Kurt Hahn's memorandum on the subject of ethical imperialism 1918

War in History

Volumn 5, Issue 1, 1998, Pages 84-120

  Demm, Eberhard ^a   Stewart, Janet ^a   Weritsch, Christoph ^a  

^a NONE

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EID: 33749845097     PISSN: 09683445     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/096834459800500105     Document Type: Review

References (30)

1. M. von Baden, Erinnerungen und Dokumente, 2nd edn, ed. G. Mann and A. Burckhard (Stuttgart, 1968), pp. 242 ff
2. 'Die Ursachen des deutschen Zusammenbruchs', Werk des Untersuchungsausschusses, 4th ser., vol. 11, pp. 92 ff
3. Ludendorff's discussion with Prince Max shows that the former had understood the idea behind Weber's memorandum exactly, as opposed to Deutschland im ersten Weltkrieg, ed. W. Gutsche (3 vols, Berlin, 1968), p. 241
4. Von Baden, Erinnerungen, p. 245
5. E. Opitz, ed., Europastrategien des deutschen Kapitals 1900-1945 (Cologne, 1977), pp. 419-39
6. Hermann Stegemann (1870-1945), Swiss writer, journalist and military historian of German origin
7. Hermann Stegemann, 'Gedanken zur Lage', written on 16 Feb. 1918 for the Progressive Party to the Reichstag, Conrad Haußmann, printed in 'Die Ursachen des deutschen Zusammenbruchs', in Werk des Untersuchungsausschusses (Berlin, 12 vols in 15, 1919-28) 4th ser., vol. II, p. 97: 'I have repeatedly expressed the opinion that, in this war, the strategic threat has a greater effect and may be more easily exploited politically, than the implemented operation.'
8. Refers to an interview which Lloyd George had given on 28 Sept. 1916, as minister of munitions, to the journalist Roy Howard, of the news agency United Press, in which he had said, 'The fight must be to a finish - to a knock-out'; The Times 41285 (29 Sept. 1916)
9. Alfred von Tirpitz. From 1897 to 1916; secretary of state for the imperial naval department and from 1898 to 1916 Prussian minister of trade resigned from his offices in Mar. 1916. 1917-18, chairman of the German Fatherland Party
10. Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929). Was regarded in Germany as a supporter of an uncompromising position of peace-through-victory
11. 'Another year of war and we shall be hypothecated to America' (English in the original). Austin Harrison, 'Lord Lansdowne's Interrogation', English Review 26 (Jan. 1918), p. 92
12. This probably refers to the 'London Diary', in The Nation 2219 (9 Feb. 1918), p. 589. The emphasis is, however, slightly different, 'A Lansdowne-Asquith-Henderson combination is, I imagine, always possible.... The question is whether, in spite of its availability, this device is really adequate to the situation. There are three strong reasons for the growing feeling in favour of the more drastic alternative of a Labour Government...
13. Albert Thomas (1878-1932), French socialist politician; 1915-17, minister for munitions
14. Camille Huysmans (1871-1968), Flemish socialist politician
15. Walter Runciman, Viscount Runciman of Doxford (1870-1949), British Liberal politician. 1914-15, president of the board of trade. In the debate in the House of Commons on 13 Feb. 1918 he said, 'I would say that the greatest contribution which would be to the peace of the world at the present time would be for those who represent opinion in their respective countries to have some chance of drawing closer together and exchanging views, however antagonistic they may because by discussion they may be brought more nearly to understand their position.' Hansard 103 (13 Feb. 1918), col. 183
16. Capt. Franz Rintelen von Kleist, for example, was sent on such acts of sabotage, which were particularly aimed at American armaments factories and ammunition convoys. Cf. Capt. von Rintelen, The Dark Invader (London, 1933), pp. 77 f
17. On 27 Dec. 1917 the German representatives at the peace conference of Brest-Litowsk rejected the demands of the Soviets for free referendums in the occupied Russian territories, on the grounds that a democratic decision had already been taken in Courland, Lithuania and Poland, as well as in parts of Estonia and Livland on their secession from Russia. This argument, which pretended that the local councils of the countries were democratic representative bodies of the people, was regarded as inappropriate by the circle around Prince Max von Baden. Cf. von Baden, Erinnerungen, pp. 211 ff., wrongly dated (28 Dec)
18. Hjalmar Branting (1860-1925), Swedish social democratic politician. 1917-18, finance minister
19. John Allsebrook, Viscount Simon (1873-1954), British Liberal politician. 1915-16, home secretary. Grey declared in a speech in the Bechstein Hall in London on 22 Mar. 1915 that the essential precondition for peace was the re-establishment of Belgium's independence and compensation for the damages it had suffered. Cf. 'Aims of the Allies: Sir Edward Grey on Peace Conditions', The Times 40809 (23 Mar. 1915)
20. The Case for a Conference', The Nation 22, 23 (9 Mar. 1918), p. 692: 'It [Lord Lansdowne's letter] says in effect: "You offer a form of restoration for Belgium. Does it come up to our policy of complete independence and integrity? Is your qualification a claim for a German Protectorate or economic control, or a protest in advance against a similar claim from the Western Alliance? Let this point be satisfied, either by a continued dialogue overseas or by an informal meeting.'"
21. 'We cannot enter a general Peace Conference while the sovereignty of Belgium remains in doubt. But neither have we the right to refuse an entry unless we are in a position to demand a German surrender on the second order of difficulties, the irredentist and national question. We did not go to war to cancel the treaty of Frankfort or to deprive Austria of Trieste. Our intervention was on the special case of Belgium, and on a demand for a revised international order'; 'The Case for a Conference', p. 692
22. This quotation does not appear in Lloyd George's speech of 5 Jan. 1918 to the English Trades Union Congress, but does correspond to the gist of his comments, 'Does it mean that Belgium, Serbia, Montenegro and Rumania will be as independent and as free to direct their own destinies as the Germans of any other nation? Or does it mean that all manner of interference and restrictions, political and economic, incompatible with the status and dignity of a free self-respecting people, are to be imposed?.... The rest of the so-called 'offer' of the Central Powers is almost entirely a refusal of all concessions.' Quoted from The Times 41680 (7 Jan. 1918). A discussion with representatives of the unions is not recorded. Reprint of the speech also in J.B. Scott, ed., Official Statements of War Aims and Peace Proposals December 1916-November 1918 (Washington, DC, 1921), pp. 223-25
23. Richard von Kuhlmann (1873-1948), German diplomat; from Aug. 1917 to July 1918, secretary of state for foreign affairs; stated on 9 Oct. 1917 in the Reichstag, 'The question, over which the peoples of Europe are fighting and shedding blood, is not primarily the Belgian one. The issue at stake, for the sake of which Europe is being transformed more or less into a pile of rubble, is that of the future of Alsace-Lorraine,' Stenographisches Protokoll, Deutscher Reichstag, 124th session, p. 3812. Italics have been used to indicate the use of spaced-out letters in the original
24. This sentence does not appear in the cited article. Rather, Harrison writes: 'There is Alsace-Lorraine, originally seized by Louis XIV, then seized by Germany. Is the restoration to France of those lands an irreducible minimum of peace? If so, then we need have no illusions about war, it will go on inexorably.' 'Lord Lansdowne's Interrogation', English Review 26 (Jan. 1918)
25. Max Warburg (1867-1934), German banker
26. Frans van Cauwelaert (1880-1961), Flemish politician, leader of the Flemish wing of the Catholic Party. Opponent of the pro-German Flemish activists. Julius Peter Hoste (1884-1954), Flemish journalist and politician, editor of the newspaper Het Laats Nieuws. During the war, published the newspaper Vrije Belgie together with Cauwelaert
27. Nicolas Japikse (1872-1944), Dutch historian; 1918, director of the office for historical state publications
28. Project for a railway link between Germany and Denmark over the Fehmarnbelt. Was not realized until 1963
29. English in the original. Theodor Fontane (1819-1898), Prussian writer; the quotation and the tide of the poem are cited inaccurately. The title of the poem is, Tire, But Don't Hurt the Flag'. The quotation reads, 'Wann kommt auch fur uns der goldne Tag [How long need we live to see the golden day]: Fire, but don't hurt the flag!' Fontane, Samtliche Werke, ed. W. Keitel (Munich, 1962-) vi, pp. 380 ff
30. Refers to the release of the British steamer Kabinga on 12 Sept. 1914. In an article entitled 'The Emden's Victims', The Times 40688 (17 Oct. 1914) quotes from the report of the British captain: 'The German commander warned me to approach the Hooghly with caution, as the pilots were off station, the lightships and buoys removed, he having heard Calcutta giving the pilot these instructions by wireless... He adds that they were treated in a most courteous manner by the commander of the Emden.' Extracts printed in German translation in Der Krieg zur See 1914-18 II: Der Kreuzerkrieg (Berlin, 1923), p. 90