Germany -- Politics and government -- 1888-1918; William II, German Emperor, 1859-1941; World War, 1914-1918
And when Ballin had the Prince cast a glance over the new harbor of
Hamburg, Bismarck himself felt that a new era had begun which he no
longer thoroughly understood. On that occasion the Prince remarked, in
astonishment, "Another world, a new world!"
This point of view also showed itself on the occasion of the visit of
Admiral von Tirpitz at Friedrichsruh, at the time when he wished to win
the old Imperial Chancellor over to favoring the first Navy bill.
As for me personally, I have the satisfaction of recalling that
Bismarck intrusted to me in 1886 the very delicate Brest mission, and
said of me: "Some day that man will be his own Chancellor." This shows
that Bismarck must have had some belief in me.
I feel no grudge against him for the third volume of his reminiscences.
I released this volume after I had sought and obtained my rights. To
withhold the volume any longer would have been pointless, since the
main contents had become known already through indiscretions; were this
not true, there might have been varying opinions as to the advisability
in the choice of the time for publication. Bismarck would turn over
in his grave if he could know at what time the third volume appeared,
and what consequences it had. I should be honestly grieved if the
third volume had damaged the memory of the great Chancellor, because
Bismarck is one of the heroic figures whom the German people need for
their regeneration. My gratitude and reverence for the great Chancellor
cannot be impaired or extinguished by the third volume nor by anything
else whatever.
In the first half of the 'eighties I had been summoned to the Foreign
Office at the behest of Prince Bismarck; it was then presided over by
Count Herbert Bismarck. Upon reporting myself to the Prince he gave me
a short sketch of the personages employed at the Foreign Office, and
when he named Herr von Holstein, who was then one of the most prominent
collaborators of the Prince, it seemed to me that a slight warning
against this man ran through the Prince's words.
I got a room all to myself, and all the documents concerning the
preliminary history, origin, and conclusion of the alliance with
Austria (Andrassy) were laid before me in order that I might study
them. I went often to the home of the Prince and to that of Count
Herbert.
THE MAN WITH THE HYENA'S EYES
When I had thus become more intimate in the Bismarck circle I heard
more open talk about Herr von Holstein. I heard that he was very
clever, a good worker, inordinately proud, an odd sort of man, who
never showed himself anywhere and had no social relations, full of
distrust, much influenced by whims, and, besides all this, a good
hater, and, therefore, dangerous. Prince Bismarck called him "The Man
with the Hyena's Eyes," and told me that it would be well for me to
keep away from him. It was quite apparent that the bitter attitude
which the Prince showed later toward Holstein, his former collaborator,
was forming even at that time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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