People of romantic, too romantic, mind see in war only the Napoleons and the heroic leaders depicted by painters of the older school, and forget that even in the field Ulysses counts for more than Achilles. The social conditions out of which war arises have also to be taken into account, and the plight not only of the fallen but of those who are crippled or broken in health, and the way they are cared for. All this is war.
In my case the issue, Humanity versus violence, came to a very practical head in the question whether Czechs and Slovaks, fighting as the soldiers of our revolution, ought to fire upon their Czech and Slovak brethren in the Austro-Hungarian army. This was no abstract casuistry, for our legionaries actually met their fellow-countrymen in battle. In some instances, brother fought against brother, father against son, though as a rule they recognized each other, those on the Austrian side coming over to our Legion. But there were also instances of very stubborn fratricidal strife when our men in Austrian regiments clung to Palacky’s original view that “if Austria had not existed it would have been necessary to invent her.”
Many a sleepless night did I pass in thinking of the fate of our volunteers and insurgents who fell into the hands of Austrian military justice. Reports of the execution of these young fellows grew more frequent-and I felt burning pain at the thought that I was preaching stern resistance and was urging them on to a life and death struggle. Often I yearned to go into the fighting line, since I was proclaiming war—yet I had to remember that, in the very interest of the fighters, the leader must not expose himself. This much I did resolve—that I would shirk no danger, or fear for my own life, that is to say, I would not give way to fear, for I think every man feels fear when his life is in danger and mine was certainly in constant danger everywhere.
Not less tormenting was the thought of what our people would say if we did not win. Into the details of that complicated question I cannot enter. I can only explain the reasons for my action against Austria and Germany, and why my humanitarian ideas drove me into the ranks of the belligerents; for that is what our work really meant, as I had gone abroad in the conviction that we must have an army of our own. In Switzerland, France and England our numbers were small. Few volunteers could therefore be enrolled. In America and in Russia our colonies were stronger; and in Russia there were our prisoners of war, many of whom had given themselves up
