cies and continental policies
constitutes, if you please, a _circulus vitiosus_, the vicious circle
of Germany's foreign policy. German enterprises abroad react on the
continental policy, and it is under pressure from the continental
policy that Germany's world policies find their limitations."

As a result Germany, with potential enemies on all sides, was
constantly oppressed by the _cauchemar des coalitions_, the nightmare
of jealous hostile alliances.

It is this dependence of colonial upon continental politics that
intensifies the dangers of imperialism, increases {111} its
ruthlessness and recklessness, and causes it to become a deadly
conflict, with diplomacy _a la maniere forte_ in the foreground, and in
the background, war.

The danger of war as a result of imperialism is immensely increased by
the disunion and disequilibrium of Europe. The continental nations are
always embattled and ready to strike. It is not an accidental or
transient condition but is rooted deep in geographical, historical and
economic causes. Europe, since history began, has been overfilled with
clashing peoples and races with variant beliefs, traditions and
languages, and with opposed economic interests. To grow, to prevent
others from growing, these crowded groups went to war.

It was no fault or vice of the Europeans, but merely the tragic fact
that there was no firm basis for European union. After the downfall of
the Western Roman Empire, no power was strong enough to dominate
Europe. The dreams of universal dominion of a Charlemagne and of a
Rudolf of Hapsburg remained dreams; the great, loose federations like
the Holy Roman Empire were no match for the smaller but more compact
nations, which grew up after the Middle Ages. These new nations,
moreover, inevitably meant increased antagonism, a perpetual struggle
for more territory, more trade, more gold; a despotic, militaristic,
fighting society. The age of the rise of nations was also that of
professional armies under the direction of a despot, and of wars for
the spoliation of still unorganised peoples, like the Germans and the
Italians.

If European union was difficult to achieve in past centuries, it has
become even more difficult to-day. The last century has been the
century of nationalities, a period during which nations and
nationalistic groups developed consciousness. Group consciousness is,
of course, no new thing, for all groups, possessing survival quality,