COLLAPSE OF KAISERISM.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1918, Page 6

COLLAPSE OF KAISERISM.

THE CAUSES OF VICTORY.

('2y Lieutenant-Colonel A. £l. Grace, :S Z.F.A., in the Auckland Herald.) The capitulation of Turkey and the breaking up of the Dual Monarchy have sealed the fate of Germany. Such a collaps, unparalleled in history. imust be trawd, primarily, to the surrender of Bulgaria, but, more remotely, though with equal certainty, to t,he blockade of the Ceitral Empires by their allies, established by the Allied Armies and Navies in August, 1014, and maintained unremittingly in spite of the defecion and collapse of Russia. It is to be noted that the present situation is not brought about by any spectacular, decisive victory on land or sea. Bulgaria's military resistance crumpled up because of Bulgaria's domestic and economic condition. Her people at last could endure their privations no longer. They actually arrived at the point when they found that they suffered more from German domination and the autocracy of 'Ferdinand than they would if their enemies were victorious. The Bulgarian army, being in reality the Bulgarian nation in arms, gave way, the Vienna-Constantinople railway fell into the hands of the Allies, Turkey was isolated; the southern borders of the Austrian Empire were open to invasion by General Desperey's Army of the Balkans. It was a question whether Turkey or Austria would fee qgxt tg ooDagW: Bit Edmund

Allenby's wonderful victory in Palestine, anil the advance of his troops to Aleppo, and the cutting pi the main line of railway supplying the Turkish troops operating on the Tigris, doubtless produced a profound effect upon the entire Turkish nation, but the decisive factor is to lie found in Bulgaria's surrender and Turkey's isolation rather than in her military defeat in Palestine and Mesopotamia. When they found that they could not possibly receive help from the Ler.tral Powers, but were left to face their fate alone, they collapsed. Austria's internal condition was long since known to be exceedingly had. It was well known that food was very scarce in the. capital and in the larger towns It was known that the conglomeration of composing the Dual Monarchy were exhibiting acute rivalry and unrest. The Emperor Cart had made most persistent efforts in the direction of peace with his enemies and of reunion at home. But the surrender of Bulgaria laid Hungary open to invasion. The Allies' advanced troops had reached the Danube. The Czecho-Slavs proclaimed their independence. Austria lias had to go the same way hs Bulgaria and Turkey, and submit unconditionally.

GERM ANY LEFT TO HER FATE.

Uermany is thus left to law her fate, unaided.. Jubt as the surrender 01 Jsut-ijiu-ia bare tun southern boraera of Austria-Hungary, go the capitulation ot ttie Dual .Monarchy lays open to invasion the southern boruers oi: Germany. All thq armies of France, Britaiu, Italy, ana America can now be concentrated against Lierinaiiy, and if the army of the Kobber Jaapire decides to light to a linisli, it will be outnumbered, out-Jlaukedj overwhelmed, and destroyed. To all intents and purposes the war is over. There may, or may not, he a last' decisive struggle between the 'Kaiser's army and the Allied Annies, but the result is a foregone conclusion. ,U would l>e a picturesque ending to the awful drama if the Kaiser were to fall fighting 'it the head of liis army, and if that army, adopting the motto of Napoleon's Guard, were to die, fighting, ibut refuse to surrender. But the readiness with whicn the Germans are surrendering to the armies commanded by Sir Douglas Haig (who captured 49,000 prisoners during October) and to our Allies, seems to indicate that the die-hard spirit is not present in the German army in sufficient strength to turn it into an army of heroes. The Hapsburg dynasty has fallen, and that of Hohenzollern is destined to fall at the hands of the Great Alliance, if it is not overthrown by the German people themselves. True, Marshal Fpeh has not yet fought "his battle," and, if the Germans' resistance is such that, lie is compelled to fight it, it will be the decisive battle of tiie war. But the collapse of Germany's allies and the hopeless position of Germany herself are attributable to effective blockade rather than to specific military victories. That blockade was twofold; it was a blockade by land and by sea, by the Allied Armies and by the Allied Navies. The armies, while fighting the Central Powers and their allies, were simultaneously blockading them, but the major blockade was that effected by the British Navy, assisted by tlio navies of our Allies, because thereby our enemies were deprived of the markets of the world and of supplies of war material and food.

THE MIGHT OF BRITAIN'S {NAVY.

■Wbea Jato in July, I!!].}, the British ileflt, put to .sea and took up its baiilestatioiiß iu tlu* North Sea, ui anticipation of a declaration of war, tlie naval issue was decided and lias remained decided, although nothing approaching a decisive naval engagement has been fought The effective blockade established by tlie (British Jvavy not only reduced Germany's naval power to a, state of but it. lias slov.'Jy and surely sapped Germany's very lifeblood. Provided utc armies of the lilies could successfully resist the German military power—which, at the first battle of the Marao they proved they could do —the blockade established by the British Xavy, assisted by the navies of our Allies, was destined ultimately to reduce Germany and her allies to such a state of weakness economically that tlieir peoples must lw reduced to a state of want, and their armies to a condition approaching ineffectiveness. That is exactly what" has happened. Our navies could not have wod It' our armies had not stood fum, and our armies could not have endured but, for the fact that our navies commanded the sea 30 complete!? that the military supplies of the world were at our disposal It was hard to realise this fact when everywhere German arms seemed to be successful; when Russia was invaded in when Italy was invaded in 1917; when Russia fell; when fioumania was engulfed; when the British Armies were almost broken on th?. Sosnme, and the Germans seemed to Tttbin striking distance of Paris. But whereas iii tliesa frantic endeavors to bring tlie war to an end speedily, Germany was using up her strength prodi ; gaily, the Allies were conserving and even increasing the strength of their armies in the field, until to-day we have vanquished three of our enemies, and possess more than sufficient strength be crush our arch-enemy if she fails to comply to tho terms which we may dictate. i

.During tlie strain and stress oi' the war Uio outstanding characteristic of the Allied nations lias been their confidence in victory. In. spite of invasion, trie .French never faltered; in spite cf being enslaved, the Belgians always Relieved in their redemption; in spits of ruthless submarining and equally ruthless air raids, the British, nation remained calm)/ determined.; in spite ol severe defeat and .tanuioji, Italy remained imperturbable, and to-day everywhere drives her foes before her. This splendidly confident spirit must have been grounded on the knowledge 01 out immense strength.' arid the firmness of our unity, t,hat superb confidence, which upheld us consistently and has led us to victory, is to te found in our interrupted control of the sea. In ■ establishing and maintaihinra and using that control, in spite of every devilish means our enemies could employ, the chief glory belongs to the sailors of the British Navy ind the British mercantile marine.— (Written November 4.) •