The pike in the European fish-pond prevent us from becoming carp." It was not their fault if the old alliance with Russia had broken down; the alliance with Austria still continued.

But, above all, Germany must depend on her army, and then they could look boldly into the future.

"It will calm our citizens if they think that if we are attacked on two sides we can put a million good soldiers on the frontier, and in a few weeks support them by another million." But let them not think that this terrible engine of war was a danger to the peace of Europe.

In words which represent a profound truth he said: "It is just the strength at which we aim that makes us peaceful.

That sounds paradoxical, but it is so.