The Project Gutenberg eBook, Before the War, by Viscount Richard Burton Haldane

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Author: Viscount Richard Burton Haldane

Release Date: March 16, 2006 [eBook #17998]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEFORE THE WAR***

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Transcriber's Note:

While the author of this work uses unusual spelling, a number of obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

A complete list will be found at the end of the book.

London Stereoscopic Co.

VISCOUNT HALDANE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR FROM DECEMBER, 1905 TO JUNE, 1912; LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR FROM JUNE, 1912 TO MAY, 1915.

BEFORE THE WAR

BY

VISCOUNT HALDANE

FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY New York and London 1920

Copyright, 1920, by Funk & Wagnalls Company

[Printed in the United States of America]

Published in February, 1920

Copyright under the Articles of the Copyright Convention of the Pan-American Republics of the United States, August 11, 1910

PREFATORY NOTE

The chapters of which this little volume consists were constructed with a definite purpose. It was to render clear the line of thought and action followed by the Government of this country before the war, between January, 1906, and August, 1914. The endeavor made was directed in the first place to averting war, and in the second place to preparing for it as well as was practicable if it should come. In reviewing what happened I have made use of the substance of various papers recently contributed to the Westminster Gazette, the Atlantic Monthly, Land and Water, and the Sunday Times. The gist of these, which were written with their inclusion in this book in view, has been incorporated in the text together with other material. I have to thank the Editors of these journals for their courtesy in agreeing that the substance of what they published should be made use of here as part of a connected whole.

CONTENTS

PAGE Introduction13 Diplomacy Before the War35 The German Att.i.tude Before the War101 The Military Preparations177 Epilog207 Index227