The Great Illusion: A Study of the Relation of Military Power in Nations to Their Economic and Social AdvantagePutnam, 1910 - 388 pages |
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absolutely advantage aggression American Anglo-Saxon Argentina armaments army bank become Britain British Empire cent chapter citizen civilization co-operation Cobdenite Colonies commercial common conception conflict conquered conqueror conquest Daily Mail defence domination economic England English Englishmen Europe European fact factors fight foreign France Frederic Harrison French futile G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS German German Empire gold Holland Homer Lea hostility human nature ideas illusion indemnity individual industrial interest involved J. R. Seeley kill labour less London man's matter means ment millions modern moral motive nation naval Navy optical illusion organism party peace physical force political population protection psychological pugnacity question quoted Reichstag religious result rival Russian secure sentimental Sidney Low social soldier South Africa Spain struggle survival Switzerland tendency territory thing thousand tion to-day trade tribute true truth urge warfare warlike wealth whole
Popular passages
Page 382 - to make peace and war, as they might think proper, would be to propose such a measure as never was, and never will be, adopted by any nation in the world. . . . The most visionary enthusiasts would scarce be capable of proposing such a measure with any serious hopes, at least, of its ever being adopted.
Page 379 - But as regards the results of this exclusive trade we are told: "Under the present system of management, therefore, Great Britain derives nothing but loss from the dominion which she assumes over her Colonies." Even as regards trade, the monopoly has only displaced a more advantageous trade with Europe, and not increased the aggregate volume.
Page 381 - for more than a century past amused the people that they possessed a great empire on the west side of the Atlantic. This empire has hitherto existed in imagination only. It has hitherto been not an empire, but the project of an empire; not a gold-mine, but the project of a
Page 382 - Adam Smith himself had no hesitation: To propose that Great Britain should voluntarily give up all authority over her Colonies, and leave them to elect their own magistrates, to enact their own laws, to make peace and war, as they might think proper,
Page 208 - the conditions which arise from a real military conception of civilization it is very difficult. How does Mr. Roosevelt, who declares that "by war alone can we acquire those virile qualities necessary to win in the stern strife of actual life"; how does von Stengel, who declares that "war is a test of a nation's health political, physical, and moral";
Page 334 - instant war with every unit of your strength in the first line and waiting to be first in, and hit your enemy in the belly and kick him when he is down, and boil your prisoners in oil (if you take any), and torture his women and children, then people will keep clear of you.
Page 202 - notably Mr. Roosevelt's dictum: "In this world the nation that is trained to a career of unwarlike and isolated ease is bound to go down in the end before other nations which have not lost the manly and adventurous qualities." This view is even emphasized in the speech which Mr. Roosevelt recently delivered at the University of Berlin (see Times, May 13,
Page 381 - Countries which contribute neither revenue nor military force towards the support of the Empire cannot be considered as provinces. They may, perhaps, be considered as appendages, as a sort of splendid and showy equipage of the Empire. . . . The rulers of Great Britain