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[MS 23 - Mschr. Niederschrift von Gesprächen zwischen Schultze-Gävernitz und Lindsey]
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part(about 200000 of inhabitants) speak French as their
mother tongue. Practically the „revenge idea“ concerns not
so much the lost provinces but the ambition of France to
remain at least tha loading power of Continental Europe    .
For she has the lost the claim to be a leading „world power“ in the
world
at Waterloo    , and at Faschoda1 under the pressure of the
British fleet.
5)          As to  E n g l a n d      commercial rivalry was
the chief reason why Edward VII     made it the chief purpose
of British politics to meet the "German menace", which only
existed in the English imagination. It was he who brought
about a truce with Russia    , England's hereditary enemy, and
tried to encircle Germany as the world knows. For that
purpose England spent almost twice as mach anually for
armaments as Germany, and yet she accused her all the time
of militarism. But on the other hand there were British
patriots enough who wanted a sincere understanding with
Germany. They pointed to the fact that Germany had become
since 1912   the largest buyer of British wares, even pur¬
chasing more from England than the Indian Empire    . These
people went in for the German - Anglo agreement, mentioned
above and hoped that with the adherence of the United States    
the three Teutonic nations were going to order and pacify
the world. Could there be any more promising conception
of human future? But when the war of Russia and France with
Germany had come to the outbreak, the leading statesmen
of England found themselves bound by the lines of British
policy since Edward VII. Besides I hear from very well
informed sources, a chief leason for England of backing the


1    Siehe hierzu den entsprechenden Artikel in der Wikipedia.