ABSTRACT
The lack of foresight and observation characteristic of politics is abundantly demonstrated by the history of the wars of the Second Empire, especially the Crimean and Mexican Wars, betrays an absolute lack of understanding in the rulers of France. Many psychological mistakes have been made by France. One of the most serious was the pacifist illusion, which for a long time made us neglect our armaments and roused opposition to the law of three years' military service. Germany's psychological mistakes with regard to Italy were quite as great, for the arrogant bearing which she adopted towards this Ally ended by making a new enemy. The lack of foresight which Russia has exhibited is of a rather different character from that shown by either Germany or France. It is not really lack of foresight, but is rather a succession of psychological errors which are due to the mystic temperament of those who rule the mighty Russian Empire.
