square miles of land in central Africa
in return for the Kaiser's agreement to let France have her way in
Morocco, the result was a backdown for Germany, and it left scars
which would not heal.

During all this period from 1898 to 1914 there were incidents
happening, any one of which might have started the world war. Fashoda,
Algeciras, Bosnia, Agadir--each time it seemed as if only a miracle
could avert the conflict. Europe was like a powder magazine. No man
knew when the spark might fall that would bring on the explosion.

Questions for Review

1. What were the plans of the English regarding Africa?
2. How did Major Marchand threaten the peace of Europe?
3. Why was Germany ready to help France?
4. Why did Delcasse desire to keep peace with England?
5. Why was England suspicious of Russia?
6. Why did Germany cultivate the friendship of the Turks?
7. Why did not the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria
start a general European war?
8. Why did England and Russia become friendly?
9. Why did not the Agadir incident bring about a war?

CHAPTER XV

The Sowing of the Dragon's Teeth

The growth of German trade.--Balkan hatreds.--The wonderful alliance
against Turkey.--The sympathies of the big nations.--Their
interference and its results.--A new kingdom.--The second war.--The
work of diplomacy.--The wrongs and grievances of Bulgaria.

Germany's position in Europe was not favorable to her trade. Her
ships, in order to carry on commerce with the peoples of the
Mediterranean, had to go a great deal farther than those of France or
England. As a result, the Germans had been looking toward
Constantinople and southwestern Asia as the part of the world with
which their commerce ought to grow. It was Germany's plan to control
the Balkan countries and thus have a solid strip of territory,
including Germany, Austria, the Balkan states, and Turkey through
which her trade might pass to Asia Minor, Persia, and India.

The feelings of the Balkan peoples for each other has already been
explained. The Bulgarians hated the Serbians, with whom they had
fought a bloody war in 1885. The Serbians despised the Bulgarians. The
Albanians had no love for either nation, while the Greeks looked down
on all the others. Montenegro and Serbia were friends, naturally,
since they were inhabited by the same kind of people and had once been
parts of the original kingdom of Serbia.

[Map: Turkey As the Four Balkan