Bismarck and the foundation of the German empire . ost withoutsupport. They were now exposed to a terriblealternative. They could not return to Germany;they did not wish to take part in a war on theFrench side. Their only hope was emigration toAmerica. Bismarck heard of their position ; heoffered to pardon them all and to pay to them fromthe Prussian funds the full pension which they wouldhave received had they continued to serve in theHanoverian army. It was a timely act of generosity,and it had the effect that the last element of hostil-ity in Germany was stilled and the whole nationcould un
Bismarck and the foundation of the German empire . ost withoutsupport. They were now exposed to a terriblealternative. They could not return to Germany;they did not wish to take part in a war on theFrench side. Their only hope was emigration toAmerica. Bismarck heard of their position ; heoffered to pardon them all and to pay to them fromthe Prussian funds the full pension which they wouldhave received had they continued to serve in theHanoverian army. It was a timely act of generosity,and it had the effect that the last element of hostil-ity in Germany was stilled and the whole nationcould unite as one man in this foreign war. Note.—In this chapter, besides the ordinary authorities, I havedepended largely on the memoirs of the King of Roumania. Bis-marck, in his own memoirs, states that the writer was not accuratelyinformed ; but even if there are some errors in detail, the remarkablestatements contained in this work must command belief until theyare fully contradicted and disproved. There has, I believe, been noattempt to do CHAPTER XIV. THE WAR WITH FRANCE AND FOUNDATION OF THEEMPIRE. 1870-1871. ON July 31, 1870, Bismarck left Berlin withthe King for the seat of war, for, as in 1866,he was to accompany the army in the the next few months indeed Germany was tobe governed from the soil of France, and it wasnecessary for the Minister to be constantly with theKing. Bismarck never forgot that he was a soldier ;he was more proud of his generals uniform than ofhis civil rank, and, though not a combatant, it washis pride and pleasure that he should share somethingof the hardships and dangers of war. He was as amatter of fact never so well as during the campaign :the early hours, the moderate and at times meagrefood, the long hours in the saddle and the open air,restored the nerves and health which had beeninjured by the annoyances of ofifice, late hours, andprolonged sedentary work. He was accompaniedby part of the staff of the Foreign Office, and many
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