Kelly W.K. The History of Russia: from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Volume 2
Подождите немного. Документ загружается.
A.D.
1805]
BATTLE
OP AITSTERLITZ.
215
as will
appear
from a
single
example
:
Buxhbvden
was
hard
pressed
beside
a frozen lake
;
some battalions retreated
upon
the
ice,
which
the
French broke
with
their
artillery
;
so
that
many
Russians
perished,
and their
cannon sank
into
the
water.
The
first French
accounts,
in order to make
up
the
sum of
50,000
Russians
fallen,
will have
20,000
to have been
drowned
in
the lake.
In a
second
report,
however,
this
20,000
is reduced to
4000,
and the Russians
hardly
admit
that
any
of their
men were
lost in the lake.
This
is,
no
doubt-,
as incorrect as the French
accounts,
although
we
should be
disposed
still
very
much further
to
reduce
the
amount
of
their second
report.
After
the battle of
Austerlitz,
Napoleon
found
in
the
weak Francis
II. as
useful
a
tool
as he
had found
in the
king
of
Sardinia,
after
the
battles
of Montenotte
and
Mille-
simo,
in 1796-1797
;
with this
difference,
that the
emperor's
understanding
was still less
vigorous
than that
of
the
king.
This
was
evident,
when
Lichtenstein,
after
the
battle,
con-
ducted
the
poor
terrified Francis to a
personal
interview
with
the
superior genius,
who
immediately
brought
him
into
subservience
;
and,
as a
favour,
granted
a cessation
of hostili-
ties,
which
placed
the
emperor
of
Germany,
with
his
hands
bound,
in
the
power
of
the
conqueror.
Tbe
first
condition
of
the
truce
was,
that the
Russians should
wholly
withdraw.
This was the
more
advantageous,
as,
after
the
battle,
the
difficulty
of
supplies
ceased,
which was
alleged
as an
excuse
for not
having
taken
up
a
strong position
in
Hungary
or
Upper
Silesia,
instead
of
risking
a battle.
The remains
of
the
army
would
have
been
easily provided
for.
The
French,
indeed,
allege,
that
the
Russian
army
was
completely
sur-
rounded,
and the
emperor
as
good
as made
prisoner
;
having
owed
his
escape
to
favour,
and to a
pass
from
Napoleon,
presented
by
general
Davoust. However
ungrounded
this
may
be,
all the
French
writers insist
earnestly
upon
its
truth
(Lefebvre
excepted)
;
and the
intelligent
Thibaudeau
is
even
amongst
the
number of those who
reproach
the
emperor
of
Russia
with
the
greatest
ingratitude.
The whole
of
the
silly story
of
Napoleon's
magnanimity
towards
the
emperor
Alexander
resti
upon
this
—
that
when
Savary
waa
sent
to
Alexander,
to obtain
his
concurrence in the
agreement
216
HISTORY
OP
RUSSIA.
[CH.
LV.
into
which
the
poor
emperor
Francis had
entered,
the
former
acquiesced
at
once
from
compassion
for
his
ally. Savary's
visit
furnished
an
opportunity
to
the
French
to invent
a
dialogue
between
him and
the
emperor
of
Eussia,
in
which
the
latter is
made
to
strew
incense
upon
the
emperor
of
the
French,
and
to
say
things
which
sound
marvellously
strange
in
his
mouth.
The
Eussians,
on the
contrary, say
that Sa-
vary
had
no
conversation
whatever
with
the
emperor;
he
may,
indeed,
have
seen
him,
but
the
dialogue
is
wholly
apocryphal.
The
emperor
had
completely
withdrawn
from
the
reach
of
the
pursuing
French
before
Savary
was sent.
"We have
already
stated
that
the
difficulty
of
procuring
supplies
was
very great
before
the
battle
;
this, however,
might
easily
have
been
provided against
in
such
countries as
Hungary
and
Moravia,
by
the
adoption
of
energetic
mea-
sures.
Kutusof's
army
was not
so
weak
after the
engage-
ment
as
the
French
allege,
and
by
a
union with
the
force
under
Benningsen,
would
have
been
again
as
strong
as
before.
The
archduke
Charles was
altogether
unconquered,
and
threatened
Napoleon
in
the
rear;
for,
at the
very
moment
in
which he
received
intelligence
of the
suspension
of
hostilities,
he
was
about
to
set out
for Vienna.
Had
Haugwitz
not
been
compelled
by
the
truce to hold
very
dif-
ferent
language,
he
would have
been
obliged
to fulfil
the
terms
agreed
upon
by
the
king
of
Prussia
and
the
archduke
Anthony,
on the
3rd
of
November.
We
believe
ourselves,
therefore,
to
be
fully justified
in
saying,
that
all
the
calamitous
consequences
resulted
from the
confusion and
disorder
which
prevailed
in the
whole
military
and
civil
administration of
the
affairs
of
Austria,
to a
degree
which
was
almost
incredible.
Upon
the
whole,
the
situation
of
things,
on
the 3rd
of
December,
was
by
no
means
so
desperate
as
Lichtenstein
made the
emperor
believe.
Alex-
ander
lent
his name to
a
ruse de
guerre*
not
in order
to
save
his
army,
which was
not cut
off from
retreat,
but
was
in full
march
through
TJrschitz,
Czeitsch,
and
Goding,
along
the
March,
which
river it
afterwards
crossed,
but
in
order
to
*
Davoust
suffered
the
Russians
to
continue their march
unmolested,
on
the
receipt
of an
autograph
note from the
emperor
of
Russia
to
A.D.
1805]
BATTLE
OF
AUSTEELITZ.
217
avoid a
battle
with
Davoust,
which
would
certainly
not have
been
without
danger.
The
army
had
not lost all its
artillery,
although
it
had
been
obliged
to
relinquish
two
hundred
pieces
;
and the rear
was commanded
by
Bagration,
who was a no
less able
general
than Davoust.
Besides the
archduke
Charles,
who threatened
Vienna,
and
Benningsen,
who
Avas
advancing,
the archduke Ferdinand was in
close
pursuit
of
the Bavarians
retreating
from
Bohemia
towards
Moravia
;
and
Prussia,
to its
misfortune,
had
at
leugth
also
put
its
army
in
motion.
The allies
were, therefore,
still
in a
condition
to
try
the fortunes of war with
fair
chances
of
success
;
but
the
emperor
Francis
preferred
humbly
begging
for the favour
of
Napoleon.*
He
sent
prince
Lichtenstein to
ask
for a
suspension
of
hostilities,
during
which
negotiations
were to be
carried on with a view
to
a
peace
:
Napoleon
granted
the
request,
on
condition of
the
Eussians
evacuating Hungary
and Moravia
within
fourteen
days,
and Galicia
within
four
weeks.
We
find
it
difficult
to
believe that
Napoleon
said and did on this
occasion what
we
find written
in
bulletins
and
books,
because
we
regard
it
as less
worthy
of
his
character
and
talents
than the French
appear
to
do.f
the
following
effect:
"J'autorise
le
ge'ne'ral
de
Meerfeldt
a
faire con-
naitre
au
gene'ral
franeais
que
les deux
empereurs d'Allemagne
et de
France
sont
en
conference,
qu'il
y
a un armistice dans cette
partie,
et
qu'il
est en
consequence
inutile
de
sacrifier
plus
de braves
gens."
'
The
French,
and'
particularly
Thibaudeau,
reason
against
what
has been
alleged
in
the
text,
as if
it had ever occurred to
any
one to
say certainly
that the
allies would
have
conquered;
that is not
the
question;
the
question
is
about
venturing.
How
was it
after the
battle
of Borodinu?
How was
it
in
Prussia
in 1813? And
in
Spain
in
1808?
f
Napoleon
is
reported
by
all the French
writers
to have said
to the
emperor
Francis:
"L'armee
russe
cernee,
pas
un homme
ne
peut
echapper;
inais
je
desire
faire une chose
agrt-able
a
l'empereur
Alexandre;
jc
laisserai
passer
l'armee
russe,
j'arreterai
la
marche
de
mes
colonnes,
pourvu
que
l'armee
russe retourne en
Russie,
qu'clle
evacue
l'Allemagne,
la
l'olo<me
autrichienne
et
russienne,
et
que
V.
M.
promette
de ne
plus
me
faire
la
guerre."
"
Cette
promesse je
vous la
donne,"
reporjdit
l'empereur
d'Autriche
; "quant
a.
l'empereur
Alex-
andre,
son intention est de
retourner
en ltussie
avec
son
arnica"
This is
differently
told
even in
its
accessory
circumstances,
and
the
people
who
present
such
things
as
history
add,
that when
the
emperor
218
HISTOET OF
EUSSIA.
[CH.
LY.
By
the
terms
of
the
truce the
French
army
was
to con-
tinue,
till
the
ratification of a
peace,
in
possession
of the
whole
circle of
Iglau,
Znaym,
and
Brlinn,
together
with
a
part
of
the
circle
of
Olmiitz,
in
Moravia
;
and
further,
of
the
right
bank
of
the
March,
till
its influx into the
Danube,
Presburg
included.
Upper
and
Lower
Austria,
the
Tyrol,
Venice,
Carinthia,
Styria,
Carniola,
Grorz,
and
Istria,
re-
mained
occupied:
and,
in
Bohemia,
not
only
the circle
of
Tabor,
but
the
district
lying
eastward
of the
road
from
Tabor
to
Linz.
From
this
third
of the
Austrian
monarchy
100,000,000
francs
were
demanded
for the
pay
and rewards
of
Napoleon's
army
;
and,
notwithstanding
the
magnitude
of
this
demand,
oppressions
of
other
descriptions
were
by
no
means
diminished.
For this
reason the
emperor
Francis
willingly
assented
to
whatever
conditions
were
imposed,
merely
in
order to be
quit
of
the
French,
and
to
have
his
empire
relieved from
their
oppressive occupation.
The
emperor
Alexander
generously gave
his
assent
merely
because
his
ally
wished
it;
and
Savary's
mission
proved
successful
in
obtaining
the
concurrence of
both
emperors.
The
truce
agreed
to
on
the 4th
by
prince
Lichtenstein,
on
the
part
of
the
Austrians,
was
not confirmed
till
the
6th,
after
Savary's
return
with
the
express
assent
of
the
emperor
of
Bussia
;
and
on
the
6th,
Talleyrand,
Stadion,
and
Griulay
met
at
Nikolsburg,
to
agree
upon
the terms of
peace,
which
both
parties
were
desirous of
concluding
as
quickly
as
possible.
This
was
very
easily accomplished,
for
Napoleon
laid
down
his
terms
;
and the
emperor
Francis,
being
deprived
of all
means of
resistance,
was
fain
to
agree,
con-
soling
himself
with
Napoleon's
promise,
that
in
two
months
after
the
ratification
the
whole of his
states
would
be
eva-
cuated
by
the
French.
After the
exchange
of
the
ratifications,
Napoleon
had an
interview
with
the
archduke
Charles,
in the castle
of
Stamer-
dorf,
in
which, he is
said to
have
proposed
the
dismemberment
of
Turkey,
with
a
view of
withdrawing
it
from the ambitious
influence of
Bussia. The
moment was not well chosen for
Francis left
him,
Napoleon
said
to
his
generals:
"
Cet homme
me
fait
faire
une
faute; j'aurais
pu
suivre
ma
victoire et
prendre
toute l'armee
russe et
autrichienne;
mais
quelques
larmes de moins seront
versees."
What
rhodomontade and
affected
sentimentality!
A.D.
1S0G]
CAMPAIGN
OF
EYLAU AND FKIEDLAND.
219
arousing
the
fears
of
Austria
with
respect
to
the continual
encroachments
of Russia
in
that
quarter
;
and
the
proposal
was
coldly
received
by
the archduke.
Yet the
apprehensions
expressed
by Napoleon
were
not
groundless
: in
1804,
Russia
had been
on the
point
of
obtaining
from
the divan a
treaty
of
alliance,
offensive
and defensive
;
but a clause
inserted
in
the
stipulations
opened
Selim's
eyes.
Alexander
required,
pre-
cisely
as Nicholas
did,
nearly
fifty
years
afterwards,
that all
the
subjects
of
the Porte
professing
the Greek
religion
should be
placed
under the
immediate
protection
of Russia.
Turkey
was
then convulsed
by
insurrections,
and
in the
worst
condition to resist
by
force of
arms
;
nevertheless,
she
refused
peremptorily
to submit to so
monstrous
a
usurpation.
Under
other
circumstances,
Russia
might
have insisted
on her
iniqui-
tous
claim
;
but
absorbed as
she
was in
preparing
for
a mo-
mentous
struggle
with
Napoleon,
she
reserved
herself
for
a
more favourable
opportunity.
CHAPTER
LVI.
CAMPAIGN
OF EYLATT
AND
FKIEDLAND.
Aftee the defeat
at
Austerlitz
the
emperor
made
an
attempt,
whether
sincere
or not
is
uncertain,
for a
reconcilia-
tion with
Napoleon.
He sent
M.
d'Oubril
to
Paris,
who
after a
negotiation
of
ten
days
concluded
a
treaty
with
the French
plenipotentiary,
general
Clarke
(July
20,
1806).
But
Alexander
refused
to
ratify
the
treaty,
upon
the
very
questionable
allegation
that his
ambassador
had
exceeded
his
powers.
Prussia
now suffered
the
just
consequences
of
her
dishonest
and
cowardly
policy.
Disappointed
in her
hopes
of
acquiring
Hanover,
the
reward for which she
crouched
to
Napoleon,
she
imprudently
provoked
him to war
without
waiting
for
the
arrival
of the
aid
due
to
her
by
Russia.
The
campaign
was
decided
in
one
day by
the two terrific
defeats
of Jena
and
Auerstadt
(Oct.
14, 1806).
Prussia
was
hopelessly
ruined
before
the Russian
armies, 90,000
strong,
under
Benningsen
and
Buxhovden,
could
arrive to
save
her.
The
Russians
en-
220
HISTORY
OF KUSSIA.
[CH.
LVI.
tered
Prussia in
November,
and on
the 26tli of
December
the battle
of
Pultusk was
fought
with
great
obstinacy
and
loss of blood
on
both
sides.
The
French
spent
the whole of
a December
night
without
covering
;
rain
and snow fell in-
cessantly
;
they
waded
up
to the
knees in
marshes,
spent
twelve hours
in
making
an advance
of
eight
miles,
and were
obliged
to
pay
^dearly
for
their
passage
over
the
Narew.
During
the
battle,
marshal Lannes
and
other
generals
were
several
times
obliged
to
put
themselves
at
the
head of
single
regiments
and
battalions,
and
yet
no decisive
advantage
was
gained.
The
French, indeed,
boasted
of
the
victory
;
be-
cause
the
Russians,
after
having
maintained
their
ground
on
a
part
of the
field,
retreated
the nest
day.
If
the
victory
at
Pultusk,
of
which
Benningsen
boasted,
and on account
of which
he was
afterwards rewarded
by
his
emperor,
and
appointed
commander-in-chief,
was
very
doubt-
ful
;
on the
other
hand,
prince
Galitzin
completely
defeated
the French at
Grolymin,
on
the
very day
on
which
they
were
to attack
Buxhovden,
at
Ostrolenka.
This
victory,
too,
was
the
more
glorious,
inasmuch
as the
Russians
were less
nu-
merous
than
their
opponents.
The
French,
however,
had
not been able to
bring up
their
artillery
;
and
the
superiority
of the Russians
in this
particular
decided
the
event.*
The
weather
and the time of the
year
rendered
active
operations
impossible
for some weeks.
Benningsen
retired
to Ostro-
lenka,
and afterwards
still
farther
;
whilst
the
French,
under
Ney
and
Bernadotte,
were
scattered
in the
country
on the
farther
side
of
the
Vistula,
in which
Ney
at
length
pushed
forward
as far as
Heilsberg.
In
January,
1807,
Benningsen
and
Napoleon
came,
almost
simultaneously,
upon
the
idea
of
changing
the seat
of war
from
the
extreme east to
the west.
In the
east,
the
struggle
was
afterwards
carried
on
by
two
particular
corps
—
a
Russian,
under
Essen,
and
a
French,
first
under
Lannes,
and
then
under
Savary.
This
bloody struggle,
however,
had
no in-
fluence
on the issue of the war.
Benningsen
no
sooner
learned
that
Ney
had
scattered
his
troops
widely
over the
*
The
French,
indeed,
do
not hesitate to
repeat
the
shameless rho-
domontade
of the
47th
bulletin,
which
states
that
in
the
battles
of the
26th the
Russians
lost
80
pieces
of
artillery,
all
their
caissons,
1200
baggage
waggons,
and
12,000
men
in
killed,
wounded,
and
prisoners.
A.D.
1807]
CAMPAIGN
OF
ET1ATJ
AND FEIEDLAND.
221
country
on
the farther side
of the
Yistula,
than
he
hroke
up
his
quarters,
and resolved
to
attack
him,
hefore
Bernadotte,
who
was
near,
could come
to his
relief;
but he was too
late.
Ney
had
already
retreated
when
Benningsen
arrived;
whether
it was as
the French
allege,
because
Napoleon,
who
had seen
the
danger
with
which he was
threatened,
sent him orders
to
retreat,
which
arrived on
the
very
day
on
which he was
to
be attacked
by
the
Russians,
or that
General Markof
was
at first too
eager,
and
Benningsen
afterwards
too irresolute.
Ney
luckily
marched from
Heilsberg,
nearer
to the
Vistula,
and
Benningsen
followed
him
hesitatingly,
so that
Berna-
dotte was
able to
keep
him
employed
for
some
days
till
Napoleon
came
up.
On
receiving
news of
Benningsen's
march,
the
French
emperor
had
sent
orders
to all his
corps
to renew
the
campaign
on
the
27th,
and
he
had so
taken
his
measures,
that
before
the
Russians
had
any suspicion
of
an
attack,
the
main
army
of the French would
fall
upon
their
left
flank,
whilst
they
were on their march.
For
this
purpose,
Bernadotte was
to
allure
Benningsen
quite
to the Vistula
;
and then
to
advance
again
as soon
as
Napoleon
had
out-
flanked the left of the Russians.
The
despatch
containing
these
orders
for Bernadotte
fell
into
the hands of the
Russians,
through
the
inexperience
of
the officer
entrusted with
it,
who failed
to
destroy
the docu-
ment at
the
right
time.
Thus warned of
the
impending
danger,
and
fiuding
themselves
pressed
on
all
sides,
they
allowed
their stores and
heavy
baggage,
at various
places,
to
fall
into the hands of the
enemy,
and
thereby escaped
being
surrounded.
After
considerable
sacrifices,
they
succeeded,
on
the
6th
of
February,
in
reaching
the Prussian
town of
Eylau,
which
is
only
nine hours' distance from
Konigsberg.
Soult attacked
their
rear,
on the
low hills
behind
the
town,
on
the
7th,
and drove
them
in
;
on
the
following
day
a
general
engagement
took
place.
The honour of
the
victory
is
pro-
bably
due to
the
Russians,
as even
Savary
admits,
who
shared
in
the battle.*
It
is
not less
certain,
however,
that
the
*
The
Bonapartists
(and
Thibaudeau
also),
as
usual,
throw
the
blame
upon
Bernadotte.
Benningsen, however,
affirms
what
is
said
in
the text. A still fuller aecount of
the same affair
will
be
found
in
the Mtmuires du
due
de
Rovit/o,
vol.
iii.
p.
50,
&c.
The
duke
(Savary)
on that
oecasion commanded the fifth
corps,
Lannes
being
ill.
Iiiichel,
222
HISTOEY
OE
KUSSIA.
[CH.
LVI.
whole
advantage
accrued
to
the
French,
who,
indeed,
admit
that
the
battle was one
of
the
most
dreadful
recorded
in
history.
The
French accuse Bernadotte
of
having, by
his
delay, prevented
the
victory
from
being complete
;
whilst
the Russians are
just enough
to admit that
Lestocq,
with
his
Prussians,
saved their
wing
from utter
defeat.
The
number
of
deaths
in
the
battle,
and on the
day
preceding
it,
was
immense.
Great
numbers
fell,
not
by
the
sword,
but
by
cold, want,
and
excessive exertion.
Whole
battalions
and
regiments
of the
French
—
as,
for
example,
that of
colonel
Semele
—
were
literally
annihilated. Few
prisoners
were
made,
because the whole
battle was
fought
with the
bayonet.
The
royal family
of
Prussia
was
placed
in a
very
melan-
choly position by
the
issue
of the
battle,
for
they
were
obliged,
in the middle
of
winter,
to flee to
Memel,
where
they
found
themselves
among
Russians,
of
whom
their
own
emperor
alleged,
that,
notwithstanding
his
despotic
power,
he was not able to restrain
their
barbarity,
or
to
put
a
stop
to their
rapacity.
Here,
in
the farthest corner of
Prussia,
they
received news
every
month of the fall
of one
fortress
after
another,
or of
forced
contributions levied
upon
their
people.
The French
army
also
retired
after
the battle
of
Eylau
as
well as the
Russians.
Benningsen
marched
towards
Konigs-
berg,
and
although
Berthier,
on the
morning
of
the
7th,
wrote to the
empress
that
they
would
be
in
Konigsberg
with
their
army
on the
following
day,
the
French,
never-
theless,
drew off
nearer to
the Vistula.
Nothing
important
was undertaken
by
either
party
for
some
months,
but
vigorous
preparations
were made for a
new
struggle
;
whilst
new
means
were tried to
prevent
Prussia from
taking
any energetic
measures
—
that
is,
from
forming
a close union
with
England
and
Russia.
The
king
hesitated between
the bold
advice of
Hardenberg
and
his
friends,
and the
unconditional
sub-
mission to
the will
of
Napoleon,
which
was recommended
by
in
his
memoir,
dated
on the 28th of
February,
states
that the
French
had
30,000
killed,
and
12,000
wounded.
Napoleon
gives
the
numbers
1900
killed
and 5700 wounded.
Riichel adds :
"
The
victory
at
Prussian
Eylau
was
complete
and
decisive on
the side of the
Russians;
and
yet
Benningsen
did
not
pursue
the
enemy
with
the
whole
of
his
force,
but,
to the
astonishment
of the
whole
world, again
retreated."
A.D.
1807]
CAMPAIGN
OF
EYI/AU
AND EEIEDLAND.
223
von
Zastrow.
The
Russians
were
thoroughly
dissatisfied
with
the
English,
and
complained
of
heing
very
badly sup-
ported
by
them
;
they
suffered
want
of
all
kinds,
were
worse
treated
in
many
places
in Prussia
than
the
French,
and
even
borrowed
660,000
dollars
in coin
from
the
king
of Prussia.
The
support
which
Prussia
received
from
England
might
rather
be called
an
alms
than
a
subsidy.
This
was
partly
owing
to
the
delays
which
von
Zastrow
promoted,
and
partly
to the distrust
of
the
Prussians,
which
the
English
still en-
tertained. It
was
only
when
Hardenberg
was called
to
office,
and when
Beyme
agreed
with
him,
that the
English
showed
themselves
ready
to
co-operate
efficiently.
Hardenberg,
who
accompanied
his master
to
Tilsit,
suc-
ceeded in
having
a
new
treaty
entered
into
at Bartenstein
between
Eussia
and
Prussia.
Its
principle
was
the same
as
that of the
agreement
made on
the 12th
of
October,
of the
preceding
year,
at
Grodno,
by
virtue
of
which
the
emperor
bound himself
to
support
the cause
of
the
king
with
all his
forces. In
this
treaty,
it was not
only
promised,
just
as if
they
were before
Paris,
that
Prussia
should
receive back
all
that had
been
lost,
but
it was
formally
determined
what was
to
be
done with the
conquests
wrested
from
France,
and how
even
the left
bank
of
the
Rhine
was to be
partitioned
among
the allies.
This
partition
of
conquests
not
yet
made is
merely
ridiculous;
what was
importaut,
on
the
contrary,
was,
that Russia
and
Prussia
not
only
reckoned
confidently
upon
England
and
Sweden,
but also
upon
Austria,
and
inti-
mated
that
they
would
compel
Denmark
also
to
join
the alli-
ance.
The
part
which
Austria
played
on this occasion
was
very
equivocal.
This
ought
not
to
surprise
any
one,
since
already,
under
the
AVhigs,
there had been
some
talk
of
a
congress
and
of Austrian
mediation,
which no one could
fully
understand.
On
the 7th
of
May,
sir Robert Adair
writes
that
Napoleon
had
accepted
the
mediation.
On the
8th,
he at
length
received
the news
that
Canning
had
become
minister
of
foreign
affairs
;
and the
very
first
despatch
from
the new
minister
announced
the
prosecution
of
the
war,
and a firm
alliance
with
Russia; but,
before
Canning
was
able
to
give
effect
to
his
words,
the battle
of Friedland
was
fought.
It
appears,
from
Napoleon's correspondence,
thai
,
on
the
17th,
he
gave
Talleyrand
a
sketch
of the
principles
to
be
224
histoet or btjssia.
[ch.
lvi.
contended
for in
the
congress
;
they
were
as
chimerical as
was
the
congress
itself.
He demanded
reciprocity
—
that
is,
that
the
English
and
Russians were to
indemnify
his
allies,
as he
theirs
;
he
knew
right
well,
however,
that the
English
would
not
agree
to
any
such condition.
Long
before the
negotiations
between
Prussia and
England,
concerning
a
regular
peace
and
formal
subsidies,
instead
of
the
occasional
sums
hitherto
granted,
had been
brought
to
a
close,
Hardenberg
was
installed in the office
of
minister of
foreign
affairs,
and
had
associated with himself
such
men as
von
Altenstein, Niebuhr,
von
Schon,
and
Stegman
;
still,
however,
he
entertained
but little
hope,
especially
since
the
English
at
first refused
to
grant
more
than
100,000Z.
as a
subsidy
to
Prussia,
and an
equal
amount
to Russia.
In
the
mean
time,
it
proved
a
great gain
to Prussia
and
its
service,
that
Scharnhorst and
von Grneisenau
began
that career
which
afterwards
turned
out so
salutary
to the
army,
then
newly
to
be
raised
and
organised.
It was
also
a
lucky
accident
that
marshal
Victor fell
into the hands of
a
body
of
Prussian
troops
from
Colberg,
and was
exchanged
for
Blucher,
who
was then
appointed
to
march from Pomerania
against
the
Erench,
as soon as
Benningsen,
with
the
main
army,
had
made an
attack in
front
upon
the
Erench,
commanded
by
Napoleon
in
person.
The
English
had
promised
to
reinforce
the
Swedish
armyin
Pomerania with
30,000 men,
and Prussia
was also to send
an
army
thither
under Blucher.
Five
thou-
sand
Prussians
really
appeared
;
but
the
English
delayed
till
it
was
too
late,
and
were not
in the
wrong,
because
the
king
of
Sweden,
with
whom
it
was
impossible
to do
anything,
wished to take
the
command.
About this time
Benningsen
was
appointed
commander-in-
chief of
the
Russian
armies
;
but he is
generally
accused
of
incapacity,
and fearful
descriptions
are
given
of
the
disorders,
fraud,
and embezzlement
which
prevailed,
and of
the
plun-
der and
barbarity
which
they
practised
against
unfortunate
Prussia.
We could
not
beiieve these
accounts,
did
not
all
the works
on
Russia,
which
have
recently
appeared
in
Eng-
land,
Erance,
and
Germany,
concur
in
proving
that
these
evils
are the result
of
the
nature of
the
Russian
government
and its
autocracy.
The
emperor
Alexander,
as
soon
as
he
arrived
at
the
army,
did
everything
in
his
power
to
restore