Marriage and Politics

Abstract

In spite of his preoccupation with South Africa, Gooch did not neglect other parts of the world, even during the war. Indeed, he began to prepare himself systematically, by study and foreign travel, for the role in public life at which he was now aiming. In 1900, just before the Austrian elections took place in the fall, he visited the Habsburg Empire, staying not only in Vienna, but also in Prague. An article he published in the Westminster Review¹ demonstrated his ability to familiarise himself quickly with a situation after careful preparation beforehand. Although sympathetic to the aspirations of the nationalities, particularly of the Czechs, he was not hostile to the continued existence of the Habsburg Empire:

It may be asserted with some confidence that the Austrian Empire will not break up. The truth of Crispi’s dictum that if Austria did not exist she would have to be created is recognised by every responsible statesman in Europe. The crazy structure is saved from collapse by the Emperor, the army, and by international necessity.²

However, Gooch regarded a settlement with the Czechs as necessary for the survival of the empire.