extinguished the hope of a little Slav State racially, politically, religiously related to Russia.
At the critical moment in 1908 Germany appeared "in shining armor," declared for Austrian purposes and threw her sword into the balance. Russia and her allies were unready for war and were compelled to accept a crushing and humiliating defeat — but the consequences of the defeat were manifold. From that hour began Russian intriguing in the Balkans to promote that unity which was presently to crush Turkey.
In 1911, when Germany sent her warship to Agadir, the two groups came into collision again. In 1908 Germany had threatened Russia; in 1911 she menaced France, demanding as the price of recognition of a French protectorate in Morocco huge territorial grants for herself. But this time the Triple Entente was less compliant. British fleets assembled, Russian armies were mobilized, and finally Lloyd George made the memorable speech which amounted to a warning to Germany that England stood with France.
Then it was Germany's turn to yield, as it had been Russia's in 1908. Some territorial gain she did make in the swamps of the Ubanghi, but Morocco became French, German prestige was terribly shaken and the passionate resentment of the German people had found expression ever since in the press and in the utterances of many of her public men.
The defeat of the Triple Alliance in Morocco was