Though the King of Prussia does not yet see much appearance of the French attempting anything in Germany this year,1 they having upwards of 170 battalions on the coast of the Ocean and in the Mediterranean, which with the garrisons they must necessarily keep, exhaust almost their whole number of troops; he advises nevertheless that His Majesty should strengthen himself as fast as possible, by taking such troops as may be depended upon, into his pay, as in case he, the King of Prussia, should be attacked by the two empresses at once, he will not then be able to give that assistance to His Majesty as he wishes to do.
He again mentioned to me the importance of the Elector of Cologne, and still thinks with proper management that he may be gained. The plan he proposes for this, I have explained in my secret letter of the 14th May,2 which the King of Prussia still persists in, as the only way to succeed, but he added, in case there were not among His Majesty's Catholic subjects persons properly qualified for this undertaking, that he thought Monsieur de Frechapelle would have been very fit for that commission, if he had not unfortunately incurred the King's displeasure.
I communicated to the King of Prussia the news from Spain, Sardinia etc., which, I perceived, gave him sensible pleasure, but as he had then just received an account of the loss of fort St. Philip,3 he raised some doubts whether that event might not make an altération in the sentiments of Spain …
The King of Prussia asked me why, with a fleet so superior to that of France, we had hitherto remained on the defensive. I pointed out the many different services required of the fleet which probably had hindered any offensive attempt on Our part. He said he wished we were in a condition to attack the French, this would give them occupation, and he mentioned St. Domingo or some other of their possessions in the West Indies.
…The King of Prussia told me that, since he went to the camp at Magdebourg on the 14th of June last,4 he had raised 9 additional battalions for the garrison-regiments,5 which are now completed; besides I am well informed that there has been 10 men added to every Company of foot, which are already disciplined and incorporated into the respective regiments. The whole of this augmentation will amount to almost 70,000 men,6 yet he told me that he could not bring into the field above 120,000 men …“
1 Vergl. S. 79.
2 Vergl. Bd. XII, 329.
3 Schreiben des Prinzen Friedrich Eugen von Württemberg, d. d. Hauptquartier von Mahon, 29. Juni. Vergl. auch S. 55.
4 Vergl. Bd. XII, 407.
5 Die Vermehrung der Garnisonregimenter im Sommer 1756 bestand im Ganzen aus 13 neuen Bataillonen.
6 Wohl ein Missverständniss Mitchell's statt 17,000. Die gesammte Vermehrung im Sommer 1756 bestand, soweit bisher festgestellt, aus 18,580 Mann. (Gesch. des siebenjährigen Krieges, bearbeitet von den Officieren des Grossen Generalstabs, Berlin 1824, I, p. 19.)