The German Empire and its Ally, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy—that is, the reigning house of Hapsburg-Lorraine—wants the re-arrangement to take a certain form which would leave the German speech and culture and tradition the predominating thing in Europe, and probably in the whole world.
The Allies, upon the other hand, are fighting for a less simple idea. They are fighting for the double conception of:
(a) Retaining the existing independence of certain national groups.
(b) Erecting other independent or partly independent groups, the existence of which and the general influence of which shall restrict German and in particular Prussian power.
This dual conception the Allies rightly term the preservation and the extension of national liberties in Europe.
Now before we can comprehend either what the Germans are striving for or what the Allies are striving for, we must make a catalogue of those national groups which are at the foundation of the whole business. In making that catalogue we must remember what it is that creates a national group.
MAP I. THE MAIN TRUE NATIONAL FRONTIERS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE
(excluding the South, which is exterior to this war)
| The Slavs Roman in Religion. | True National Frontiers. |
1, 2, 3, 4.—Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland.