7662. UNTERREDUNG DES KÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN MINISTER MITCHELL.
Sanssouci, 6. Juli 1756.
Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Berlin 9. Juli, über die ihm am 6. Juli gewährte Audienz:34-4 … „The compliments I made on the part of His Majesty, were perfectly received, and the King of Prussia] was pleased to promise that he would continue to act in the same cordial manner he has hitherto done, by communicating everything that may be of use to His Majesty, but he hoped that care would be taken to keep those intelligences secret.
The King of Prussia then commanded me to return his most sincere thanks to His Majesty for the offer of sending a squadron into the Baltic,34-5 and to assure His Majesty that, unless it became necessary, he<35> would not ask for it, as he wished not to be a charge à ses alliés, and knew very well what great and indispensable occasions His Majesty had for His fleet in the présent conjuncture to defend His extended dominions and to protect the trade of His subjects in ail parts of the world against the whole power and influence of France; he concluded by saying that his actions should shew the sense he had of this mark of His Majesty's friendship and good faith.
I then proceeded to acquaint the King of Prussia with the steps His Majesty had taken to secure the court of Russia,35-1 and I gave him an account of your Lordship's letter of the 21st June to Mr. Keith; he approved of the reasonings in the letter, but doubted whether Mr. de Keyserlingk had that interest in the court of Petersburg which was imagined,35-2 and he trusts more to the arguments to be used with the Russian ministers at Petersburg, than to any persuasive that can corne from their well intentioned minister at Vienna.
The King liked the thought of endeavouring to engage Russia to lend her hand to raise the republic of Holland, and seemed willing to concur in it at a proper time, as he was sensible the present was not, on account of the ill humour at the court of Petersburg against him.
I gave the King an account of what had happened on the 12th of February at Petersburg, on the exchange of the ratifications of the treaty,35-3 and I put the Russian declaration into His Majesty's hands,35-4 which he read over unmoved and observed with great calmness that it made our treaty with Russia quite useless, that, as to himself, he wondered why the Empress of Russia had so strong an aversion to him, that he had never done anything to deserve it, that he imputed it to the influence and arts of the court of Vienna …
As to the affaire of Sweden, the King told me that he would concur and second His Majesty's views in that country, but their pre „That he [the King of Prussia may rest persuaded His Majesty will use His utmost efforts, whenever it shall be absolutely necessary, to have such a fleet in the Baltic as may protect the coasts of His Prussian Majesty's dominions from any insuit whatever.“ (British Museum in London.)<36> sent situation which I have described in an other letter of this date,36-1 makes it unnecessary now to enter farther into that affair.
The motion of the King's troops has occasioned a great alarm ail over Germany, and count Puebla takes every opportunity to declare that there was no intention to attack him nor to disturb the public peace.36-2 But as the King has many enemies, he was justly apprehensive that his conduct might be misrepresented at he court of Petersburg. He therefore desired me to give Sir Charles Hanbury Williams a hint of his real intention, that what he has done, was meant for selfdefence only and not to offend anybody, that he had no design whatever against Russia, and he empowered me to say as from myself that he had always expressed himself in the most friendly manner with regard to the Empress of Russia, and that he wished there was more intercourse between their respective courts. I have accordingly wrote to Sir Charles Williams …“36-3
Nach der Ausfertigung im Public Record Office zu London.
34-4 Vergl. Nr. 7656.
34-5 Mitchell war durch den Erlass des Grafen Holdernesse, Whitehall 25. Juni, beauftragt, im Namen des Königs Georg dem Könige von Preussen zu erklären :
35-1 Vergl. S. 32.
35-2 Vergl. S. 26. 27.
35-3 Vergl. Bd. XII, 262.
35-4 Mitchell war beauftragt, dem Könige von Preussen den Bericht Williams, Petersburg 19. Februar, die Auswechselung der Ratificationen des englisch-russischen Subsidienvertrages betreffend, vorzulegen. Williams berichtete, dass ihm eine von Bestushew und Woronzow unterzeichnete „Déclaration secretissime“ , d. d. Petersburg 1. Februar styli veteris, im Namen der russischen Kaiserin übergeben worden sei. Diese Declaration gipfelte in den folgenden Worten: „Sa Majesté Impériale déclare par ces présentes et se tient à ces termes précis, savoir que le cas de la diversion à faire, à laquelle Sa Majesté Impériale s'est engagé par la convention qui vient d'être ratifiée, ne peut et ne doit exister que lorsque le roi de Prusse attaquera les États de Sa Majesté le roi de la Grande-Bretagne ou ceux de ses alliés.“ (British Museum in London.)
36-1 Mitchell übersandte in einem Berichte, Berlin 9. Juli (secret), die ihm von Finckenstein gemachten Mittheilungen über die Vorgänge in Schweden. Vergl. Nr. 7657.
36-2 Vergl. S. 3. 4.
36-3 Mitchell übersendet mit diesem Bericht das „Memoire raisonné“ (Bd. XII, Nr. 7621) und die „Exposition sommaire des différends“ (vergl. Nr. 7636).