Part of the summer he usually spent at Flottbeck near Hamburg or on the island of Norderney. A large fortune left him by a cousin, a Hamburg merchant, enabled him to live in elegant leisure and to make his house in Rome a centre of literary and political society. He employed his leisure in writing for the centenary celebrations of the Wars of Liberation, a remarkable book on Imperial Germany, extolling its achievements and de- fending the main lines of his own foreign policy (Engl. trans- lation, M. Lavenz, 1914). In a revised edition (Engl. trans- lation 1916) he omitted or altered many passages which seemed compromising in the light of the World War, e.g. his exposition of his policy of lulling Great Britain into a sense of security, while the great German navy was being constructed. He was understood to be in deep disfavour with William II., who never forgave him his attitude and action with regard to the Daily Telegraph interview in 1908.
On the outbreak of war Bttlow found opportunity to identify himself publicly with the German cause, and, from his own point of view, he doubtless felt what, after Germany's collapse, was made a ground of bitter reproach to him, that no one had been more actively identified than he with the main lines of the German policy which led up to the war.
He was once more to be employed in the service of his country, this time on a desperate enterprise. Italy, which had declared her neutrality at the outbreak of the war, did not eventually confine herself to the declaration that the casus focderis had not arisen for her as a member of the Triple Alliance. She had already intimated (July 5 1914) through diplomatic channels that she considered the action of Austria-Hungary against Serbia to be aggressive and provocative. On Dec. 9 1914 Baron Sonnino addressed a note to the Austro-Hungarian Minister for For- eign Affairs, Count Berchtold, calling attention to Art. VII. of the treaty by which Italy participated in the Triple Alliance, with particular reference to the words in that clause according to which the Austro-Hungarian Government was bound, in the event of its disturbing the status quo in the Balkans even by a temporary occupation of Serbian ter- ritory, to come to an agreement with Italy and to arrange for compensations. By this note the questions of the Tren- tino and Trieste were formally opened. Austria-Hungary mani- fested .great reluctance to enter upon the question of com- pensations, but Berlin was more alert and more anxiously concerned. Prince Biilow was, therefore, entrusted with the temporary charge of the German embassy in Rome, the actual ambassador, Herr von Flotow, going on sick-leave (Dec. 19 1914). He at once plunged into active negotiations, and be- gan by expressing his entire sympathy on principle with the Italian demand for compensations. He had, however, to fight the intransigeance of the Hungarian prime minister, Tisza, and Tisza's nominee, who was Berchtold's successor, Baron Burian. Biilow was from the first for the complete cession of the Trentino to Italy, but Austria-Hungary was willing to cede only part of it. Sonnino, for his part, pointed out that Italian feeling would not be satisfied even with the whole of the Trentino, but would also, in accordance with the irredentist programme, demand Trieste. Biilow continued to urge that all he could mediate for was the Trentino but that Austria would fight to keep Trieste. Early in April 1915 Italy put forward in the course of the negotiations, which were secret, her demands for the Trentino, Trieste, the Cuzolari Is., off the Dalmatian coast, the recognition by Austria-Hungary of Italian sovereignty over Vallona, etc. The negotiations dragged on till the middle of May, when Biilow made a grave but characteristic tactical mistake. He is understood to have induced the Italian ex- premier Giolitti to come' to Rome from Turin in the hope that Giolitti's following in the Chamber would be powerful enough to prevent a rupture and to bring about the acceptance of the Austro-Hungarian terms. An equally characteristic propaganda was believed to have been instituted by Biilow, in conjunction with the Austro-Hungarian ambassador Macchio, among the partisans of Giolitti behind the back of the Italian Government. The prime minister, Salandra, suddenly resigned. There was a great outburst of popular indignation, fanned by the impassioned eloquence of d'Annunzio and finding expression in demonstra- tions in front of the Quirinal (the royal palace) and on the Capi- tol, the municipal centre of Rome. After a great majority in the Italian Parliament had on May 20 expressed confidence in Salandra, general mobilization was ordered on May 22, and the formal declaration of war against Austria-Hungary followed on May 23 1915. On May 24 Biilow left Rome.
During the war he lived in Berlin, and although since the peace he has again resided in Rome for part of every year, he spends many months in Germany. His name was mentioned in a ministerial crisis of 1921 as a possible chancellor, but he was entirely inacceptable to the vast majority of the German people and of the Reichstag. (G. S.)
BULOW, KARL VON (1846-1921), German field-marshal,
was born in Berlin March 24 1846 and joined the 2nd Guards regiment of infantry in 1864. He gained distinction at Konig-
gratz in the war of 1866, served through the Franco-Prussian
War of 1870, winning the Iron Cross (2nd class), and, after holding
various staff appointments, became colonel of the 4th Guards
regiment in 1894. Three years later he was promoted major-
general and was transferred to the War Office. In 1900 he was
promoted lieutenant-general and in 1901 was general command-
ing the Guards division. In 1912 he attained the rank of general-
oberst and was entrusted with 'the III. Army Inspection. He
was thus marked out for high command, and on the outbreak
of the World War he was placed in charge of the II. Army, which
invaded Belgium. He occupied Liege (Aug. 7) and advanced to
the Marne. He commanded the I. and VII. Armies during the
retreat and at the battles of the Aisne, thus incurring responsi-
bility in the eyes of the public for the failure to take Paris. In
Jan. 1915 he was promoted field-marshal and in June 1916 was,
by his own wish, placed on the retired list. He died in Berlin
Aug. 31 1921.
BUNTING, SIR PERCY WILLIAM (1836-1911), British
journalist, was born at Manchester Feb. i 1836 and was
educated at Owen's College, Manchester, and Pembroke Col-
lege, Cambridge. In 1859 he was classed as 2ist wrangler,
and three years later was called to the bar at Lincoln's
Inn. In 1882 he became editor of the Contemporary Review,
and henceforth devoted himself to journalism, becoming also
editor of the Methodist Times from 1902 to 1907 in succession
to Hugh Price Hughes In 1908 he was knighted. Throughout
his life he was an active supporter of Wesleyan Methodism, being
the grandson of Jabez Bunting, a distinguished Wesleyan
divine (see 4.802). He died in London July 22 1911.
BURBIDGE, SIR RICHARD, 1st BART. (1847-1917), English merchant, was born in Wiltshire March 2 1847. He was educated at Devizes and Melksham and at the age of 13 was apprenticed to a provision merchant in Oxford St., London, afterwards starting in business as a provision merchant at the age of 19. Fourteen years later he became general superintendent of the Army and Navy Auxiliary Stores. In i882he was appointed general manager of Whiteley's, Westbourne Grove, and in 1891 entered the service of Harrods, Brompton Road, of which he was afterwards managing director. By 1916 he had increased its profits from 16,000 to over 200,000, and it had become one of the largest of the London stores. He had also done a good deal to ensure shorter working hours for shop assistants. Mr. Burbidge was the " private citizen " who anonymously presented about 30,000 to the fund for acquiring the Crystal Palace for the public in 1913. During the World War he was responsible for the building and fitting up of two hospitals in Belgium and was a member of many Government committees, including the advisory committee of the Ministry of Munitions and the committee of inquiry into the Royal Aircraft workings, of which he was chairman. He was created a baronet in 1916. He died in London May 31 1917, being succeeded as second baronet by his son R. Woodman Burbidge (b. 1872), who in 1921 became chairman of Harrods.
See Mrs. Stuart Menzies, Modern Men of Mark (1920).
