Possibly the future may see the formation of a federation of all the States of European Turkey. If so, Russia will lose all foothold in a quarter where she formerly had the active support of three-fourths of the population. However that may be, it is certain that her mistakes in and after the year 1878 have profoundly modified the Eastern Question. They have served to cancel those which, as it seems to the present writer, Lord Beaconsfield committed in the years 1876-77; and the skilful diplomacy of Lord Salisbury and Sir William White has regained for England the prestige which she then lost among the rising peoples of the Peninsula. The final solution of the tangled racial problems of Mace donia cannot be long deferred, in spite of the timorous selfishness of the Powers who incurred treaty obligations for the welfare of that land; and, when that question can be no longer postponed or explained away, it is to be hoped that the British people, taking heed of the lessons of the past, will insist on a solution that will conform to the claims of humanity, which have been proved to be those of enlightened statesmanship[221]. [Footnote 221: For the recent developments of the Macedonian Question, see _Turkey in Europe_, by "Odysseus" (1900); _the Middle Eastern Question_, by V. Chirol, 18s. net (Murray); _A Tour in Macedonia_, by G.F. Abbot (1903); _The Burden of the Balkans_, by Miss Edith Durham (1904); _The Balkans from Within_, by R. Wyon (1904); _The Balkan Question_, edited by L. Villari (1904); _Critical Times in Turkey_, by G. King-Lewis (1904); _Pro Macedonia_, by V. Bérard (Paris, 1904); _La Péninsule balkanique_, by Capitaine Lamouche (Paris, 1899).] CHAPTER XI NIHILISM AND ABSOLUTISM IN RUSSIA THE HOUSE OF ROMANOFF Catharine II. (1762-1796.) | | Paul. (1796-1801.) | ___________________ | | Alexander I. Nicholas I. (1801-1825.) (1825-1855.) | ________________________________________ | | | | Alexander II. Constantine. Nicholas. Michael. (1855-1881.) | ___________________________________________________________ | | | | | | Nicholas. Alexander III. Alexis. Marie. Sergius. Paul. (Died in (1881-1894.) (Duchess of (Assassinated 1865.) | Edinburgh.) Feb. 17, 1905.) | Nicholas II. (1894--.)