The End of the Armed Peace
British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898-1914. Vol. IX, The Balkan Wars. Part II, The League and Turkey. Edited by G. P. Gooch, D.Litt., and H. Temperley, Litt.D„ with the assistance of L. M. Penson, Ph.D. (H.M. Stationery Office. £1.) WITH the appearance of this second part of Volume IX, only one volume remains to complete the series of British Docu-
ments on the Origins of the War. The second half of the ninth volume contains over a thousand pages of text and appendices, an index of persons, and a subject index. The editorial work is on a level with that of the earlier volumes ; no higher praise could be given. The labour and technical
skill which have 'One to the preparation of these volumes show the vitality of British historical scholarship (and, one
must add, of the historical school of the University of Cam- bridge). Dr. Gooch and Dr. Temperley and those who have worked with them have done a service which extends beyond the range of learning in the professional sense of the term. They have given to the world a full and entirely open account of British foreign policy, and left the facts, the details as well as the essential facts, for the judgement of our
own time and posterity. Their method is admirable through- out. They have avoided the controversial title and more than controversial footnotes of the German. series; Die grosse Politik. They do not claim to describe the policy of the European Cabinets from documents in the archives of one country ; but they are well entitled to point out that with the publication of the present volume-lthe history of the Balkan wars, in English, - French, Russian,- Austrian and other sources, is more completely documented than any
other period in modem history, not excluding the month of July, 1914.
The documents in these thousand pages cover the efforts made by Grey in the three Balkan wars to keep Austria and
Russia in touch and avoid any extension of the war. The history of the formation of the Balkan League is described in the text and in a special appendix. The meetings of the Ambassadors in London and the Peace Conference of St. James are also described at length in the appropriate docu- ments. Reports from Ambassadors at the capitals of the Great Powers give an impression of the aims and opinions of Continental statesmen. There is a very great deal of incidental information to which justice cannot be done in a short review. An excellent short note by Dr. Lillian Penson " summarizes all that can be ascertained as to the circulation of documents to the Cabinet and their submission to the Secretary of State." The importance of this note will be obvious not merely to students but to readers of the memoirs and autobiographies of prominent British politicians.
The size of the present volume—though not a single document could be spared—is likely to alarm a good many " ordinary readers." They should know that, if they put this book aside because they see that it is large and believe that it is too technical for their taste, they are losing the chance of reading a history as exciting as any story of adven- ture ; far more exciting indeed, since the issues at stake were not less than the peace of Europe and the lives of millions of men. This volume is of particular interest for the history of Anglo-German relations. There are few references to the acute controversies over the naval question—apart from one significant conversation between Lord Granville and the German Chancellor. The absence of controversy was itself a hopeful sign. During this period England, France, and Germany worked together for the maintenance of the peace of Europe. The German documents show that the Emperor himself, although his obstinacy and touchiness on other
questions had been in the way of an Anglo-German détente, supported this collaboration ; William II was at this time
wiser than his Chancellor and Foreign Office about the results of giving too free a hand to Austria. The co-operation of these three Powers resulted in a rough adjustment of the interests of Austria and Russia, though events in the Balkan States moved very fast, and observers as well-placed as the British Ambassador at Vienna thought that, sooner or later, this Austro-Russian rivalry would cause a European war. Above all, these documents illustrate the impression made upon Grey by the joint action of the Powers and " the exist- ence, even temporarily, of an international organization."
Grey had long hoped that the two groups of European Great Powers might be drawn together. He became convinced that the method of conference was the best and indeed the only method of avoiding incalculable calamities. He put forward this plan in July, 1914, but meanwhile there had been a change in the policy of Germany. " Even so late as 1929 Lord Grey remarked to one of the Editors (of these documents): ' Over the. 1912-1913 Balkan crisis I had, in fact, worked with Germany to restrain Atritris-Hungary and Russia. This made me a believer in the method of a
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