Russian Court Memoirs, 1914-16, with some account of court, social and political life in Petrograd before and since the war . ect, and in conversing with Lord Kim-berley, he touched on this subject, declaring hisfirm conviction that only an alliance betweenRussia and England could maintain the equilibriumof Europe, and effectually stem Germanys growingaggression. If this alliance had been concludedten or fifteen years ago, who knows but that thisdevastating war might not have been avoided. Before the war, M. Sazonoffs political attitudewas as conciliatory as possible. No reproach canattach to
Russian Court Memoirs, 1914-16, with some account of court, social and political life in Petrograd before and since the war . ect, and in conversing with Lord Kim-berley, he touched on this subject, declaring hisfirm conviction that only an alliance betweenRussia and England could maintain the equilibriumof Europe, and effectually stem Germanys growingaggression. If this alliance had been concludedten or fifteen years ago, who knows but that thisdevastating war might not have been avoided. Before the war, M. Sazonoffs political attitudewas as conciliatory as possible. No reproach canattach to the Russian Foreign Office for havingcalled forth Germanys antagonism ; on the con-trary the ministers endeavours were continuallydirected to smooth away any difficulty as it arose,and gently to stem the torrent of German once the gauntlet was flung down, he acceptedthe challenge with the dignity compatible with therepresentative of Russia. During these last twoyears, when Germany was ever on the alert to sowdissension amongst the Allies, M. Sazonoff strainedevery nerve to avoid complications and succeeded. M. SAZONOFF, FORMER MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,NOW RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR AT THE COURT OF ST. lAMEss THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN OFFICE 203 in maintaining harmony. This alone ought to beconsidered a victory over Germany. It is likewisedue to M. Sazonoffs efforts that our relations withJapan have consolidated into a firm and seeminglylasting friendship, which has lately been confirmedby the Russo-Japanese Agreement. M. Sazonoff is reproached with having mis-managed affairs in the Balkans, and for havingtaken up a tactless attitude towards Bulgariaduring the Balkan war. His diplomatic notes aresaid to have paralysed the effect of Russias gener-osity in providing Bulgaria with millions and withammunition. I have had occasion to mention inone of the preceding chapters that, since thebeginning of the war, the minister was not alwaysfree to act as he thought right. But his chie
Size: 1300px × 1922px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidrussiancourt, bookyear1917
