The World War and What was Behind It | Page 2

Just as
individuals in the majority of civilized countries discovered, a hundred
years ago, that it was no longer necessary for them to carry weapons in
order to insure their right to live and to enjoy protection, so nations

may learn at last that peace and security are preferable to the fruits of
brigandage and aggression. The colonies of America, after years of
jealousy and small differences, followed by a tremendous war, at last
learned this lesson. In the same way the states of Europe will have to
learn it. The stumbling blocks in the way are the remains of feudal
government in Europe and the ignorance and short-sightedness of the
common people in many countries. Ignorance is rapidly waning with
the advance of education, and we trust that feudalism will not long
survive its last terrible crime, the world war of 1914.
Now that the United States has become a belligerent, it is very essential
that our people understand the events that led up to our participation in
the war. So many of our citizens are of a peace-loving nature, we are so
far removed from the militarism of continental Europe, and the whole
war seems so needless and so profitless to those who have not studied
carefully its causes, that there is danger of a want of harmony with the
program of the government if all are not taught the simple truth of the
matter. There is no quicker channel through which to reach all the
people than the public schools. With this in mind, two entire chapters
and part of a third are devoted to demonstrating why no other course
was open to this country than to accept the war which was forced upon
her.
In the preparation of this little work, the author has received many
helpful suggestions from co-workers. His thanks are especially due to
Professor A. G. Terry of Northwestern University and Professor A. H.
Sanford of the Wisconsin State Normal School at La Crosse, who were
kind enough to read through and correct the manuscript before its final
revision. The author is especially indebted to the Committee on Public
Information at Washington, D. C., for furnishing to him authoritative
data on many phases of the war. Acknowledgment is also made to Row,
Peterson and Company for kind permission to use illustrations from
History Stories of Other Lands; also to the International Film Service,
Inc., of New York City for the use of many valuable copyright
illustrations of scenes relating to the great war.
L. P. BENEZET.

Evansville, Indiana, January 2, 1918

CONTENTS
Preface List of Maps List of Illustrations
1. The Great War 2. Rome and the Barbarian Tribes 3. From Chiefs to
Kings 4. Master and Man 5. A Babel of Tongues 6. "The Terrible
Turk" 7. The Rise of Modern Nations 8. The Fall of Two Kingdoms 9.
The Little Man from the Common People 10. A King-Made Map and
Its Trail of Wrongs 11. Italy a Nation at Last 12. The Man of Blood and
Iron 13. The Balance of Power 14. The "Entente Cordiale" 15. The
Sowing of the Dragon's Teeth 16. Who Profits? 17. The Spark that
Exploded the Magazine 18. Why England Came In 19. Diplomacy and
Kingly Ambition 20. Back to the Balkans 21. The War under the Sea
22. Another Crown Topples 23. The United States at War--Why? 24.
Europe As It Should Be 25. The Cost of It All 26. What Germany Must
Learn
Pronouncing Glossary Index

LIST OF MAPS
1. Distribution of Peoples According to Relationship 2. Distribution of
Languages 3. Southeastern Europe in 600 B.C. 4. Southeastern Europe
975 A.D. 5. Southeastern Europe 1690 6. The Empire of Charlemagne
7. Europe in 1540 8. The Growth of Brandenburg-Prussia 1400-1806 9.
Italy in 525 10. Italy in 650 11. Italy in 1175 12. Europe in 1796 13.
Europe in 1810 14. Europe in 1815 15. Italy Made One Nation--1914--
16. Formation of the German Empire 17. Southeastern and Central
Europe 1796 18. Losses of Turkey During the Nineteenth Century 19.
Turkey As the Balkan Allies Planned to Divide It 20. Changes
Resulting from Balkan Wars 1912-1913 21. The Two Routes from
Germany into France 22. The Roumanian Campaign as the Allies
Wished It 23. The Roumanian Campaign as It Turned Out 24. Europe

as It Should Be

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. The Peace Palace at the Hague 2. Fleeing from Their Homes, Around
which a Battle is Raging 3. A Drill Ground in Modern Europe 4. The
Forum of Rome as It Was 1600 Years Ago 5. The Last Combat of the
Gladiators 6. Germans Going into Battle 7. A Hun Warrior 8. Gaius
Julius Caesar 9. A Prankish Chief 10. Movable Huts of Early Germans
11. Goths on the March 12. Franks