The Doll - Bolesaw Prus [363]
THE POLITICAL situation grows increasingly serious. Now we have two coalitions. Russia and Turkey on one side, Germany, Austria and England on the other. And if this is so, then it means that a war may break out at any moment, during which important, very important questions will be resolved.
But will there really be a war? For we always like to delude ourselves. This time yes, without fail. Lisiecki tells me that I predict war each year and have never been right. Pardon me, but he’s a fool…It was one thing in those years, another today.
I read in the papers, for example, that in Italy Garibaldi is agitating against Austria. Why is he agitating? Because he expects a great war. And that’s not all, for a few days later I heard that General Turr is entreating Garibaldi, calling Heaven to witness, not to make trouble for the Italians…
What does it mean?…It means, translated into common parlance: ‘You, Italians, make no move, for if Austria wins she will in any case give you Trieste. But if she loses by your fault, you will get nothing…’
These are grave omens, this campaigning of Joe Garibaldi’s and these reassurances of Turr’s. Joe is campaigning, for he sees war around the corner, and Turr appeases for he sees further profit.
But will war break out so soon? At the end of June or in July?…An inexperienced politician might think so, but not I. For the Germans would not start a war without securing themselves against France.
And how, then, will they secure themselves?…Szprott says there is no way to do it, but I see that there is, and a very simple way at that. Oh, Bismarck’s a wily bird, I’m beginning to like him!…For why did Germany and Austria drag England into their alliance?…Obviously to entice France and persuade her into an alliance. This will be done in the following way:
The young Napoleon, Lulu, serves in the English army and is fighting the Zulus in Africa like his grandfather, Napoleon the Great. When the English end the war, they will make little Napoleon a general and will address the French thus:
My dear people! Here you have Bonaparte who fought in Africa and there covered himself in eternal glory like his grandfather. Make him then your emperor, like his grandfather, and we will negotiate Alsace and Lorraine away from the Germans. You’ll have to pay them a few billions, but that’s better than waging another war which will cost ten billion and which would be precarious for you…
The French will, naturally, make Lulu their emperor, take back their land, pay, enter into an alliance with Germany, and then Bismarck, having all that money, will perform his tricks!…
Oh, Bismarck’s a clever devil and if someone’s to do it, only he can pull off such a plan. I felt ages ago that here was a real old fox, and I had a weakness for him, though I masked it…A proper rogue!…He’s wed to a Puttkamerow; and it’s well known that the Puttkamerows are related to Mickiewicz. What’s more, apparently he’s passionately fond of the Poles, and even advised the son of the heir to the throne to learn Polish…
Well, if there is no war this year…then I will have a story to tell Lisiecki about hot air! He, poor fool, thinks that political intelligence depends on believing in nothing. Rubbish!…Politics depends on the combinations which emerge from the state of affairs.
So, long live Napoleon IV!…For though no one thinks of him today, I am still sure that in this hurly-burly he will play the main role. And if he is able to get down to business, then he will not only regain Alsace and Lorraine for free, but will even push the borders of France to the Rhine with complete success. As long as Bismarck doesn’t realise too soon and become aware that using a Bonaparte is the same thing as harnessing a lion to a barrow. It even seems to me that in this one question Bismarck will miscalculate. And, to tell the truth, I’ll not grieve for him, for I never trusted him.
Somehow, my health isn’t what it should be. I won’t say that anything ails me, but there it is…I can’t do much walking, I’ve no appetite, I don’t even feel very much like writing.