man who is

vain enough to suppose that the long antagonisms of history and of
time can in all circumstances be adjusted by the smooth and superficial
conventions of politicians and ambassadors?--MR. WINSTON
CHURCHILL at Sheffield.
Mr. Norman Angell's theory was one to enable the citizens of this
country to sleep quietly, and to lull into false security the citizens of all
great countries. That is undoubtedly the reason why he met with so
much success.... It was a very comfortable theory for those nations
which have grown rich and whose ideals and initiative have been
sapped by over much prosperity. But the great delusion of Norman
Angell, which led to the writing of "The Great Illusion," has been
dispelled for ever by the Balkan League. In this connection it is of
value to quote the words of Mr. Winston Churchill, which give very
adequately the reality as opposed to theory.--The Review of Reviews,
from an article on "The Débâcle of Norman Angell."
And an odd score of like pronouncements from newspapers and public
men since the outbreak of the Balkan War.
The interrogations they imply have been put definitely in the first
chapter of this book; the replies to those questions summarised in that
chapter and elaborated in the others.

The "key" to this book and the summary of its arguments are contained
in Chapter I. (pp. 7-12)

CONTENTS.
I. The Questions and their Answers
II. "Peace" and "War" in the Balkans
III. Economic Causes in the Balkan War

IV. Turkish Ideals in our Political Thought
V. Our Responsibility for Balkan Wars
VI. Pacifism, Defence, and the "Impossibility of War"
VII. "Theories" False and True; their Role in European Politics
VIII. What Shall we DO?
CHAPTER I.
THE QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWER.
CHAPTER II.
"PEACE" AND "WAR" IN THE BALKANS.
"Peace" in the Balkans under the Turkish System--The inadequacy of
our terms--The repulsion of the Turkish invasion--The Christian effort
to bring the reign of force and conquest to an end--The difference
between action designed to settle relationship on force and counter
action designed to prevent such settlement--The force of the policeman
and the force of the brigand--The failure of conquest as exemplified by
the Turk--Will the Balkan peoples prove Pacifist or Bellicist; adopt the
Turkish or the Christian System?
CHAPTER III.
ECONOMICS AND THE BALKAN WAR.
The "economic system" of the Turk--The Turkish "Trade of Conquest"
as a cause of this war--Racial and Religious hatred of primitive
societies--Industrialism as a solvent--Its operation in Europe--Balkans
geographically remote from main drift of European economic
development--The false economies of