I hope that the book will help to remove a number of political misunderstandings or ambiguities, as well as certain historical inaccuracies or erroneous statements which have accumulated during the last few years. It will at least, I think, reduce a number of matters under dispute to their right proportion. In any case, it is my wish to make clear what should not be doubtful to anybody, namely, that we never drew any distinction between our revolutionary movement at home and abroad, that we placed our diplomatic work on the same footing as the achievements of our troops, and that, in short, we look upon our revolutionary activities at home and abroad, in the council chamber and on the battlefield, as a single unified movement.
My chief endeavour has been to give an accurate account of facts, and in writing these memoirs I have been prompted by my attachment to our national cause and also by my attachment to the truth; and I want the book to be not only a record of what happened, but also a lesson to be applied to our present and future political problems.
In conclusion, I should like to thank all those who have helped me to collect and arrange the material, etc. I am particularly grateful for the assistance rendered by Dr. A. Hartl, Dr. J. Werstadt, J. Papoušek, Dr. J. Opočenský, V. Škrach, and A. Babka.
