FROM THE FRONTIER TO GRAVELOTTE ...... 70
CHAPTER IV. <...> CHAUDORDY AND THE TRUTH —
OFFICERS OF BAD FAITH-FRENCH GARBLING —
THE CROWN PRINCE DINES WITH THE CHIEF. ........... 309
CHAPTER XVI. <...> FIRST WEEK OF THE BOMBARDMENT ..... 336
CHAPTER XVII. <...> A few passages have,
however, been omitted as defamatory, or otherwise unsuitable
for publication. <...> Dr. Busch contemplated incorporating bodily in
the first volume a reproduction of his earlier work: Prince Bismarck and his People during the Franco-German War; but
while the many valuable additions which he made to it have
been preserved, such portions as would no longer have presented any special interest for English readers have been considerably abridged.
3
PREFACE
The work which I now present to the German people
contains a complete1 account of all the events of which I was a
witness during my intercourse of over twenty years with Prince
Bismarck and his entourage. <...> Part of it is not entirely new, as I
have embodied in it portions of the book published by me in
1878, under the title: Prince Bismarck and his People during
the Franco-German War. <...> I have, however, restored the numerous passages which it was then deemed expedient to omit, and I
have also dispensed with the many modifications by which, at
that time, certain asperities of language had to be toned down. <...> The bulk of the present work consists of a detailed narrative of
the whole period of my intercourse with the Prince both before
and after the French campaign. <...> A tendency to the
sensational is foreign to my nature, and I leave the pleasure to
be derived from grand spectacular shows to lovers of the theatre. <...> I desired to record the mental and other characteristics
which our first Chancellor presented to me under such and such
circumstances, thus helping to complete, and at times to rectify,
1
Strictly speaking, almost complete, as some passages must still be omitted
for the present.
4
BISMARCK
PREFACE
the conception of his whole nature that has been formed in the
public mind from his political activity. <...> I will allow the Prince himself to answer the question
as to my authority for communicating to others without any
reserve all that I <...>
Bismarck._Some_secret_pages_of_his_history._Vol._1.pdf
BISMARCK
SOME SECRET PAGES OF HIS HISTORY
BEING A DIARY KEPT BY
DR. MORITZ BUSCH
DURING TWENTY-FIVE YEARS’ OFFICIAL AND PRIVATE
INTERCOURSE WITH THE GREAT CHANCELLOR
IN THREE VOLUMES
VOL. I
London
MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited
NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1898
All rights reserved
Стр.1
CONTENTS
NOTE..................................................................................................3
PREFACE ..........................................................................................4
CHAPTER I. MY APPOINTMENT AS AN OFFICIAL IN
THE FOREIGN OFFICE, AND MY FIRST AUDIENCE
WITH BISMARCK — WORK AND OBSERVATIONS
UP TO THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR WITH
FRANCE ..................................................................................13
CHAPTER II. DEPARTURE OF THE CHANCELLOR FOR
THE SEAT OF WAR — I FOLLOW HIM, AT FIRST TO
SAARBRUECK — JOURNEY FROM THERE TO THE
FRENCH FRONTIER — THE FOREIGN OFFICE
FLYING COLUMN.................................................................61
CHAPTER III. FROM THE FRONTIER TO GRAVELOTTE......70
CHAPTER IV. COMMERCY — BAR LE DUC —
CLERMONT EN ARGONNE..................................................90
CHAPTER V. WE TURN TOWARDS THE NORTH — THE
CHANCELLOR OF
THE CONFEDEEATION AT
KEZONVILLE — THE BATTLE AND BATTLEFIELD
OF BEAUMONT ...................................................................108
CHAPTER VI. SEDAN — BISMARCK AND NAPOLEON
AT DONCHERY....................................................................120
CHAPTER VII. FROM THE MEUSE TO THE MARNE............136
CHAPTER VIII. BISMARCK AND FAVRE AT HAUTEMAISON
— A FORTNIGHT IN ROTHSCHILD’S
CHÂTEAU.............................................................................157
CHAPTER IX. THE JOURNEY TO VERSAILLES —
MADAME JESSE’S HOUSE, AND OUR LIFE THERE .....185
1
Стр.2
CHAPTER X. AUTUMN DAYS AT VERSAILLES....................191
CHAPTER XI. THIERS AND THE FIRST NEGOTIATIONS
FOR AN ARMISTICE AT VERSAILLES ............................220
CHAPTER XII. GROWING DESIRE FOR A DECISION IN
VARIOUS DIRECTIONS......................................................247
CHAPTER
XIII. REMOVAL OF
THE ANXIETY
RESPECTING THE BAVARIAN TREATY IN THE
REICHSTAG — THE BOMBARDMENT FURTHER
POSTPONED.........................................................................262
CHAPTER XIV. THE PROSPECTS OUTSIDE PARIS
IMPROVE..............................................................................294
CHAPTER XV. CHAUDORDY AND THE TRUTH —
OFFICERS OF BAD FAITH-FRENCH GARBLING —
THE CROWN PRINCE DINES WITH THE CHIEF. ...........309
CHAPTER XVI. FIRST WEEK OF THE BOMBARDMENT.....336
CHAPTER
XVII. LAST WEEKS
CHAPTER
BEFORE THE
CAPITULATION OF PARIS.................................................361
XVIII. DURING
THE NEGOTIATIONS
RESPECTING THE CAPITULATION OF PARIS...............385
CHAPTER XIX. FROM GAMBETTA’S RESIGNATION TO
THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRELIMINARIES OF
PEACE....................................................................................431
2
Стр.3
NOTE
The English edition of Dr. Busch’s work which we
publish to-day has been translated from the original German
text in the possession of the publishers. A few passages have,
however, been omitted as defamatory, or otherwise unsuitable
for publication. Dr. Busch contemplated incorporating bodily in
the first volume a reproduction of his earlier work: Prince Bismarck
and his People during the Franco-German War; but
while the many valuable additions which he made to it have
been preserved, such portions as would no longer have presented
any special interest for English readers have been considerably
abridged.
3
Стр.4
PREFACE
contains a complete1 account of all the events of which I was a
witness during my intercourse of over twenty years with Prince
Bismarck and his entourage. Part of it is not entirely new, as I
have embodied in it portions of the book published by me in
1878, under the title: Prince Bismarck and his People during
the Franco-German War. I have, however, restored the numerous
passages which it was then deemed expedient to omit, and I
have also dispensed with the many modifications by which, at
that time, certain asperities of language had to be toned down.
The bulk of the present work consists of a detailed narrative of
the whole period of my intercourse with the Prince both before
and after the French campaign. I collected and noted down all
these particulars respecting Prince Bismarck and his immediate
supporters and assistants, in the first place for my own use, and
secondly as a contribution to the character and history of the
Political Regenerator of Germany. The sole object of he diary
which forms the basis of this work was to serve as a record of
the whole truth so far as I had been able to ascertain it with my
own eyes and ears. Any other object was out of the question, as
it was impossible that I could desire to deceive myself. Subsequently,
when I thought of publishing my notes, I was fully
conscious of my responsibility towards history, the interests of
which could not be promoted by material that had been coloured
or garbled for party purposes. I wished neither to be an
eulogist nor a censor. To my mind, panegyric was superfluous,
and faultfinding was for me an impossibility. A tendency to the
sensational is foreign to my nature, and I leave the pleasure to
be derived from grand spectacular shows to lovers of the theatre.
I desired to record the mental and other characteristics
which our first Chancellor presented to me under such and such
circumstances, thus helping to complete, and at times to rectify,
The work which I now present to the German people
1 Strictly speaking, almost complete, as some passages must still be omitted
for the present.
4
Стр.5