The Franco-German War of 1870-71. E-book. Formato PDF Helmuth Von Moltke   -  Forgotten Books, 2017  - 

The origin of the book was as follows. I had several times entreated him, but in vain, to make use of his leisure hours at Greisau in noting down some of his rich store of reminiscences. He always objected, in the same words: Everything official that I have had occasion to write, or that is worth remembering, is to be seen in the Archives of the Staff Corps. My personal experiences had better be buried with me. He had a dislike to memoirs in general, which he was at no pains to conceal, saying that they only served to gratify the writer's vanity, and often contributed to distort im portant historical events by the subjective views of an individual, and the intrusion of trivial details. It might easily happen that a particular character which in history stood forth in noble simplicity should be hideously disfigured by the narrative of some per sonal experiences, and the ideal halo which had sur rounded it be destroyed. And highly characteristic of Moltke's magnanimity are the words he once uttered on such an occasion, and which I noted at the time: Whatever is published in a military history is always dressed for effect yet it is a duty of piety and patriot ism never to impair the prestige which identifies the glory of our Army with personages of lofty position.

Essays, Speeches and Memoirs of Field-Marshal Count Helmuth Von Moltke. E-book. Formato PDF Helmuth Von Moltke   -  Forgotten Books, 2017  - 

Indeed only the unavoidable necessity of the pre servation of being and of unalienable human rights, and not hope, be it ever so alluring, not dissatisfaction, be it ever so well based, not example, be it ever so near at hand, can move a people, one would suppose, to expose itself to the incalculable casualties of anarchy, of civil war, of foreign tyranny, and Of ruin. For the revolutions which in their time of duration have made even the worst government a thing to be wished for again have led quite as Often to despotism as to freedom. We seek in vain for the cause and the consequent result only there where not conviction, but passion, not deep-felt necessity, but interests are to a certain extent the springs of action which set the mass in motion.