7558. UNTERREDUNG DES KÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN MINISTER MITCHELL.
Berlin, io. Juni 1756.
Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Berlin 10. Juni (secret), über eine Audienz in Berlin am Nachmittage des 10. Juni: „, …His Majesty declared that all that he had mentioned1 and would mention, were only to be considered as precautionary measures to be made use of, in case Russia was lost, that while she remained firm, we had nothing to fear, but that we ought timeously to consider what was fit to be done in that event. He said three things occured to him :
1° an application to the Turks as mentioned,
2° to attempt a revolution in Russia,
3° to raise a religious war in Hungary by way of diversion, which he thought very possible and would himself contribute to.
He said he was persuaded that the key of the conduct of the house of Austria was their views upon Silesia, that by uniting with France they meant only to induce that power, on some pretence or other, to march troops into Germany and so to make the war general, that he was confirmed in his notion by what his minister had written to him from Ratisbon,2 viz. that the minister from Vienna had declared that the only way to bring the King of Great Britain to reason, was to attack his German dominions, which France would do next year, that upon receiving this intelligence he had written to France3 and expected soon an account whether that proposition had been made by the court of Vienna to the court of France.
He then told me in the trankest manner that, happen what would, he would fulfill his engagements and stand by His Majesty, if, in case Russia turned against us and attacked him, England could and would send a fleet into the Baltic to his assistance,4 and to this he desired to have a precise answer, in order to be able to make proper dispositions accordingly.
I took the liberty to suggest to His Majesty, while we were seeking for succour from far, we should not neglect what lay near home, the republic of Holland. He said that repubüc was in a very low condition, that he had no connection either with the Stadtholder's party or with what was called the pacifie party, that his acting openly might give jealousy to France and make them exert themselves more, that, in the situation things were between the house of Austria and France, the Republic taking any part might afford a pretence for France to begin the war there, but that, if His Majesty and his ministers thought proper to form any plan for the recovery of Holland, he would give instructions to his minister at the Hague to act in concert with the King's minister there …
1 Vergl. Nr. 7550.
2 Vergl. Nr. 7557.
3 Vergl Nr. 7559.
4 Vergl. S. 388.