They will shout hurrah till they are hoarse
or a bullet silences them. Of what are they thinking? Probably of
nothing. A blind impulse to conquer urges them on. And what does
victory mean to each individual? What advantage will it be to him?
How will it benefit his earthly fate, if he escapes death on the
battlefield? The renown of the German name? For me perhaps it has a
value. Yet it is not absolutely certain. My uniform will possibly
derive a prouder lustre; but I wear it so seldom! If I go to Japan
next year, perhaps the Mikado will receive me with more distinction
than if I belonged to a conquered nation. Yet whether we mow down the
French or they us, I think I shall always receive the same treatment at
the Paris Jockey Club and the Nice Cercle de la Mediterranee. So much
for me. But these obscure people below--what do they care about
military fame and the power of a victorious native land? They will
notice nothing of it in their villages. The tax-collector and the
gendarme will be just what they were before, and that is all they see
of their native country, yet they are filled with enthusiasm.
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