Sometimes human sacrifices were offered

The booty taken in war, and sometimes prisoners, were sacrificed to the gods, The Germans overran the Roman empire in its decline, and a Germanic empire arose, which existed down to recent times. The creation of the present German empire was largely the work of Prince Bismarck, who became the first imperial chancellor. He succe fully sought to secure Germany from attack, so as to enable her to © develop her industries in peace, mar by the maintenance of a powerful, well-trained army, and partly by alliances with other powers. In 1879 he formed an alliance with Austria, and three years later with Italy. This Triple Alliance, as it is called, has been renewed in several subsequent years. During the earlier years of the reconstituted empire he was engaged, with the support of the powerful National Liberal party, in a contest with the papacy regarding the relations between the imperial government and the Roman Catholic religious societies of Germany. The Jesuits and similar orders were expelled in 1872, and a law was pa ed in 1874 making marriage a civil contract; but in 1880 and the years immediately following he found it expedient to open negotiations with papal representatives. Ultimately he admitted defeat by practically repealing the “ Falk laws,’ as the antipapal legislation: was called after a Pru ian minister of worship, and with this repeal the long so-called “ Kulturkampf”’ ended. It was Bismarck who in 1884 inaugurated German colonial development by declaring a protectorate over territories in Southwest Africa. Since then Germany has ac-| ) - —- the Kamerun an om. German East Africa, part of ew Guinea, the Marshall, Caroline, Pelew, and other island groups in the Pacific, beside one of the Samoan Islands. In his campaign against social democracy which has become an important factor in German politics, Bismarck did not rely exclusively on force and repre ion. He sought to destroy the social discontent in which much of the strength of Socialism lay by pa ing measures intended to improve the condition of the working cla es. {n this respect his policy has also been maintained to the present time. Probably the most striking feature in the recent history of Germany is the rapid development of its manufacturing industries and its foreign trade. The mercantile navy is steadily growing in size and importance, and in 1907 the war navy ranked fourth in the world with 19 battleships, and 12 large cruisers.