9183. UNTERREDUNGEN DES KÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN MINISTER MITCHELL.

[Leitmeritz, Juli 1757].229-2

Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Leitmeritz, 9. Juli 1757 (most secret): „I have seen the King of Prussia again and have communicated to him the verbal declaration His Majesty was pleased to order to be made to Prince Golizyn.229-3 The King of Prussia observed that it was couched in the most soft and gentle terms, which indeed I could not deny, I only said, though our words were soft, I hoped our actions would be manly.

His Prussian Majesty said that, as he resolved to continue firmly united with His Majesty, it would be for their mutual interests to think of terms of peace,229-4 honourable and safe for both, and to concert together what terms they would accept, if a favourable opportunity occurred to propose them. He said it was his opinion that, in order to procure such a peace, the utmost exertion of force must be continued on all sides, that this was what he resolved to do, and he hoped His Majesty would do the same, that this ostentation of war might perhaps render the French more tractable, and then, if a fair opportunity offered, His Majesty might make proposals either by his minister in Holland229-5 or by any other channel His Majesty thought fit.

I took the liberty to observe that propositions so general and undefined could have very little effect and at best might procure a loose and equivocal answer, I therefore begged His Prussian Majesty to be a little more particular as to the terms upon which he chose to treat.

He answered for preserving the peace of Germany

1° to put things upon the footing they were before the war;

2° to give security for the future that he, King of Prussia, may be free from constant alarms;

3° to execute in full the treaties of Breslau and Dresden, which have never yet taken effect as they ought to have done.

Auf Mitchells Einwendung, es sei zu befürchten, dass der Wiener Hof diesen Vorschlägen nicht zustimmen werde, hat der König entgegnet: „If England and France could agree, the court of Vienna<230> must follow, if they would not, he was still able to give a good account of them, though the multiplicity of his foes and the various attacks they were threatening in the different parts of his extended and scattered dominions, did at present greatly embarrass him. The King of Prussia concluded with saying that he desired the King might be acquainted with his way of thinking, and he expected that the greatest secrecy would be observed, which he assures shall be on his part of whatever His Majesty pleases to communicate to him of his future intentions.

In a conversation I have had since with the King of Prussia, after going over most of the points I have mentioned, he added that he could not help thinking that the French intended to manage matters so, as to preserve to themselves the arbitrage of the affairs of Europe; that, to secure this, they would make a war of shew and parade without acting vigorously anywhere, but, when other powers were exhausted, they would then take upon them and give the law to the whole, that if this could be prevented by timely negociations, it was certainly our interest, and for the good of the common cause to hinder the French from becoming the arbiters of Europe.

In the last conversation I had with the King of Prussia, he said he could not help nattering himself that England would, in this dangerous and critical conjuncture, exert her whole force to save herself and the liberties of Europe, that they would indeed be the last undone, but her ruin was no less certain than that of the powers upon the continent, that, after the great and noble efforts made in the days of the Duke of Marlborough to preserve the balance of power and to curb the ambition of France, he could not persuade himself that England would sit tamely still and abandon what she had so long and so gloriously struggled for, that he thought that, if three thousand horse and dragoons and six thousand foot could be sent from England to reinforce the army of His Royal Highness the Duke, it would be one of the most effectual means to support the common cause and to restore everything; for if the French could but receive a check in Westphalia, there was still room to do much elsewhere, and matters might certainly be retrieved. He added that he had written to His Royal Highness upon this point,230-1 believing that the English nation were too generous to leave His Royal Highness in the difficult and dangerous situation in which he now was. The King of Prussia repeated that it hurt him extremely not to be able to send the succour he had promised,230-2 but the great loss of men and officers in the two last battles made it impossible at present.

His Prussian Majesty asked me, if I had not heard that a neutrality was again negociating for Hanover,230-3 but, says he, I am persuaded<231> the King will hearken to no terms that may be offered without including not only my dominions, but also those of the Landgrave of Hesse and the Duke of Brunswick. . . . He concluded with saying everything must be done to dissolve this triumvirate of France, Austria and Russia, while that lasts, there is no safety, that once broken or Russia only taken out of the scale, if England will exert herself, we have nothing to fear ...“

Nach der Ausfertigung im Public Record Office zu London.


229-2 Die Unterredungen werden vermuthlich am 8. und 9. Juli stattgefunden haben.

229-3 Vergl. Nr. 9158. 9182.

229-4 Vergl. Nr. 9128. 9138. 9157. 9167.

229-5 Yorke.

230-1 Nr. 9175.

230-2 Vergl. S. 193.

230-3 Vergl. S. 35. 83; Bd. XIV, 550.