CHAP. II. 1803. 46. Mr Pitt's treaties with Russia. measures. Ever since the Cabinet of Berlin withdrew from the contest by the peace of 1794, it had observed a strict neutrality, and abstained from any hostile demonstration, even when during the successes of Suwarrow in Italy it would, beyond all doubt, have been attended at no risk with decisive success. Jealousy of Austria and the dread of being left single-handed to combat France when defeat had driven the other confederates from the field, was the cause of this backwardness; but it presented the most serious obstacle in the way of any joint measure for the preservation of European independence. This is not to be wondered at: neutrality is the natural resource of the weak in presence of a conflict with the strong. Russia, conscious of greater strength, and farther removed from the scene of danger, was disposed to enter Austria and into any coalition which should have for its object to put a bar to the further encroachments of France, and, if possible, reduce her to such limits as experience had shown were alone consistent with the peace and independence of Europe. Mr Pitt had availed himself to the utmost of these favourable dispositions; and had at length, by great exertions, brought Austria and Russia, threatened by a common danger, into common measures of defence. This was first done by a secret convention signed at Parma on November 6, 1804, which was only of a precautionary and defensive nature. By it these two powers agreed, in the event of France making any farther strides in Italy in addition to the incorporation of Piedmont, Genoa, Parma, and Placentia, to bring on either part very large forces into the field. Austria was to furnish 235,000; Russia, 115,000 men; and in the event of success, the frontier of the former power was to be advanced to the Adda in Italy, and she Nov. 6, 1804. 355. 1 Thiers, v. was to obtain Salzbourg and the Brisgau in Germany.' Nothing followed, however, on this treaty; and it was unknown till brought to light by the historian of the Con CHAP. II. 1805. sulate and Empire. But in the April following, when the forces on the Channel were fully concentrated, and an invasion of Britain was almost daily expected, Mr Pitt effected a treaty between Austria, Russia, and Great Britain, which April 11. proved of the utmost importance, and formed the basis of 360, 361; the great coalition which, after sustaining numberless reverses, at length effected the deliverance of Europe.1 1 Thiers, v. Martin's Traités, viii. 330. 47. Terms of the last treaty By this important treaty, it was agreed by the high contracting parties that the forces of the Confederacy which at that period embraced only Great Britain, Rus- of alliance. sia, Austria, and Sweden-should be fixed at 500,000 men; and the objects of the League were declared to be to compel-1. The evacuation of the country of Hanover and of the north of Germany; 2. The establishment of the independence of the republics of Holland and Switzerland; 3. The re-establishment of the King of Sardinia in Piedmont, with as large an accession of territory as circumstances would admit; 4. The security of the kingdom of Naples, and the evacuation of the Italian peninsula, including the island of Elba. To enable the different contracting parties to fulfil their onerous engagements, Great Britain engaged to furnish subsidies to them all in proportion of £1,250,000 for every 100,000 men brought into the field. By separate articles, signed by England and Russia only, it was agreed that the objects of the alliance should be attempted as soon as 400,000 men could be got in a state of readiness, of which Austria was expected to furnish 235,000; Russia, 115,000; and Hanover, Sardinia, and Naples, the remaining 35,000. By a separate article, Russia engaged to march 60,000 men towards the frontiers of Austria, and 80,000 to those of Prussia, and, if necessary, to bring 180,000 men into the field, instead of the 115,0001 Castleoriginally provided, under the same conditions as to sub-resp. vi. 2; sidies from England. The allies also bound themselves viii. 330; to make common cause against any power which should 360, 361. ally itself with France in the approaching contest.1 reagh Cor Martin, Thiers, v. CHAP. II. 1805. 48. To which Austria at length accedes. Great difficulty, however, was experienced in getting Austria to accede to the latter treaty, in consequence of the extremely embarrassed state of its finances, which rendered so considerable an armament from its own resources a matter of impossibility. The most energetic efforts were made by Mr Pitt, on the part of Great Britain, and M. Novosittzoff, on that of Russia; but the Austrian Minister at St Petersburg, Count Stadion, so forcibly represented the exhausted state of the imperial finances, that it was only by the British Government agreeing to advance a subsidy of £3,000,000, one-half to be immediately paid down as a mise en campagne, that the accession of the Cabinet of Vienna to the League was obtained. When she did accede, however, it was effectively, for she engaged to embody no less than 320,000 men. By a subsequent convention, signed at HelsingAug. 31, borg on the 31st August in the same year, Sweden acceded to the alliance. England agreed to pay £1800 a-month for every 1000 men engaged in the common cause, and the Cabinet of Stockholm promised to bring 12,000 men into the field in Pomerania. Thus was the foundation laid of the grand alliance, which afterwards wrought such wonders for the deliverance of Europe; and, at the same time, a clause was inserted in the treaty of alliance, providing alike against any attempt to control public opinion or impose an obnoxious Government on France, and any misapplication of the strength of the coalition to the purposes of separate aggrandisement on 1 See trea- the part of any of the coalesced powers. A congress was to be held at the conclusion of the war, to provide 350; Parl. in a more effectual manner than had yet been done for the independence of nations, and the peace and security of Europe.1* 1805. ties in Martin, viii. 330, Deb. vi. 11, 17. *"The Emperor and King being disposed to form an energetic concert, with the sole view of insuring to Europe a solid and lasting peace, founded upon the principles of justice, equity, and the law of nations, are aware of the necessity of a mutual understanding at this time with regard to those principles on which they will act, as soon as the events of the war may render it II. 49. France and with Still Prussia held aloof, and it was a matter of the high- CHAP. est importance to obtain her accession to the coalition. Mr Pitt judged wisely, that it would have a material effect 1805. in terminating her irresolution, if a powerful army was Negotiaorganised in her vicinity in the north of Germany; and tons of Great Britain, resting on the King's dominions in Hano- England ver, the fidelity of which was well known, was to concen- Prussia. trate considerable forces on the Continent, and evince a determination at length to take her part in the great fields of Continental warfare. The Cabinet having acquiesced in these views, it was determined to act accordingly; though, unhappily, from inexperience in war, and a total ignorance of the value of time in military operations, the preparations were by no means made with the rapidity which the urgency of the case required. Meanwhile, Napoleon was more expeditious. He despatched Duroc to Berlin, with an offer, on his part, to cede Hanover, then in the occupation of his troops, to Prussia, if she would join his alliance and make common cause against England, Austria, and Russia. The bait was too tempting to be refused, and a formal treaty was on the point of being drawn out, when Napoleon drew back, and offered, instead, the temporary possession of Hanover as the price of neutrality. Matters were in this precarious state, and the conduct of the Cabinet of Berlin still undecided, when the Austrian troops crossed the Inn, and commenced the invasion of Bavaria, which was necessary. These principles are in no degree to control public opinion in France, or in any other countries where the combined armies may carry on their operations, with respect to the form of government which it may be proper to adopt, nor to appropriate to themselves, till peace shall be concluded, any of the conquests made by one or other of the belligerent parties; to take possession of the towns and territories which may be wrested from the common enemy in the names of the country or State to which they of right belong, and, in all other cases, in the name of all the members of the League; and, finally, to assemble, at the conclusion of the war, a general congress, to discuss and fix the provisions of the law of nations on a more definite basis than has been possible heretofore, and to insure this observance by a federative system, founded upon the situation of the different States of Europe."Parliamentary Debates, v., App. 6, 7. VOL. I. N II. 1805. Aug. 9. Aug. 23. CHAP. shortly followed by the breaking-up of the camp at Boulogne, and the march of the mighty army, 132,000 strong, assembled there for the invasion of England, towards the Rhine. After crossing that river, the corps commanded by Bernadotte, to which an important part in the projected operations against the Austrians was intrusted, by Napoleon's express orders, to shorten its march, violated the neutrality of the Prussian territory by marching through its province of Anspach. This palpable disregard of neutral rights, and open expression of contempt for the Prussian power, excited such indignation at Berlin, that it had wellnigh thrown them at once into the arms of the alliance. Still, however, the old system of temporising continued; a paltry compensation of 60,000 florins (£6000) was not disdained; and the Government, in the mean time, contented themselves with putting the army on the war footing, and intimating to France that they could no longer refuse a passage to the Russians through Silesia, since the French had made one for themselves through Anspach.1 1 Castlereagh Cor resp. vi. 3, 4. 50. Efforts of Britain to engage the alliance an army to The better to improve upon those dispositions of the Prussian Cabinet, and get them, if possible, to join heart and soul with the alliance against France, the British Prussia in Government resolved on sending a very considerable force by sending to the north of Germany. The preparation of this force Germany. was intrusted to Lord Castlereagh, as War Secretary, and he exerted the utmost vigour in the necessary arrangements, which he projected on a great scale, though, unfortunately, the late period at which the determination of the Cabinet was taken, and the extreme rapidity of Napoleon's conquests, rendered the expedition too late to be of any material service in the issue of the campaign. Had it been sent out a month earlier, and the Cabinet of Berlin taken its final resolution, the disasters of the campaign might have been all remedied or averted; the combined forces of Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain resp. vi. 4, 5. been arrayed in the open field against France, and Austerlitz had been Leipsic. 2 Castlereagh Cor |