ement of hostilities on a
general scale between the two immense forces which may be most
conveniently designated as the Anglo-Teutonic Alliance and the
Franco-Slavonian League.

In order that these two terms may be fully understood, it will be
well to explain their general constitution. When the two forces, into
which the declaration of war ultimately divided the nations of
Europe, faced each other for the struggle which was to decide the
mastery of the Western world, the Anglo-Teutonic Alliance consisted
primarily of Britain, Germany, and Austria, and, ranged under its
banner, whether from choice or necessity, stood Holland, Belgium, and
Denmark in the north-west, with Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey in the
south-west.

Egypt was strongly garrisoned for the land defence of the Suez Canal
and the high road to the East by British, Indian, and Turkish troops.
British and Belgian troops held Antwerp and the fortresses of the
Belgian Quadrilateral in force.

A powerful combined fleet of British, Danish, and Dutch war vessels
of all classes held the approaches by the Sound and Kattegat to the
Baltic Sea, and co-operated in touch with the German fleet; the Dutch
and the German having, at any rate for the time being, and under the
pressure of irresistible circumstances, laid aside their hereditary
national hatred, and consented to act as allies under suitable
guarantees to Holland.

The co-operation of Denmark had been secured, in spite of the family
connections existing between the Danish and the Russian Courts, and
the rancour still remaining from the old Schleswig-Holstein quarrel,
by very much the same means that had been taken in the historic days
of the Battle of the Baltic. It is true that matters had not gone so
far as they went when Nelson disobeyed orders by putting his
telescope to his blind eye, and engaged the Danish fleet in spite of
the signals; but a demonstration of such overwhelming force had been
made by sea and land on the part of Britain and Germany, that the
House of Dagmar had bowed to the inevitable, and ranged itself on the
side of the Anglo-Teutonic Alliance.

Marshalled against this imposing array of naval and military force
stood the Franco-Slavonian League, consisting primarily of France,
Russia, and Italy, supported--whether by consent or necessity--by
Spain, Portugal, and Servia. The co-operation of Spain had been
purchased by the promise of Gibraltar at the conclusion of the war,
and that o