Bismarck & Moltke

Some of the most forthright comments I have come across about international relations are from Otto Van Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor of Germany (1815-1898) and Helmuth von Moltke (1800-1891).

Here is an excerpt from Bismarck's advise to a Japanese (Iwakura) mission in 1872:

"Nations these days appear to conduct relations with amity and courtesy, but this is entirely suprfricial, for behind this facade lurks mutual contempt, and a struggle for supremacy. As you gentlemen know, when I was a young boy Prussia was weak and poor. The state of this small nations at that time fills me with such intense indignation that I cannot dispel the image from my mind. First, so-called international law, which was supposed to protect the rights of all nations, afforded us no security at all. When there was a dispute, the great powers would invoke international law and stand their ground if they stood to benefit; but if they stood to lose, they would simply change direction and resort to military force, which was never limited to self-defence alone. However, small nations like ours would assiduously stick to the letter of the law and abide by universal principles, not daring to transgress these. Consequently, in the face of manoeuvring with flattery and contempt by the great powers, we invariably failed to protect our right of independence, no matter how hard we tried."

"Incensed by this deplorable state of affairs, we gathered our strength as a nation and strove to cultivate out patriotic spirit in order to become a country worthy of respect in diplomatic affairs..."

And Moktle in Feb, 1974:

"The principles of law, justice and freedom serve to protect the country domestically, but only military power can protect it abroad. International law, too, is concerned only with a country's strength and weakness, for its is the small nations which remain neutral and are protected solely by this law, whereas great powers must use their strength to claim their rights"

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Reference:

Kume, Kunitake (1880s), Japan Rising - The Iwakura Embassy to the USA and Europe 1871-1873, Cambridge University Press (2009), pp. 306-7, 311