With the shades of
Richelieu and the Grand Monarch looking down upon them did the Teutonic
chieftains raise as it were, their leader on their shields, and with
clash of arms and martial music acclaim him kaiser of a re-united
Germany." King William passed from the altar in the middle of the
Gallery to a platform at the end of the hall and there took his place
before the colors, surrounded "by a brilliant multitude of princes,
generals, officers and troops." When he had announced the
re-establishment of the Empire, and when Bismarck, "looking pale, but
calm and self-possessed," had read to the assemblage the Proclamation
to the German people, "the bands burst forth with the national anthem,
colors and helmets were wildly waved, and the Hall of Mirrors shook
with a tremendous shout that was taken up and swelled till the rippling
thunder-roll of cheers struck the ears of the startled watchers on the
walls of Paris," where roar of cannon night and day summoned the French
to surrender. Thus the German Empire was born at the very seat of
French Monarchy.
The armistice terms were signed at Versailles on the twenty-eighth day
of January. One month later the representative of stricken France and
Bismarck, sitting in the Chancellor's headquarters, affixed their
signatures to the Peace Preliminaries, by which France surrendered
Alsace (except Belfort) and Lorraine, and agreed to pay within three
years a war indemnity of five thousand million francs.
Pages:
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147