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56 PROBLEMS CONFRONTING RUSSIA
in dealing with the Balkan problem was solely due to the
uncompromising attitude assumed by that Power.
Russia’s disaster in the war against the Central Powers
brought in its train another recrudescence of cosmopolitism
in Russia. This time cosmopolitism identified itself with
international socialism and Judaism, factors which are
natural champions in the destruction of national
self-consciousness. The former promotes the interests of the
proletariat irrespective of nationality, and the latter pursue
a religious and tribal ideal without regard to the existence
of separate States. The existence of separate States is a
hindrance to both aims, which can only be overcome by
cosmopolitism. In Russia socialism and Judaism succeeded
so well in counteracting nationalism that the Russian nation,
under the leadership of Lenin and Trotsky, lost all national
self-respect, all inclination to foster Russian interests, and
behaved like a flock of bewildered misguided sheep ready
to fling themselves into an abyss without any apparent
reason or necessity.
Austria and Germany had an easy task in walking over
a disorganised and listless South of Russia, and allowed
their " mailed fist " to come down heavily upon the poor
Russians. They saddled her with a German peace, and
engaged in a policy of brutal interference with Russian
internal affairs. But this will have the advantage of
bringing revolutionary Russia to her senses. The Austro-German
military force dispatched to the South of Russia on police
duty may be able to introduce order, and such an example
may also have a salutary and steadying influence upon the
other parts of the country, inducing it to revert to civilised
methods of assuring safety, order, and respect of law, but
in so doing they will, in all probability, make themselves
thoroughly hated as foreign intruders and bullies. This
will restart the political pendulum swinging in the direction
of nationalism.
It would, therefore, appear that Russian internal and
external politics have been alternately under the influence of
national superestimation and international cosmopolitism.
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