effective protection from the rising tide of Social Democracy, and on the other hand, German capitalism had rapidly outgrown the limits of the national market and had embarked upon a policy of Imperialism—"World-Politics," as it was called—which threatened to bring it into conflicts with older rivals. It was this Imperialist factor which proved decisive. It brought together the Prusso-German Junkers and the German capitalist class, and rendered effective the bargain, hereby the former retained their power, but placed it at the disposal of the latter. Imperialism and Militarism have become associated as the end and the means to an end.
Has the history of Militarism been different in other countries? Certain circumstances which are obvious to the reader prevent us from dealing with this question adequately, but we may ask: has it been different in France, where Militarism was originally handed over to the Third Republic as a legacy from the Second Empire, and where its character was made sufficiently evident by the clerico-monarchist crisis associated with the names of MacMahon, Boulanger, and Dreyfus? Yet the French bourgeoisie accepted it—accepted it from that moment when the first shells were fired against Bizerta (Tunis) in 1882. Or has it been different in Russia, where the bourgeois parties in the Duma vied with one another, in the course of the eight years preceding the war, in voting the military budgets, in spite of the fact that the actual military power was notoriously exercised by a class of ""Junkers"? The reason for this acceptance of Militarism was the rise of Russian Imperialism. Or is the case different in this country? We have had no Militarism, not because of our geographical situation, but because we had no rival in our Imperialist pursuits. But no sooner did the German "menace" arise than the foundation was laid by Lord Haldane's reforms of a British Militarism, and now we shall have universal military service. Will that Militarism be of a different kind from the Prussian variety? The Ulster revol and the part recently played by the Army Council in the political crisis supply the answer. Yet our capitalist class will accept it, because Imperialist policy demands it.
What a hollow hypocrisy it is to thunder forth against "Prussian" Militarism and to single it out for universal opprobium! Prussian Militarism is but the most perfect model of modern Militarism which exists everywhere, and which will only be overcome when Imperialism is overcome. Socialism is the sole alternative to the one as to the other.
page four
