Letter to Karl Marx, August 3, 1870

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 3 August 1870


First published in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. IV, Stuttgart, 1919
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 44


ENGELS TO MARX

IN LONDON

Manchester, 3 August 1870

Dear Moor,

Enclosed are W/2 86721, Manchester, 20 June 1869—£20; W/2 77454, Manchester, 23 January 1869—£20, for Brighton, and S/11 13062, Liverpool, 17 May 1869—£5 Moore's subscription to the International. You will receive mine early in September, I am RATHER SHORT OF CASH and must wait for dividends. Since I have to make some payments, I shall have to sell SHARES. What do you think: should I wait a while or do it right away? I can still sell without loss.

I am very pleased to see that the French have advanced and occupied Saarbrücken (garrisoned by 1 battalion, 4 squadrons and perhaps some artillery). Firstly, for moral reasons. Secondly, because it means that the Germans will take up a defensive position in the first battle and a defensive position is enormously strengthened by the breech-loader. Since, on my reckoning, the Germans must have moved up into strategic positions yesterday evening, I assume that the battle, for which the introductory skirmishes are doubtless taking place today, will be fought tomorrow along the line Ottweiler-Neunkirchen-Homburg. The army of Frederick Charles and the Crown Prince[1] will keep the front busy while Steinmetz will fall on the (left) French flank. Or vice versa.

That Greenwood did not publish the article1 until yesterday evening, when a mass of confirmation was already available, was very stupid.[2] He also made a number of absurd lexical changes which reveal his ignorance of military terminology. However, it has already had an effect. Today, The Times published a LEADER which was copied straight out of my Articles II & III. So I am writing to Greenwood about it.[3]

You would have received the money yesterday but your letter only came with the second post and I did not receive it until around 4 o'clock.

The joke about Blind is very pretty. Is Oswald one of the Baden Oswalds of 1849? There were 3 of them.

There is still a certain risk that the French will attack before the Germans have fully drawn up their troops. If the noble Louisa had attacked on Friday,[4] he could have got as far as the Rhine without much trouble. But by Tuesday the Germans must be more or less ready. His best chance of taking the offensive was frustrated through his own fault—i.e. by the bas empire,[5] by the JOBBERY in the army administration which delayed him for 5 days and has probably forced him to march in before he was ready.

If the Germans lose this first battle, against all expectation, they could still be significantly stronger in 4 weeks than they are now. They are protected from absolute defeat by the Rhine; the French, however, have no natural obstacle to protect them.

Be so good as to let me know as soon as you receive the money; even registered letters sometimes go astray. Best greetings to you all.

Your

F. E.

  1. ↑ Frederick William
  2. ↑ See this volume, p. 22.
  3. ↑ This letter by Engels has not been found.
  4. ↑ F. Engels, Notes on the War.—III.
  5. ↑ Bas (Lower) Empire is the name sometimes given to the Byzantine Empire and also to the late Roman Empire. In a more general sense, the name is applied to any state going through a period of decline and disintegration. Here the Second Empire in France is meant.