7819. UNTERREDUNG DES KÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN MINISTER MITCHELL.

Berlin, 7. August 1756.

Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Berlin 12. August, über eine am 7. August zu Berlin vom Könige ihm gewährte Audienz:189-1 „I acquainted [the King of Prussia] with the Orders His Majesty had been pleased to give to his ambassador at Constantinople concerning Monsieur de Varenne,189-2 and he seemed well pleased with this mark of attention and friendship on the part of His Majesty …

I have in obedience to His Majesty's commands delivered to the King of Prussia the written answer to the Memoire Raisonné189-3 and, at the same time, I acquainted him with the grounds of hope, that His Majesty still had of succeeding at the court of Petersburg; to which he answered he wished His Majesty might not be disappointed, but he feared there was nothing to be done there, that, whether the French negociations succeeded or not, that court was lost to us, as it was certainly under the influence of the court of Vienna.

I shewed the King of Prussia the intelligence from Compiègne of the 17th July. He said he believed it had no foundation, that, by the disposition of the French troops, he thought it impossible that they could march an army into Germany this year, that besides there were no magazins prepared in the countries they were to pass through …

The accounts from Turkey, by the way of Poland,189-4 say that the new Grand-Vizier is jealous of the late alliance between Vienna and France … The King of Prussia thinks that this disposition of the<190> Grand-Vizier may be improved — without giving jealousy to Russia — to prepare the Porte to be ready to act, in case a rupture should ensue.“

Bezüglich der Meldung Knyphausen's, dass der Hof von Versailles Spaniens sicher zu sein glaube,190-1 hat der König geäussert: „He will not believe [it], till the abbe Bernis sets out for Madrid190-2 … he hopes the Spanish ministers have been acquainted, by the English ambassador, that at Vienna it had been openly avowed that Monsieur de Rosenberg's errand to Spain was to overturn the ministry.190-3

The King of Prussia has good intelligence that some late motions of the King of Sardinia had given uneasiness to the courts of Vienna and France;190-4 this disposition, he says, of the King of Sardinia should be encouraged, for purposes that are equally obvions and useful.

Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Berlin 12. August (secret): „, …When I delivered to the King of Prussia the written answer to the Mémoire Raisonné, he said he had no doubt of our good intentions, but wished that we were a little more active, and did not lose time. I represented to him the multiplicity of objects that divided the attention of the King's ministers at this time, and took the liberty to add that, as his ideas had been so much approved of by His Majesty and his ministers, I hoped he would continue to suggest his thoughts in the same free manner he had hitherto done. He was so good to promise he would, and accordingly, last Tuesday, the 10th, I received the paper marked B. from Count Podewils190-5

As to the Dutch, he wishes that nothing was done to sour or disgust them, and he fears that our claiming at this time the stipulations of the treaty of 1678190-6 will do harm. He thinks the great and only point to be pushed at present, is the augmentation of their troops, which once gained, alliances may then be formed.

He has several times said he wished we would take care of ourselves, by making such alliances as may be really useful, pour moi je ne vous serai point à charge, and lately he added, that he perceived there was still in England a hankering after the old System, though it existed no more, and that Kaunitz had been insolent enough to say, if England succeeded to debauch Russia from the court of Vienna, the family upon the throne might surfer for it.190-7

With regard to an invasion of his Majesty's kingdoms, he looks upon it as a wild and romantic scheine, which can never succeed, un<191>less there was a party within to favour the invaders; that, however, it will be proper to look narrowly after the known enemies to the government, and to inquire about the English connections of the Marshai Belle-Isle,191-1 so much boasted of in France.

If the Empress-Queen gives a fair and favourable answer to his last demand, he thinks he can secure the peace of Germany for this year and the next …“

Nach den Ausfertigungen im Public Record Office zu London.



189-1 Vergl. Nr. 7807. 7827.

189-2 Vergl. Bd. XII, 470.

189-3 Mitchell war beauftragt, im Namen seines Hofes dem Könige von Preussen die folgende Antwort auf das Mémoire raisonné (vergl. Bd. XII, 472) zu überreichen: „Quoique le roi de la Grande-Bretagne n'ait jamais douté de la fermeté et de la fidélité de Sa Majesté Prussienne dans l'exécution des engagements présents entre les deux cours, Sa Majesté a observé avec un plaisir bien sensible avec quelle force les sentiments du roi de Prusse à cet égard ont été confirmés dans le mémoire raisonné qui a été communiqué au sieur Mitchell, et par lui transmis à sa cour par le dernier courrier. Le Roi n'a pas vu avec moins de satisfaction, par ledit mémoire, que Sa Majesté Prussienne est disposée et souhaite même d'entrer avec le Roi dans des mesures ultérieures, telles que la présente situation critique des affaires de l'Europe paraît exiger. Le papier susmentionné donne de la crise actuelle une idée vraie et complète, qui ne laisse rien à désirer; et Sa Majesté Prussienne aura déjà appris par le ministre du Roi à Berlin qu'il y a une exacte conformité d'opinion entre les deux cours sur les moyens de frustrer les desseins de leurs ennemis communs. Le sieur Mitchell aura ordre de s'expliquer plus en détail sur les différents objets que le mémoire raisonné renferme. En attendant, le roi de la Grande-Bretagne n'a pas voulu laisser passer cette occasion de témoigner sa sensibilité à la cordialité et à la vigueur avec lesquelles le roi de Prusse s'est expliqué; et ce Prince peut compter que le Roi est tout-à-fait déteiminé d'agir avec cette fermeté et cette harmonie avec Sa Majesté Prussienne par lesquelles seules les deux rois pourront résister aux efforts unis de tant d'ennemis.“

189-4 Vergl. Nr. 7812.

190-1 Vergl. Nr. 7S11.

190-2 Vergl. Bd. XII, 515.

190-3 Vergl. S. 182.

190-4 Vergl. S. 193; Bd. XII, 2S5.

190-5 Nr. 7821.

190-6 Vertrag zwischen England und den vereinigten Niederlanden, Westminster 3. März 1678, nach welchem diese auf Requisition Englands 20 Linienschiffe und 6000 Mann stellen sollen, England auf Requisition Hollands 20 Linienschiffe und 10,000 Mann zu stellen hat. Vergl. Martens, Guide diplomatique (Berlin-Paris 1801 tom. I. 542; Collection of treaties (London, Debrett 1785) tom. I, 213.

190-7 Vergl. S. 144.

191-1 Vergl. S. 192 Anm. 1.