The Great Events by Famous Historians, Vol. 21 - The Recent Days (1910-1914) | Page 4

own oppressive
weight rouse the opposing force of Socialism to curb it.
[Footnote 2: See Militarism, page 186.]
In Italy the Socialists were growing so powerful politically that it was
largely as a political move against them that the government in 1911
suddenly declared war against Turkey.
Thus was started the series of outbreaks which recently convulsed
southeastern Europe.[1] Seldom has a war been so unjustifiable, so
obviously forced upon a weaker nation for the sake of aggrandizement,
as that of Italy against the "Young Turks" who were struggling to
reform their land. The Italians seized the last of Turkey's African
possessions, with scarce a shadow of excuse. This increase of territory
appealed to the pride and so-called "patriotism" of the Italian people.
The easy victories in Africa gratified their love of display; and many of
the ignorant poor who had been childish in their attachment to the
romantic ideals of Socialism now turned with equal childishness to
applaud and support their "glorious" government. Yet even here
Democracy made its gain; for under shelter of this popularity the
government granted a demand it had long withheld. Male suffrage,
previously very limited in Italy, was made universal.
[Footnote 1: See _The Turkish-Italian War_, page 140.]
The humiliation of Turkey in this Italian war led to another and far
larger contest, and to that practical elimination of Turkey from
European affairs which had been anticipated for over a century. The
Balkan peoples, half freed from Turkey in 1876, took advantage of her
weakness to form a sudden alliance and attack her all together.[2] This,
also, was a Democratic movement, a people's war against their

oppressors. The Bulgars, most recently freed of the victims of Turkish
tyranny, hated their opponents with almost a madman's frenzy. The
Servians wished to free their brother Serbs and to strengthen
themselves against the persistent encroachments of Austria. The Greeks,
defeated by the Turks in 1897, were eager for revenge, hopeful of
drawing all their race into a single united State. Never was a war
conducted with greater dash and desperation or more complete success.
The Turks were swept out of all their European possessions except for
Constantinople itself; and they yielded to a peace which left them
nothing of Europe except the mere shore line where the continents
come together.
[Footnote 2: See The Overthrow of Turkey, page 282.]
But then there followed what most of the watchers had expected, a
division among the victorious allies. Most of these were still half
savage, victims of centuries of barbarity. In their moment of triumph
they turned upon one another, snarling like wild beasts over the spoil.
Bulgaria, the largest, fiercest, and most savage of the little States, tried
to fight Greece and Servia together. She failed, in a strife quite as
bloody as that against Turkey. The neighboring State of Roumania also
took part against the Bulgars. So did the Turks, who, seeing the
helplessness of their late tigerish opponent, began snatching back the
land they had ceded to Bulgaria.[1] The exhausted Bulgars, defeated
upon every side, yielded to their many foes.
[Footnote 1: See The Second Balkan War, page 350.]
Thus we face to-day a new Balkan Peninsula, consisting of half a dozen
little independent nations, all thoroughly democratic, except Turkey.
And even Turkey, we should remember, has made a long stride toward
Democracy by substituting for the autocracy of the Sultan the
constitutional rule of the "Young Turks," These still retain their
political control, though sorely shaken in power by the calamities their
country has undergone under their brief régime.
From this semi-barbarity of southeastern Europe, let us turn to note the
more peaceful progress which seemed promising the West. Little
Portugal suddenly declared herself a Republic in 1910.[2] She had been
having much anarchistic trouble before, killing of kings and hurling of
bombs. Now there was a brief, almost bloodless, uprising; and the
young new king fled. Prophets freely predicted that the unpractical and

unpractised Republic could not last. But instead of destroying itself in
petty quarrels, the new government has seemed to grow more able and
assured with each passing year.
[Footnote 2: See Portugal Becomes a Republic, page 28.]
In Spain also, the party favoring a Republic grew so strong that its
leaders declared openly that they could overturn the monarchy any time
they wished. But they said the time was not ripe, they must wait until
the people had become more educated politically, and had learned more
about self-government, before they ventured to attempt it. Here,
therefore, we have Democracy taking a new and important step. To
man's claim of the right of self-government was subjoined the
recognition of the fact that until he reaches a certain level of
intelligence he is unfit to exercise that right, and with it he is likely to