This proposal was brought before the Reichstag, together with one for a loan of twenty-eight million marks to purchase the munitions of war which would be required, and in defence of this, Bismarck made the last of his great speeches.
It was not necessary to plead for the bill.

He was confident of the patriotism of the House; his duty was to curb the nervous anxiety which recent events had produced.

These proposals were not for war, but for peace; but they must indeed be prepared for war, for that was a danger that was never absent, and by a review of the last forty years he shewed that scarcely a single year had gone by in which there had not been the probability of a great European conflict, a war of coalitions in which all the great States of Europe would be ranged on one side or the other.
This danger was still present, it would never cease; Germany, now, as before, must always be prepared; for the strength of Germany was the security of Europe.
"We must make greater exertions than other Powers on account of our geographical position.

We lie in the middle of Europe; we can be attacked on all sides.

God has put us in a situation in which our neighbours will not allow us to fall into indolence or apathy.