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102 PROBLEMS CONFRONTING RUSSIA
the Kalmuks and other nomadic tribes. The Pax Britannica
assured to an Empire unsurpassed by any other in size and
population the blessings of peace, owing to the fact that any
warfare in her domains was speedily suppressed by the
central power. Great Britain has always vindicated that
owing to her rule in India the different races and tribes of
which the peoples of that country consist have been forced
to live at peace with each other.
Another case in point is the example of Central Europe,
where wars have been chiefly brought about by the fact
that the realm of Charlemagne was split up. The Germans,
French, Italians and a part of the Slavs were under his rule,
and if his Empire had never been divided all those wars
within the ancient boundaries of that Empire could never
have come about.
The present world-war cannot be used as an argument to
the contrary, only proving that Europe is still in need of
that unity which excludes the possibility of wars, as in the
case of the United States of North America or other States
representing a happy combination of local autonomy and of
a strong central power working for a co-ordination of purposes
in the region of international politics. The very reason why
any State organism succeeds in existing at all is chiefly a
result of power and the possibility of maintaining itself
against outside aggression.
The state of affairs brought about by the degeneracy of the
Revolution is aggravated by the nature of the Russian,
who is wanting in organisation and does not like order, for
he believes in acting on the spur of the moment, is always
swayed from one extreme to the other, aiming at ideal
heights of perfection, dreaming of saving himself and the
entire human race, but entirely leaving out of account the
practical conditions of everyday life. This is also the
reason why he does not believe in regular work but prefers
to act on impulse. Such natures are of course particularly
difficult to keep in order and to impress with authority.
The old school of Slavophiles had a clear insight into the
Russian character when they proclaimed the famous triad
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