I AM INVITED TO FRIEDRICHSRUH--BUCHER AND THE PROPOSED
“MEMOIRS”--HE DOUBTS WHETHER THE LATTER WILL BE COMPLETED--THE
CHIEF--“BÜSCHLEIN” AS BEFORE--THE ANGLO-GERMAN AGREEMENT--THE
EMPEROR AND RUSSIA--THREE KINGS IN THEIR NAKEDNESS--BÜSCHLEIN
WILL WRITE THE SECRET HISTORY OF OUR TIMES--THE PRINCE GIVES
ME IMPORTANT PAPERS TO EXAMINE IN MY ROOM: HIS RESIGNATION IN
1890, A DRAFT OF A CONFIDENTIAL STATEMENT OF THE MOTIVES OF HIS
RETIREMENT AND NOTES ON THE ATTITUDE OF THE INDIVIDUAL MINISTERS
ON THAT OCCASION--STILL ANOTHER BOOK ON BISMARCK IN VIEW;
CORRESPONDENCE ON THE SUBJECT WITH BUCHER AND THE CHIEF HIMSELF;
THE PLAN DROPPED--LAST VISIT TO BUCHER IN JANUARY, 1892--HIS
DEATH--LAST STAY AT FRIEDRICHSRUH IN MAY, 1893--GOOD-BYE, DEAR
OLD FRIEND.
On the 23rd of February I again received a letter from Bucher, also
under cover to Frau Hedwig Hämmerling: “23/2/91. He says he would
like to see you once more, and requests you to visit him. You may
choose the time most convenient to yourself, but give two days’
notice in advance, so as to avoid clashing with an invitation to
Hamburg. Be sure to bring your sleeping garments with you, if you are
as little in favour with the lady of the house as I am.”
I replied that I should have preferred to go the day after to-morrow,
but that as I was at liberty to name my own time, and was now engaged
in reading over papers, arranging and packing for my removal on the
16th of March, I would come on the 18th. I further requested him to
say by what train I should come, and called attention to the fine
cartoon and verses, “Dropping the Pilot,” in _Punch_, of the 29th of
March, 1890, which an acquaintance had sent me the previous day, and
which I should bring with me if they had not already seen it.
Bucher replied that they had the “Pilot” from _Punch_ at
Friedrichsruh; and that he himself had travelled by the slow train.
I arrived at Friedrichsruh at 3 P.M. on the 18th of March. The
Prince had gone out for a drive with Buhl, the member of Parliament,
who had come on a visit. A servant showed me upstairs to No. 4 as
my room, where Grant, Bancroft, and the busts of Washington and
Hamilton kept me company. I immediately visited Bucher, whose room
was opposite mine. He complained that the work of the “Memoirs”
stood exactly where it did before. In dictating, the Prince wandered
from one point to another, told many things several times, and
almost always differently, &c. A huge pile of dictated notes had
already been transcribed, he calculated some sixty printed sheets.
It would, however, have to be sifted and worked up, and the Chief
had not as yet looked through a line of it. Hardly anything would
come of it, and, in any case, he had not as yet decided whether it
should be published during his lifetime or after his death. Bucher
intends to leave again for a time at the end of the month, and is
very dissatisfied with his occupation hitherto. He showed me in
the pile on the chair a thick packet, endorsed, “Nikolsburg,” and
observed that it dealt less with the important events that took place
there than with a variety of other matters. He had seen few of the
papers arranged by me in 1888, none at all of those relating to the
alliance with Austria, only two or three letters from the Gerlach
correspondence, and he had also seen nothing of the correspondence
with Manteuffel and Schleinitz. He believes that the Chief has sent
all those that are missing to a bank in England for safety. But a few
days later he modified this surmise, and said he thought the papers
were in the keeping of some trusty friend.
Downstairs before dinner, Buhl, a lean old gentleman with a grey
beard, introduced himself to me. I now made the acquaintance also
of Dr. Chrysander, a slight young man. The Chief appeared shortly
afterwards with the Princess. He greeted me with the customary
“Büschlein,” was pleased to see from my appearance that I was well
again, and said I must sit next to him at table on his right, while
President Buhl sat on his left between himself and his consort. The
Prince looked very well, was most good-humoured and talkative during
dinner, was surprised that I still had so much hair, told amusing
stories and expatiated with knowledge on various fine wines and
judges thereof. (...)
Dinner was followed by some more serious conversation in the
coffee-room. In reply to a question by Buhl the Prince disapproved
of Caprivi’s East African policy: “Zanzibar ought not to have
been left to the English. It would have been better to maintain
the old arrangement. We could then have had it at some later time
when England required our good offices against France or Russia.
In the meantime our merchants, who are cleverer, and, like the
Jews, are satisfied with smaller profits, would have kept the upper
hand in business. To regard Heligoland as an equivalent shows more
imagination than sound calculation. In the event of war it would be
better for us that it should be in the hands of a neutral Power. It
is difficult and most expensive to fortify”--a point which he then
explained in detail. “That does not make one an ‘extender of the
realm,’ not even to the extent that I was in the old days when I
travelled back to Berlin with the cession of a strip of land on the
Jahde in my pocket, thinking not a little of my achievement!” The
Prince is also opposed to building any more large ships: “rather
two small vessels than one big one; the North Sea and Baltic Canal
doubles our naval strength.” (...)
On Friday, March 20th, after lunch, at which the Chief was again very
bright and communicative, Bucher at my request allowed me to read the
chapter on Nikolsburg from the material dictated for the “Memoirs,”
in the first place that I should note the numerous digressions from
the real subject. These excursions included, among other things,
references to the anti-German Queen of Holland, intended annexations,
Frederick the Great, an intrigue during the Regency, the indemnity,
the impression made in Russia by the events of the summer of 1866,
the Danzig Pronunciamento, the German question in 1848, dynastic
sentiments, a lost opportunity in 1848, factions, the _Wochenblatt_
party, Augusta, the removal to St. Petersburg and the Italian war.
In doing this I ran through the greater part of the manuscript, and
found some new and interesting matter respecting the King’s desire
for annexation, Bismarck’s reasons for moderation, and a speedy
conclusion of peace; Moltke’s strategic plans; a visit of the Crown
Prince, who comes to Bismarck and promises to support him at a time
when he was almost despairing of carrying through his scheme; and
the final consent of the King, who complains, however, that it is
an “ignominious peace.” Further matters of interest are: Augusta’s
influence on the Regent, Bismarck’s audience before his transfer to
St. Petersburg, his condemnation of the Ministers of the new era, as
for instance of Schwerin, and afterwards of Usedom and his English
wife; the remarkable allegation that Frederick the Great was also
vain, supported by references to the King’s own judgment of a poem
written by himself immediately after the battle (“_n’est pas trop mal
après une bataille_”), and to his flute playing. In conclusion, the
views expressed as to our relations with Austria and Russia, and the
policy which they impose upon us, well deserve to be taken to heart.
Irritation against the Russians has arisen (this doubtless refers to
the Emperor William) out of personal impressions (due to inadequate
appreciation); yet we cannot be quite certain of Austria, as the
possibility of a breach with her depends upon one person. Bucher
says that the Chief would doubtless speak to me about Windthorst,
as to whom there were still many things to be said, and suggested
that I should start the subject when opportunity offered. This was
done indirectly over our coffee after dinner, but the Prince did not
take it up. Later on, however, it was suggested that such excessive
honours would never have been paid to the old Guelph advocate at
his death if the Emperor had not set the example. To-day the Chief
dictated to Bucher on “questions of State rights,” but was unable to
get properly under way and could not verify or complete what he had
to say, as he had not got his books, “his tools.” (...)
At noon on Saturday, the 21st of March, the Chief sent Bucher, to
whom he had again been dictating in the morning on questions of State
rights, to ask if I would go for a walk with him. (...)
I took an opportunity of inquiring how his “Memoirs” were getting
on, mentioning that I knew he had begun to dictate his reminiscences
and views. “That is so,” he rejoined; “but it is probable that in
the end it will come to nothing. I have no documents, and even if I
remember the main points--quite clearly--one cannot after all carry
in his head every detail of what has happened in the course of thirty
years. Then as to the publication during my lifetime. Ever since 1847
I have constantly represented the monarchical principle, and held
it aloft like a banner. Now I have seen three Kings in a state of
nakedness, and frequently these three exalted gentlemen did not make
altogether a very good show. Still it would not do to say that openly
before the world--it would be inconsistent--opposed to principle. And
yet I can just as little keep silent when once I come to deal with
that point, to say nothing of asserting the contrary. And if it (the
publication) takes place after my death, then they will say: ‘There
you have it! Even from his grave! What a detestable old wretch!’” I
could only reply that one has duties towards himself, and his own
honour,--duties towards that which one has created; that one ought
as a man of experience and judgment to warn the country against
wrong courses into which it may be led through the impetuousness or
thoughtlessness and excessive self-confidence of new politicians;
and furthermore that one has duties towards history, to dispel
misunderstandings and chimeras, and the falsehoods of flattering
courtiers; and that truth, which stands above all things, must have
its rights--truth of which Jesus said that it will make us free. He
listened in silence to this eager and audacious outburst; and I then
spoke of another subject--namely, Kingston’s report in the _Daily
Telegraph_ of an interview with him, and in particular of the very
favourable opinion of the Emperor Frederick, therein ascribed to him,
which could not be reconciled with the views I had heard him express.
He replied: “I know nothing of any Kingston, or of any interview in
an English newspaper. The report must be an invention (_Schwindel_).”
He then mentioned the picture (in _Punch_), “Dropping the Pilot,” and
said: “The Emperor was delighted with it. He saw in it a recognition
of his right to smash the pot--you know as in the witches’ kitchen:
‘_Entzwei, entzwei, da liegt der Brei_.’”
At lunch among other things the Prince related the history of some
excellent old Jamaica rum, of which a bottle stood on the table. The
conversation then led to a few corrections. It was Kayser and not
Rudchen Lindau who had warned and threatened the _Allgemeine Zeitung_
in Munich; and Bötticher had not told the lie about the morphiomania
of the Chancellor direct to the Emperor, but to the Grand Duke of
Baden, who then related it to his Majesty. The statement that the
latter questioned Schweninger is true, as also the rough answer given
by the doctor. “And as a matter of fact,” said the Chief, “I have
only taken morphia when in great pain, and it has never done me any
harm; although Bötticher asserted that he found me quite deranged
mentally and irresponsible for my actions.”
After dinner while reading the papers the Chief remarked, I now
forget in what connection: “One day, long after my death, Büschlein
will write the secret history of our times from good sources.” “Yes,
Serene Highness,” I replied, “but not a real history--I cannot
do that--rather a compilation of good materials, conscientiously
collected and placed in a proper light. Nor shall it be long after
your death, which of course we pray may be as remote as possible,
but immediately, without delay, as in these corrupt times one
cannot too soon vindicate the rights of truth.” He then came to
speak of the newspaper reports to the effect that more friendly
relations were gradually growing up between himself and the Emperor,
a statement which he denied as something obviously impossible. He
referred to the new communal regulations, which he disapproved of.
He said they had offended the farmers, whom they put on a level with
the small traders and artisans in communal affairs. He then spoke
at some length of Minister Herrfurth, addressing himself for the
most part to me, much to the following effect (Bucher afterwards
recapitulated his statement to me upstairs): while the Emperor was
still Prince and lived at Potsdam, he, Bismarck, desired to prepare
him for the government, and to provide him, so to say, with tuition
in the various branches of the art of governing. Up to that time
he knew little, and indeed did not trouble himself much about it,
but preferred to enjoy himself in the society of young officers and
suchlike. The plan was to get him to remove to Berlin, somewhere near
Bellevue. But the financial authorities at Court were of opinion that
that would be too expensive. The Prince was then to hear lectures
at Potsdam, and Bismarck proposed Herrfurth, the Under-Secretary
of State,--who was reputed to be well informed, particularly in
statistics--as his tutor on internal questions. The Prince agreed
and invited Herrfurth to lunch with him, and then told the Chancellor
he could not stand him, with his bristly beard, his dryness and
tediousness, and asked whether the Prince could not suggest some
one else. Yes, he would send him _Regierungsrath_ von Brandenstein.
The Prince had nothing to say against that, so Brandenstein was
written to. But H.R.H., although it is true he lunched with him
several times, paid so little attention to his explanations that
Herr von Brandenstein lost patience, and begged to be given some
other employment. In the meantime, shortly before the death of the
Emperor Frederick, Minister Puttkamer was dismissed. When Prince
William ascended the throne Bismarck spoke to him on the subject,
and he said he would of course make Puttkamer Minister again,
but a certain interval must be allowed to elapse--for appearance
sake. Bismarck proposed that Herrfurth should hold the post in
the interval, and told him that he must carry on the policy which
Puttkamer had adopted, and resign his place to the latter after a
certain time, receiving in return a post of Chief President. Would
he agree to that? Yes, he would; he had always followed the course
laid down by his superior, Puttkamer, and would willingly make way
for him when the time came. But when Bismarck, after a few weeks or
months, observed to his Majesty that the time had come to reinstate
Puttkamer, the Emperor replied, no, he did not think of doing so any
longer, as he had in the meantime grown accustomed to Herrfurth, and
was now quite satisfied with him. The change had come about in this
way. Herrfurth had, without previous consultation with the Prime
Minister, put himself in direct communication with the Emperor, and
taking advantage of the Sovereign’s wishes, recommended a liberal
reform of the Communal Regulations, as a measure by which he could
gain numerous friends and secure imperishable fame. “After a few
days,” concluded the Prince, “my Schönhausen people came to me and
asked, ‘What does this mean?’ They had received papers, and were,
it would seem, to report whether they desired to have all the old
arrangements upset, and every one put on the same level. And this
was done throughout the seven old provinces, much to the surprise
and dissatisfaction of the peasantry. That too was one of the causes
of my retirement.” The Chief afterwards said that when I left he
wished to give me some papers to take with me and keep for him. I
was to make copies of them, which I could publish at a future day.
I promised to remind him, and also offered my services for other
purposes in the future; “I had always regarded myself as his little
archer, who at his call would even shoot my bolt at the sun himself.”
He smiled, and said: “Many thanks, perhaps.”
_Sunday, March 22nd._--During the forenoon the Chief dictated to
Bucher some notes on the question as to how the German Constitution
might be altered in case it should no longer work. He also told him
that he wished to give me certain important documents to take with
me. (...)
_Monday, March 23rd._--(...) I had waited yesterday in vain to
see the Chief on his return from lunch to his study, in order to
remind him of the documents which I was to take with me. To-day,
after lunch, I called upon him in his own room for this purpose. I
apologised for disturbing him, but, as I intended to leave to-morrow,
I thought it was of importance to him that I should take the papers
with me. “So it is,” he rejoined, “and it is well that you have
reminded me of it while I am alone. But why are you going away so
soon?” “I do not wish to be any longer a burden to you, Serene
Highness.” “But you are nothing of the kind. On the contrary, I
am glad to see such a faithful old comrade of the war time; and,
moreover, you are so quiet that you disturb no one.” We then agreed
that I should remain for a few days longer, and remind him of the
papers once more later on. (...)
During the day workmen were engaged unpacking large cases of
silver plate--a valuable treasure which German manufacturers had
presented to the Prince as a token of their esteem. At dinner the old
gentleman, who still remains the same lover of nature and of animals,
had a great deal to tell about the starlings, for whom he had had a
few dozen small wooden shelters put up in the trees behind the house.
“They held a public meeting to-day,” he said, “probably in connection
with the approach of spring. As I was going for my walk I first saw
seven of them sitting together in one place and making music. Shortly
after their numbers increased, and finally there were thirty of them
sitting together, wing to wing.” He then cast a glance at the grey
bull-dog waltzing round the room, and observed, “That reminds me of
the funeral honours paid to Windthorst. I should never have thought
of getting him (the dog), but the Emperor presented him to me. If it
had not been for the Emperor’s intervention at the beginning, they
would never have made such a fuss about Windthorst.” After dinner the
conversation turned on newspaper tattle, as, for instance, that he
had sent twelve cases full of important papers to an English bank to
keep for him. “Twelve!” he exclaimed, smiling, “I wish I had even one
such case full.” The gossips of the press also reported that he had
recently purchased a house in Berlin, such and such a number in the
Königgrätzerstrasse--better informed authorities had it that it was
two houses--at a very high price. From this he went on to say that
they once assessed the rent of his palace (the Palais Radziwill) in
the Wilhelmstrasse (for the inhabited house duty) at 50,000 marks.
On his remonstrating, they replied that the English Ambassador had
assessed his own house, which was not so large, at as high a figure.
In the forenoon of Tuesday, March 24th, the Chief sent upstairs for
me and handed me, first, three metallographic copies of documents,
with two letters and a memorandum. All these were from the year 1885,
and referred to the protection of municipalities against arbitrary
school rates. “They are metallographs,” he said, “and as such I dare
say I may publish them at some future time. You can take them with
you for that purpose, but they should be returned to me afterwards.”
“Then I will copy them.” “Yes, but that means a great deal of work,
twenty or more pages, in parts closely written.” “That does not
matter, it shall be done.” “And then here is my resignation, and
this is the statement of my motives. You may read that through--”
(and, as I boldly assume, with tacit permission to take a copy away
with me, at present merely for my own information). “This is about
Herbert--you can read that also, and then bring them all back to
me.” I went immediately to my room and began to copy the resignation
and the statement of motives, as well as the answer of the Chief to
the Imperial acceptance thereof, which he had given me instead of
the paper referring to Herbert. The metallographic documents will be
dealt with later on.
RESIGNATION.
“B(erlin) 18.3.90.--On the occasion of my respectful report of the
15th instant, your Majesty commanded me to submit the draft of an
Order which should revoke the Royal Order of the 8th of September,
1852, by which the relations between the Minister President and his
colleagues have hitherto been regulated.
“I take the liberty most humbly to submit the following statement
of the origin and significance of this Order. Under the absolute
Monarchy the office of a President of the Ministry of State was
not required; and it was in 1847, in the United Diet, that the
Liberal members of that time (Mevissen) first pointed to the
necessity of paving the way for constitutional arrangements by the
appointment of a ‘Prime Minister’ (‘Premier Minister’), whose task
it should be to take charge of and provide for the maintenance of
a uniform policy by the responsible Ministry, and to undertake
responsibility for the entire results of the policy of the Cabinet.
This constitutional arrangement came into force with us in 1848,
and the ‘President of the Ministry of State,’--in succession Count
Arnim, Camphausen, Count Brandenburg, Baron von Manteuffel, and
the Prince of Hohenzollern,--was responsible in the first place
not for any single department, but for the entire policy of the
Cabinet, and, therefore, for the departments, as a whole. Most of
these gentlemen had no separate department but only the Presidency,
as for instance, prior to my entrance into office, the Prince of
Hohenzollern, Minister von Auerswald and Prince von Hohenlohe. It
was their duty, however, to maintain that unity and continuity in
the Ministry of State itself and in the relations between the latter
and the monarchy without which Ministerial responsibility, such as
arises under a constitutional system, would be an impossibility. The
relations of the Ministry of State and its individual members to
their newly instituted Minister President, however, soon required to
be regulated in more strict accordance with the Constitution. This
was done, in concurrence with the Ministry of State, in the Order of
the 8th of September, 1852. Since that time this Order had governed
the relations of the Minister President to the Ministry of State,
and through it alone the Minister President was invested with the
authority which enabled him to assume that degree of responsibility
for the policy of the Cabinet as a whole which was attributed to him
in the Diet and by public opinion. If each individual Minister can
receive commands from the Sovereign without previous arrangement
with his colleagues, a coherent policy in the Cabinet, for which
some one is to be responsible, is an impossibility. It would be
impossible for any of the Ministers, and especially for the Minister
President, to bear the constitutional responsibility for the Cabinet
as a whole. Such a provision as that contained in the Order of 1852
could be dispensed with under the absolute monarchy, and could
also be dispensed with to-day if we returned to absolutism without
Ministerial responsibility. But according to the constitutional
arrangements now legally in force, the control of the Cabinet
by a President under the Order of 1852 is indispensable. All my
colleagues agree with me upon this point, as is shown by yesterday’s
sitting of the Ministry of State, and also that no one who succeeds
me as Minister President can assume responsibility for his office
if he lacks the authority vested in him by the Order of 1852.
This necessity will be felt even more strongly by any succeeding
Minister than by me, as he will not be immediately sustained by that
authority which I have hitherto enjoyed, owing to my long tenure of
the Presidency and to the confidence reposed in me by the two late
Emperors. Up to the present it has never been necessary for me, in
dealing with my colleagues, to expressly appeal to the Order of 1852.
Its existence and the certainty that I possessed the confidence of
the two late Emperors, William and Frederick, was sufficient to
secure my authority in the Cabinet. To-day, however, this certainty
exists neither for my colleagues nor myself. I have therefore been
obliged to fall back upon that Order for the purpose of securing the
necessary unity in your Majesty’s service. For the reasons stated
above, I am not in a position to carry out your Majesty’s command in
accordance with which I should myself introduce and countersign the
revocation of the Order of 1852 (to which I myself recently called
attention), and nevertheless continue to hold the Presidency of the
Ministry of State.
“According to the communications made to me yesterday by
Lieutenant-General Hahnke and _Geheimer Kabinetsrath_ von Lucanus, I
can entertain no doubt that your Majesty knows and believes that it
is not possible for me to revoke the Order and yet remain Minister
President. Notwithstanding that fact your Majesty has maintained the
command given on the 15th instant and indicated that my resignation,
which is thereby rendered necessary, would be accepted. From previous
conferences which I had with your Majesty on the question whether
your Majesty desired my continuance in office, I gathered that it
would be agreeable to your Majesty that I should resign my position
in the service of Prussia, but continue in that of the Empire. After
considering this matter more closely I took the liberty to call
attention to some critical consequences of such a division of my
offices, particularly so far as the future action of the Chancellor
in the Imperial Diet is concerned, and therefore refrain from
repeating here all the consequences which would attend such a divorce
between Prussia and the Imperial Chancellor. Thereupon your Majesty
deigned to agree that for the present everything should remain as it
was.
“As I have had the honour to explain, however, it is not possible
for me to retain the post of Minister President after your Majesty
has repeatedly ordered it to be subjected to the _capitis diminutio_
involved in the revocation of the fundamental Order of 1852.
“On the occasion of my respectful report of the 15th instant your
Majesty was pleased to confine me, as regards the extent of my
official authority, within limits which do not allow me that degree
of participation in the affairs of State, that supervision of the
latter, and that freedom in my Ministerial decisions and in my
intercourse with the Imperial Diet and its members, which I require
if I am to accept constitutional responsibility for my official acts.
“But even if it were possible to carry on our foreign policy so
independently of our home policy, and our Imperial policy so
independently of Prussian policy, as would be the case if the
Imperial Chancellor had as little share in the policy of Prussia
as in that of Bavaria and Saxony, and had nothing to do in the
Imperial Diet with the decision as to the Prussian vote in the
Federal Council, it would nevertheless--after your Majesty’s recent
decisions on the direction of our foreign policy, as laid down in the
confidential letter with which your Majesty yesterday accompanied
the report of the Consul at Kieff--be impossible for me to undertake
to carry out the instructions respecting foreign affairs contained
therein. I should thereby endanger all the important results for
the German Empire, which our foreign policy, in agreement with the
views of your Majesty’s two predecessors, has for decades past under
difficult circumstances secured in our relations with Russia, results
that have attained a significance beyond all expectations great for
the present and for the future, a circumstance which was confirmed by
Count Schuvaloff after his return from St. Petersburg.
“Attached as I am to the service of the Royal House and of your
Majesty, and accustomed for many years to conditions which I have
hitherto regarded as permanent, it is very painful to me to sever my
wonted relations with your Majesty, and to break off my connection
with the entire policy of the Empire of Prussia. Nevertheless, after
conscientiously weighing your Majesty’s intentions, which I should
have to be prepared to carry out if I were to remain in office, I
have no alternative but most humbly to beg your Majesty graciously
to relieve me of the offices of Imperial Chancellor and of Minister
President, and Prussian Minister for Foreign Affairs, under the usual
regulations as to pension.
“From my impressions of the last few weeks and the communications
made to me yesterday by your Majesty’s Civil and Military Cabinet, I
may respectfully take it for granted that I meet your Majesty’s views
in thus tendering my resignation, and therefore that I may reckon
with certainty upon its being graciously accepted.
“I would have submitted to your Majesty the petition to be relieved
of my offices a year ago if I had not been under the impression that
your Majesty desired to take advantage of the experience and capacity
of a faithful servant of your predecessors. Now that I am assured
your Majesty does not require them, I may retire from political life
without fearing that public opinion will condemn my decision as
untimely.
(Signed) “von Bismarck.”
At the present stage of international affairs I consider it hazardous
to publish the “Draft of confidential statement as to the motives of
my retirement from office.” The interest of Germany in keeping it
secret for the immediate future seems to me to be greater than the
interest of history in its publication now.
“NOTES ON MY RETIREMENT.
“The Vice-President of the Ministry of State (von Bötticher) declared
that he and his colleagues were deeply grieved at my retirement.
He had hitherto hoped that the only differences of opinion between
his Majesty and myself were connected with home domestic policy,
and therefore that the arrangement indicated by me, namely, that I
should confine myself to the control of foreign affairs, would prove
a satisfactory solution. My withdrawal from all my offices involved
incalculable difficulties; and although he could understand my
displeasure, he could only beg me urgently to come to a compromise.
“I replied: The expedient of withdrawing from the Prussian service
and confining myself to the position of Imperial Chancellor had
met with objections from the Federal Governments and the Imperial
Diet. It is felt to be desirable that the Chancellor should have an
official position in which he can control the casting of the Prussian
vote; and I, too, could not accept a position in which I should be
obliged to take from the Prussian Ministers instructions in the
preparation of which I had had no part. Therefore this expedient also
would not be free from difficulties.
“The Minister of Finance declared that the Order of the 8th of
September, 1852, by no means went beyond what was necessary, and
could not form an insurmountable difficulty. And also so far as the
difficulties in the matter of foreign affairs were concerned, he
could only agree with the Minister of State, von Bötticher, that a
compromise ought to be sought. Besides, if the retirement took place
not for reasons of health, but on political grounds, and from all
offices, then the Ministry of State itself would have to consider
whether it should not take part in this step. Perhaps that would
contribute to avert the fatal event.
“The Ministers of Public Worship and of Justice considered that the
differences referred to were due solely to a misunderstanding, which
it might be possible to clear up for his Majesty. The Minister of
War added, that for a long time past his Majesty had not let fall
a single word that had any reference to warlike complications with
Russia.
“The Minister of Public Works (Maybach) described my retirement
as a misfortune for the security of the country and the peace
of Europe. Every possible effort should be made to avert it. In
these circumstances he considered that the Ministers should place
their offices at the disposal of his Majesty, and he at least was
determined to do so.
“The Minister for Agriculture declared that if I were convinced that
my retirement was desired in the highest quarter I could not be
dissuaded from this step. But in any case the Ministry would then
have to consider what course it should adopt.”
ANSWER TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE RESIGNATION.
(_From Bismarck’s autograph pencil draft._)
“Most august Emperor, King and Master,
“I thank your Majesty respectfully for the gracious words with
which your Majesty has accompanied my discharge; and I am highly
gratified at the bestowal of the likeness, which ---- (illegible)
will remain an honourable souvenir of the time during which your
Majesty permitted me to devote my strength to your Majesty’s service.
“Your Majesty has at the same time graciously invested me with the
dignity of Duke of Lauenburg. I have respectfully taken the liberty
to explain verbally to _Geheimer Kabinetsrath_ von Lucanus the
reasons which render it difficult for me to use such a title, and at
the same time requested him not to make public this second act of
grace. The fulfilment of this request was not possible, as at the
time when I expressed my scruples on the subject the publication had
already taken place--on the 17th of March. I venture, however, most
humbly to beg your Majesty graciously to allow me in future to bear
the name and title which I have hitherto borne. I beg to be allowed
to lay at your Majesty’s feet my most respectful thanks for the high
honour bestowed upon me by my military promotion as soon as I am able
to report myself, which at the present moment I am prevented from
doing through indisposition.
“With the most profound respect, &c.”
_Wednesday, March 25th._--The Chief started for Hamburg to-day, first
to pay a return visit to Waldersee at Altona, and afterwards to make
a few calls in Hamburg. He had not left, however, before lunch, at
which he joined us, in undress uniform and wearing an order. He was
back again in time for dinner. He had not found Waldersee at home,
and at the other houses also had only met the ladies. At table there
was a great deal of talk about the torchlight procession with which
the Prince’s Hamburg admirers wished to celebrate his birthday here
on the 1st of April. It was anticipated that 3,000 to 4,000 persons
would come to Friedrichsruh by special trains to take part in the
procession. They could marshal their torches and go through their
evolutions with tolerable ease in the meadows on the right bank of
the Aue.
At lunch the Chief said that after all it was not necessary that I
should copy the metallographic documents here. I could do that at my
leisure in Leipzig--a blessing, as it would, otherwise, take me three
days to do it, and the Princess expects some visitors on the 28th,
for whom she wants my room. Therefore off and away at noon to-morrow!
Baron Merck and his wife, whom I have known since 1888, were with
us at dinner to-day. Among other things the Prince spoke of his new
silver-plate. It was very rich and beautiful, but his household was
not at all prepared for it, and silver-plate and dishes had never
been used at his table. He would, perhaps, have the chandeliers hung
up, but the other things would doubtless be sent to the bank for safe
keeping.
_Friday, March 27th._--Took lunch alone, and somewhat earlier than
usual on account of my departure. After a while the Princess, who
was on this occasion particularly good-humoured and communicative,
came. Among other things she related that Schweninger’s predecessor,
a celebrated doctor recommended by Bleichröder, had once treated
the Prince for cancer of the stomach; and that it is Versen and the
“detestable Hinzpeter” who have most influence with the Emperor
and who stimulate the high opinion he has of his own capacity and
encourage his arbitrary tendencies. Finally the Prince also came in
to say good-bye, and invited me to report myself again shortly at
Friedrichsruh. Then back to Berlin, and a few days later, on the 2nd
of April, to Leipzig, my new home. (...)
I had hoped that at length I might rest, but it was not to be. The
mill must still grind on! Indeed, there is no alternative, as people
would not otherwise know how I came to the extraordinary notion of
writing yet another book on Bismarck, and how that scheme fared. On
the 23rd of June _Kommerzienrath_ Kröner, of Stuttgart, previously
only known to me by name, called upon me and proposed that I should
write for him a biography of the Prince. I agreed to do so in case
the latter approved. With this object I next wrote the following
letter to Bucher, who was again at Friedrichsruh with the old
gentleman:--
“Dear Friend,
“I yesterday had a visit from a Stuttgart gentleman, hitherto
unknown to me, who asked if I would write a biography of the Prince,
three or four volumes; I could speak out exactly as I liked, and
also lay down such other conditions as were convenient to me. As he
came direct from Friedrichsruh, and had there spoken to the Prince
and also to you, his intention in putting this question to me was
possibly known and approved of at Friedrichsruh. If that be the case,
and if the Prince gives his permission, I am disposed to make the
attempt, particularly as I may then hope also to be assisted with
contributions on doubtful points. I would take time and provide for
complete freedom from interference on the part of the publisher and
would serve the truth so far as it is known to me.
“Please, therefore, inquire to-day or to-morrow whether he gives his
blessing to the affair or not, and let me know the result.” (...)
The following answer came from Bucher:--
“Fr. 26/7/91.
“Dr. Fr,--Your letter of the 24th, which curiously enough bears the
Leipzig postmark of the 26th, reached me last evening, and I have
this morning communicated its contents. The reply ran literally: ‘I
have nothing whatever against it. I have sometimes a feeling that
the end will come suddenly for me one day. I should like to have
the opportunity of correcting many errors _viva voce_, as Busch has
a great deal of material. Things are going badly with me. I have
pains in my hand, and other pains which I cannot write about. When I
have pushed the stone a little way uphill it rolls back again to the
bottom. I wish you better luck.’”
On receipt of this information I finally agreed with Kröner to write
the book, and entered into a contract with him. A few weeks later,
however, in thinking over the prospect, I was half sorry that I had
done so, and wrote to Bucher (pointing out certain objections in
the event of the Prince’s “Memoirs” being published, and competing
with the book: and suggesting that in case they were not to appear
until after Bismarck’s death, judicious extracts from them might be
included in the biography, &c.)
Bucher’s reply:
“Laubbach bei Coblenz, _September 1, 1891_.
“Dear Friend,--Nothing will ever come of the ‘Memoirs,’ even if
He[21] and I were to live for ten years to come. The chief hindrance
is laziness, as He himself expresses it. My work can only consist
in dividing up the chaos of dictated material, and uniting the
pieces into mosaics, as also in correcting his chronology, which is
quite untrustworthy, and of course falsifies the casual relations
of things. What He has to do is to read over the chapters which I
have put together, and at the same time the letters referring to
the subject, which I put with them. He cannot, however, be brought
to do that. Of the fourteen chapters which I have submitted to him
since last September he had on my departure from Kissingen read one
through, and a portion of another! In correcting his chronology
in four important instances I have forced him to acknowledge that
the affair cannot really have happened in the way in which he had
dictated it; but it was impossible for me to squeeze out of him any
statement as to what actually had occurred. I am well-nigh desperate,
and should be very pleased if my work were stopped and the whole
thing handed over to you. I do not know what he will think, but in
any case make the attempt.
“Schweninger, who is very anxious to get him to take up some serious,
continuous occupation, persuaded me to go to Kissingen, assuring
me that he would keep the two disturbing elements, the Princess
and Herbert, at a distance; we two should have him to ourselves,
and he would therefore begin a new life. Nothing of the kind has
occurred. It was the old lazy life in the Castle of Indolence
(Schlaraffenleben)--guests and drinking every day. And, as I had
suspected, the baths did me no good whatever. My right hand is
greatly swollen, and it is only since I repeated my former cure here
that a slight improvement is perceptible. In any case I shall be back
in Berlin at the beginning of October, although He has expressed a
wish that I should go direct from here to Varzin. For months together
last year there was a temperature of 12 degrees in my room there, and
that has ruined me.
“Ever yours (in English),
“B.”
I wrote in reply from Leipzig, on September 2nd, 1891, _inter alia_:
that if the “Memoirs” were never to be completed but remain mere
materials, there was all the more reason for rescuing at least a
portion from destruction.... I would do nothing in the matter before
consulting him, but I was not without hope that the Chief would allow
himself to be persuaded by my arguments, and would assist me with the
dictated matter in my otherwise desperate undertaking. (...)
After some consideration, however, I addressed my request to the
Prince direct, ... and in the course of a week, on the 17th of
September, the following answer came by post:--
“Varzin, _September 14, 1891_.
“I have received your letter, and will willingly accede to your
wish that I should--before its publication--look through the work
which you have arranged to write. I cannot, however, as yet place
what I have myself written and dictated at your disposal. It is not
possible for the present to publish any part of it either directly or
indirectly. Even if made public in an indirect way its accuracy would
be questioned, and I should be challenged to produce my proofs.
“I should be glad to receive a short provisional communication,
either written or verbal, as to the plan and contents of the work.
“v. Bismarck.”
(Probably written by Chrysander, but signed by the Prince in his own
hand. Not the most favourable answer, still the “as yet” and “for the
present” leaves room for hope.) (...)
On the 5th of October I paid Bucher a visit in Berlin in connection
with this matter. I showed him the draft of a reply I had sent within
the course of a week to the Chief, and he told me he had already
been informed by Schweninger. He said I ought first to have arranged
with him before writing to the Prince, and mentioning his name.
As it was, Bismarck would believe that he had suggested my plan
respecting the “Memoirs.” I was mistaken in thinking that Kröner
had come to me about the biography with the knowledge and at the
instance of the Prince. Kröner (who hoped to secure the publication
of the “Memoirs”) probably thought I would enter into competition
with him, and therefore decided to come to me, and thus become his
own competitor. Not very clear! As publisher of the “Memoirs” that
will never be completed, and which according to Bismarck’s verbal
and written assurances are never to be published? It did not tally
either with Bucher’s present statement that the Prince was thinking
of leaving two copies of the “Memoirs,” one for the Emperor and one
for his own sons. Moreover, the text of these two could not be the
same. One of them would have to be first trimmed and Bowdlerised,
_in usum Delphini_, as--according to Bucher’s own assertion--it
contained a variety of things calculated to give offence. Referring
to the differences between the Prince and the Emperor, Bucher stated
that their origin was to be sought in the following incident, as
well as in the demand with regard to the Order of 1852, and the
steps which--according to Bismarck’s statement--had been taken in
connection with Windthorst’s visit. (The Prince’s account of the
Windthorst incident appeared to him, Bucher, not to be credible, at
least so far as the date was concerned.) On the 15th of March, as
the Emperor was returning home from a drive with Bismarck, he told
the latter that he wished to inform the Tsar that he intended paying
him a visit of some days’ duration at his estate--(I have forgotten
the name of it). Bismarck dissuaded him on the ground that the Tsar
liked to be alone there, and because the Emperor had not made a very
favourable impression in St. Petersburg. His Majesty asked how he
came to know that. B. replied through a private letter; whereupon the
Emperor desired to see it. B. at first did not wish to show it; but
finally, yielding to further pressure, drew it out of his pocket. The
Emperor, after he had read it, ordered the carriage to stop, and set
down the Chancellor at his residence.
It was evident from the foregoing that in my affair the Prince
wanted to know--and in certain circumstances to alter, and probably
to a great extent--whether I was in a position, and what I might
perhaps be inclined to say about himself, and indeed generally. Hence
Kröner’s proposition. In that case, however, I could not, as I had
hoped, do a service to the truth and to history, and therefore could
only write an empty book. I therefore informed Bucher I would tell
Kröner that an alteration in my health would prevent me from carrying
out our contract, and beg him to cancel it. This was done in a letter
from Leipzig on the 11th of October; and I was relieved from that
burden and anxiety.
On the morning of the 5th of January, 1892, I again spent an hour
with Bucher at his place in Berlin, and found him the same dear
old friend. His hopeless feeling with regard to the “Memoirs” had
only grown deeper since I saw him last. In the interval he had
paid a further long visit to Friedrichsruh, where he remained
till shortly before Christmas. He was to return again soon on the
Prince’s invitation, although the gout in his hands had begun again
on the previous Sunday to give him great trouble, and the outlook
and condition of affairs in the Sachsenwald pleased him less than
ever. “Thank your stars that you are not in my place with these
‘Memoirs,’” he said. “One’s work is in every respect void of profit
and pleasure. One exhausts himself on an utterly hopeless task, which
will yield nothing for history. It is not alone that his memory is
defective, and he has little interest in what we have done--up to the
present he has looked through very few of my packets--but he begins
also intentionally to misrepresent even plain and well-established
matters of fact and occurrences. He will not admit his own share in
anything that has failed, and he will acknowledge no one to be of
any consequence compared to himself, except perhaps the old Emperor
(to whom he now, as a foil to the young Emperor, gives a much higher
place than he is fairly entitled to) and General Alvensleben--I
cannot say why--who concluded the treaty with Russia and commanded
at Vionville. Falk also is now praised, perhaps because he fears
he might otherwise retort with disclosures. (But of course these
‘Memoirs’ are not to be published at all.) He insists that he is
in no way responsible for the Kulturkampf, that he did nothing to
oppose Pio Nono’s views respecting the Infallibility, and just as
little against Arnim’s mischievous ambition--although everybody
knows the contrary to be the fact. As if he and his work did not
shed enough light to enable men to overlook such shadows! Even in
cases where his policy was brilliantly successful he will not hear
of acknowledging anything, as for instance the trap which he set for
Napoleon in the Spanish affair. He denied the letter to Prim until
I reminded him that I myself handed it to the general in Madrid,
and that the world is now well aware of it through Rothan.” (So I
understood the name, but perhaps he meant Grammont.) On this occasion
Bucher also referred once more to his zigzag journey with Salazar
and his audience with King Wilhelm at Ems. “The whole candidature
of the Prince of Hohenzollern,” said Bucher, “is now represented
by Bismarck as having been a purely private affair of the Court,
a mere family matter, although he was obliged to confess that it
was discussed at a sitting of the entire Ministry.”--I also added
some reminiscences, but observed in conclusion that in spite of all
that, the Chief remained the great political genius and saviour of
the Germans. But he was not qualified to be a historian. He was to
such a large extent the author of the history of the past decades
that it might be called his history, but he did not understand how
to relate it. Bucher, of course, agreed with me, and then continued
his account of the last few weeks. Bismarck wanted to attend the
Reichstag at all costs, in order to speak against the Commercial
Treaties. It was in vain to point out to him the danger of malicious
and coarse attacks from the Richter and Bebel corners of the House,
and to warn him that the President would now be at liberty to call
him also to order. “In that case I would answer him ironically”
was the laughing reply. It was only Schweninger who succeeded in
dissuading him on medical grounds.--“Hoffmann, of the _Hamburger
Nachrichten_, comes every week, and prints whatever the Prince says
to him, quite indifferent to the fact whether it is a well-considered
statement, or the contrary.” “An old copying clerk has now been set
to work on the ‘Memoirs,’ as Chrysander, to whom I dictate my notes,
is overburdened with other things, and can no longer manage all the
copying.” “They are to be left as a bequest to the sons, but will
hardly be published by them,”--because they know that they contain
too many misrepresentations of a kind which people could detect
and easily disprove, and because they are full of unjust judgments
on prominent personages, as, for instance, on most of the Prince’s
former colleagues. At the very most, a last chapter might ultimately
be published on the preliminary stages of his disgrace, and ultimate
retirement. Herbert has made copious and reliable notes on this
subject, in which, however, the old gentleman has made all sorts of
inaccurate and false corrections. The Princess is still the same....
On my asking after the daughter, Bucher fetched a bottle of old
Hungarian wine from behind the green curtain of a bookcase. Countess
Rantzau had brought it with her from Hamburg for him, and we drank a
glass of it to the health of the honest and excellent lady who had
always been a friend to him. “And not forgetting our old master,” I
added. “How is he getting on?” “Our old lion is well,” he replied,
“and is always in good humour at table; eats and drinks heartily,
cracks a joke, and is equal to the youngest of them in paying court
to the fair ones.”
In the course of his remarks Bucher mentioned as “not inconceivable”
that the Prince might return one day to his old place in Berlin.--He
did not give his reasons for thinking so. In the absence of such
reasons, and they would have to be very good ones, I cannot believe
in such a possibility, so far as he personally is concerned. It
is not impossible, after the ill-success of the present _régime_,
that the spirit of his policy may return to the palace in the
Wilhelmstrasse.
We were not destined to meet again. Bucher died on the 12th of
October, 1892, after he had lived away from the Prince for a few
months. I gave a sketch of his life and character in the _Illustrirte
Zeitung_ of the 29th of October, which was accompanied by a good
portrait.
Next spring I could find no rest until I greeted the Prince once
more; and I was permitted to do so. I arrived at Friedrichsruh at
1.30 P.M. on the 1st of May. Chrysander and a servant waited for me
at the station, and conducted me to the house where I was lodged in
room No. 4. After a snack, which took the place of lunch, I went for
a walk with Chrysander, who then showed me in one of the ground floor
rooms a number of presents and beautiful addresses from Costa Rica
and California, which had come to the Prince on his birthday a month
previously. Before dinner I met the old gentleman in the coffee-room,
where hung the portraits of his ancestors. He has changed very
little. I must sit down with him on the sofa, and am “Büschlein” as
before. Had I written anything lately, and what about? Complained of
faceache, “which, however, comes no doubt from the sharp atmosphere
out of doors during my walk this morning.”--At dinner, at which we
were joined by the Princess, Countess Rantzau, Dr. Schweninger, Count
Herbert and von Kardorff, member of the Reichstag, my place is again
next the Prince on his right. As is almost invariably the case on
such occasions, he is amiable, lively and good-humoured. (...)
_May 2nd, at 11 a.m._--Schweninger called at my room as he was going
away. We spoke once more about Bucher, whom he praised highly.
Long before the 15th of March the doctor had known, “through his
connections at Court” of the Emperor’s intention to get rid of
Bismarck, and had informed the latter. At 12 o’clock Chrysander
summoned me to the Prince, whom I met alone in the dining-room,
where he was waiting for me. I first handed him back the three
metallographic copies, which I should get published in some weekly
paper as they were still of interest. After I had turned the
conversation on Bucher I mentioned his mission to Madrid and the
letter to Prim, giving him clearly to understand that I had been
fully informed by my deceased friend of every detail of his Spanish
journey, and also knew that at one time he wished to deny the letter
to Prim and the trap set for Napoleon, which he had baited afresh by
condensing the Ems despatch. But to repudiate that would be to remove
the finest leaf from his wreath of laurels, and so on. These details
recalled to him the whole circumstances, and he no longer denied
anything. He brought the conversation to a close with the words: “We
will talk it over some other time. Of course you will remain for a
while yet, and I must now speak to Kardorff.” No opportunity however
occurred of returning to the subject. (...)
After dinner in the evening, _Kommerzienrath_ Kröner, over our
coffee, recommended the Prince to pay an early visit to Leipzig.
The Chief Burgomaster Georgi had told him that they longed to see
the Prince there, and that he would be received with universal
enthusiasm. I considered it right to tone down the effect of this
statement by pointing out that, in addition to sincere but silent
veneration for the Prince, there was also a great deal of loud and
obtrusive fustian and party self-seeking, whose sole object was its
own advancement; that, together with a certain understanding for
Bismarck’s methods and aims, there was also a great deal of unreason;
and that the great lights of the National Liberal persuasion, who
held the upper hand at Leipzig, would think less of manifesting their
gratitude to him than of once more giving prominence to themselves
and their party, and gaining popularity for future elections to the
Municipal Council or the Reichstag. Our _Geheimer Kommerzienrath_ was
obviously unable to appreciate such an unbusinesslike argument. What
I said was, however, perfectly true.
_May 3rd._--Took a walk in the morning. In the garden, near the
road leading to the station, was a block of sandstone with the
inscription: “From Grotenburg, near the site of the monument to
Arminius in the Teutoburger Wald,” which was recently presented
to Bismarck “by a German,” a bookbinder of Detmold. He doubtless
knows no more than the learned themselves where the Teutoburger
Wald was really situated, but he certainly knows better than many
of the learned that Bismarck is the founder of the German Empire.
In addition to the Chief and his wife and daughter, only Chrysander
and myself were present at lunch. Conversation: On the newspaper
report that Rottenburg was about to pay the Prince a visit, of
which, however, the latter knew nothing, and which is all the
more improbable, as Rottenburg is just engaged to Miss Phelps, the
daughter of the American Minister. The Chief mentioned that Mr.
Phelps wrote to him recently, and asked for an expression of opinion
on the World’s Fair at Chicago--of course a favourable one. The
Prince, however, does not seem inclined to do this. He said: “If I
were to give an honest expression of my view it would not be what
he requires. These exhibitions are of little value for industry and
art, and are more for the benefit of hotel keepers and such people.
They are good for those who feel bored, who want a new sensation, new
amusements, and who have money enough to gratify their inclinations
and afford themselves such pleasures.” The most gracious and his
intimates were then discussed--a General von Versen is one of the
favourites. The conversation then turned on the diplomatic world, and
first on Marschall, who has little capacity, but has been recommended
by his Grand Duke and a relative (or an official); on von Schweinitz,
who has nine children, and also on “Sardanapaul” Hatzfeldt. The
Chief afterwards referred to Maximilian Harden (Witkowski), whom
he praised as “a quiet unpretentious man of great tact; not at all
like a Jew--and also not like my intimate friend Blum,” he added,
laughingly, as he looked towards the Princess. On the mention of the
Grand Duke of Baden I reminded him of his letter with the words, “You
cannot govern without Bismarck,” and of the letter written by the
Crown Prince Frederick from Portofino in which he described his son.
The Chief said that he no longer had the original, and asked me to
send him a copy of it. “But not direct through the post, and also not
to Dr. Chrysander,” suggested Countess Rantzau. “No, he will also be
watched. Send it to Baron Merck, Sachsenwald bei Reinbeck; I shall
then get it safely.” I further referred to the King of Saxony and
his regard for Bismarck, and I mentioned that a doctor, who at the
time acted as Physician in Ordinary to the King at Pillnitz, told me
how, immediately after the Prince’s dismissal, the King travelled
alone by night from Pillnitz to Berlin, probably for the purpose of a
conference with the Emperor or Caprivi.
On Bötticher’s name coming up after the diplomatists, the Prince
placed him even below Caprivi, and concluded as follows: “Moreover,
he is under petticoat government.” Of Marschall he said: “He writes
bad French, even in official documents, speaking for instance in a
recent communication to Italy of ‘_l’empereur et l’empereuse_.’”
_May 4th._--At lunch we were joined by Baroness Merck and a professor
from Giessen, who plied the Prince with all sorts of questions, and
whom we shall here entitle Herr Y. In the course of this inquisition
we ascertained, among other things, that “Dutken Sommer” (in
Hesekiel’s book), whom I had hitherto taken to be a countrywoman,
is in reality of the masculine gender, and the son of the Pastor at
Reinfeld. The Prince said he was blind, and somewhat of a simpleton,
while the Princess described him as musical. Y. hastily jotted
that and other facts down in his pocket book while discussing his
cutlet and omelette. Phelps, Chicago, and the Prince’s opinion of
these “World Fairs” once more. The Chief then spoke of Prince and
Princess Reuss at Vienna, and of the position she took up towards
the notorious rescript. (“The Uriah Letters.”) She said: “My husband
is a (public) servant. I am not.” Somebody brought up Ahlwardt’s
name, and the Prince said: “He too has one merit. He brings a change
into the commonplace tediousness of the Reichstag.” He observed with
regard to the good reception accorded to the Emperor by the Swiss:
“They do nothing gratis. We shall be made to pay for it with a higher
customs duty.” The professor informed us that he was a vegetarian,
and that it was an illness which had converted him. I mentioned the
approaching advent of the editor of the _Kladderadatsch_ and his
friend Jacobsen, praising both of them highly. After a glance at
his pocket book, Y. inquired about the attitude of France in 1866,
mentioning Moustier. The Prince corrected his pronunciation of the
name, and then went on to say: “Once in the course of conversation
he reminded me in a threatening way of Jena. I said to him, ‘If you
talk to me of Jena I will talk to you of Leipzig.’ I might also have
mentioned Waterloo. Moustier then complained to Manteuffel, and
he reported the matter to the King, who, however, said that I had
acted rightly.” Coming in the further course of the conversation to
speak of the policy which was at that time pursued by the Italians,
he said: “La Marmora was a scoundrel, and was paid by France,
but Govone was a respectable man.” He gave his reasons for both
opinions in detail. The Prince then added, having perhaps noticed
the eavesdropping publicist: “I would not have said that to Sybel if
I had had any idea that he would publish it--a remark which applies
to other matters mentioned to other good people, such as my worthy
friend Blum, whose statements are very indiscreet and mostly false.”
At 4 P.M. the professor came to my room, “in order to become better
acquainted with his neighbour”; that is, thought I to myself, to
pump me too for his own purposes, _de omnibus rebus et quibusdam
aliis_, according to all the rules of the art. And so it proved.
He suggested a walk, and I proposed that we should go to the mill
on the Aue. We had not gone a hundred yards before he set to work
as I had anticipated, with a hardihood which was only equalled by
its many-sidedness. Truly a thirst for knowledge of the most naïve
kind, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, although
it was only two hours since he set eyes on me for the first time.
As at lunch, the result was in each instance immediately committed
to his pocket book. What a lingual pumping apparatus that was! Now
here, now there, sounding and boring, screwing and sucking! First
about myself, then as to Bucher, his character as an official and
in social life, &c. The Prince’s turn came next, and after him the
Princess, the sons, the daughter and the grandchildren. What did
I think of Schweninger? How did I like Lange, who, by the way,
also took lunch with us; in short, his inquiries, conducted with a
peculiar thoroughness and charm, extended to everything upstairs and
downstairs, chick and child, _ad infinitum_. I was even expected
to give information respecting Baroness Merck. Had I observed at
table that her eyes looked as if she had been crying, and that she
sobbed a couple of times? And whether I knew or suspected why? In
return he spontaneously revealed his own inner man unasked, and as
a reward for my patience I ascertained a variety of things about
himself, and also obtained some information which appeared to me
to be of importance. He is to write an obituary of the Prince for
the _Kölnische Zeitung_--now? He will publish an account of his
visit to him--where? He had been to see him last year, if I rightly
understood, at Varzin, and had been for a walk with him for nearly
two hours. He is an intimate friend of Aegidi, whom, doubtless as a
congenial soul, he praises to the skies, and who, he says, once gave
him a document from the archives of the Foreign Office for perusal.
He is a vocalist, and intends to sing something to the Princess, &c.
I answered his questions, for the most part with an expression of
regret at my ignorance, and where this was not possible with that
description of truth which is alone expedient in the presence of
embarrassing or dangerous curiosity: _Sanheden ved modification_,
truth with modifications, as the Danes jestingly define lies. I took
an opportunity before dinner to speak to Chrysander about this odd
fish. He was, however, just on the point of fetching him to see the
Prince. I thought to myself that Bucher ought to have postponed his
death for a while. At dinner Y., who again diligently pumped the
Prince for the benefit of his note-book, strongly urged him soon
to pay a visit to South Germany and the Rhine, and held out a very
tempting prospect there. The Chief, however, replied that, like
Parson Primrose, he now preferred the journey from the brown bed into
the blue to all others. “Were I to go, however,” he continued, “I
should prepare a speech once for all and learn it by heart.” He added
an experience of his at the time of the Erfurt Parliament: “There was
one of them there who spoke often and well, and who, on one occasion,
delivered a speech which I heard and liked. On my mentioning it to an
acquaintance, however, he said: ‘Yes, but you should have heard it
last year; it was much finer then!’”
_May 5th._--In the morning a letter from my little Gretchen, with
greetings to the dear Prince and the whole princely family. Y. called
for me again and we took a walk through the wood along the road
leading to Möhnsen. The octopus again applies a new sucker: he wants
to know about the “Memoirs.” Had formerly on one occasion (I believe
he said in 1891) seen the Prince over a pile of folio sheets. Could
these have been the “Memoirs?” I did not know, but doubted it. “I
did not wish to ask him,” observed the good creature. At lunch he
cheerfully proceeded with the work of extracting information from
the Chief. He had evidently turned a deaf ear to the indirect warning
as to “indiscreet friends,” or considered that full-blown professors
formed an exception.
I delivered Gretchen’s greetings, and was instructed to thank her
very kindly. In the afternoon Chrysander came to my room and begged
me to send him from Leipzig my opinion of the professor and the
“intimate friend.” “It is my duty,” he said, “to protect his Serene
Highness against tactlessness.”
After dinner, when the Mercks, who had also been present, had
withdrawn, there was a scene in the coffee room. The indefatigable
Y. once more addressed a series of questions to the Prince, whose
newspaper hour had arrived, but who nevertheless listened to him
politely, until suddenly--I did not notice to what special point
the sucker had been applied, but it must have been an exceptionally
tender spot--he exclaimed angrily: “You should not put such
questions, professor. I cannot imagine how any one can put such
idiotic questions.” Tableau! A thunderbolt! Silence for a moment, and
then the conversation is resumed with the ladies on matters of no
importance, while the Chief studies his paper. On Y. rising to leave,
the Countess makes a sign to me to remain, and I talk for some time
to her and the Princess. On taking leave I kiss the Chief’s hand for
the first time, and doubtless also for the last. He says: “Good-bye,
dear old friend, but come back again soon.”
In the meantime may God protect our dear old master from his new
friends--his business friends! Amen!
INDEX
_INDEX TO PROPER NAMES._
_William I.--Prince Bismarck--Busch, the Author--France--Germany and
smaller German States occur so frequently that they have not been
indexed. The prefixes “von” and “de” have been generally omitted._
A
Aali Pasha, vol. i. 417
Abeken, vol. i. 21, 26, 70, 71, 74, 75, 83, 91, 94, 104, 116 to 118,
157, 171, 211, 226, 229, 252, 296, 323, 337, 342, 344, 358, 377,
386, 388, 389, 404, 405, 409, 412, 415, 416, 419, 421, 425, 427,
428, 447, 453, 456, 458, 486, 488, 490, 515, 519, 533;
vol. ii. 24, 25, 26, 28, 44, 72, 79, 80, 81, 113, 124, 126, 143,
147, 162, 165, 170, 244, 340, 445;
vol. iii. 13, 42, 43, 121, 249
Abel, vol. ii. 432
Abzac, d’, vol. ii. 299, 300
Adalbert, Prince, vol. i. 402, 561;
vol. ii. 226
Adelebsen, vol. ii. 110
Adlerberg, vol. i. 411;
vol. iii. 282, 283, 286
Aegidi, vol. ii. 13, 78, 79, 105, 106, 115, 116, 119, 123, 148, 149,
161, 173, 183, 188, 189, 194, 195, 197, 202, 203, 205, 220, 223,
224, 233, 239 to 241, 247, 250, 252, 254, 256, 257, 281;
vol. iii. 386
AFGHANISTAN, vol. ii. 456;
vol. iii. 119, 121, 124, 133, 135, 150
Aftonblad, vol. ii. 155
_Agence Havas_, vol. i. 43
Ahlwardt, vol. iii. 384
Albedinski, vol. ii. 43
Albedyll, vol. iii. 316, 335
Albert, Prince Consort of England, vol. iii. 43, 45, 177
Albrecht, Archduke, vol. i. 16, 17, 178, 179, 232, 272;
vol. ii. 411
Alençon, Duc d’, vol. i. 365
Alexander II., Emperor. _See_ Russia, Tsar of
Alexander III., Emperor. _See_ Russia, Tsar of
Alexandrine, Princess, vol. ii. 404, 405, 418
_Allgemeine Zeitung_, vol. i. 308;
vol. ii. 172;
vol. iii. 356
Alopaeus, vol. ii. 4, 32
Alphonso, vol. i. 41
Alten, Major v., vol. i. 148, 291, 311, 318, 319, 350, 352
Altvater, vol. i. 442
Alvensleben, Count, vol. i. 106, 107, 195;
vol. ii. 143, 164, 402;
vol. iii. 125, 206, 225, 228, 378
Amelia, Queen of Greece, vol. i. 135
AMERICA, vol. i. 9, 176, 238, 241, 242, 250 to 252, 265, 283, 354, 386,
429, 465, 472, 526, 558;
vol. ii. 46, 76, 205, 378, 383, 386, 397, 450, 473;
vol. iii. 82, 85, 213
Andrae-Roman, vol. iii. 116 to 118, 126, 208
Andrassy, vol. i. 463;
vol. ii. 83, 122, 128, 129, 132, 181, 182, 190, 191, 197, 198,
202, 410, 411, 423;
vol. iii. 143, 257 to 260, 266, 273 to 276, 287, 288, 291, 309
Anethan, d’, vol. ii. 81, 85
Angelis, vol. ii. 212;
vol. iii. 155
Angoulème, Duc d’, vol. i. 36
Antonelli, Cardinal, vol. i. 17, 417;
vol. ii. 103, 204, 212
Aosta, Duke of, vol. i. 313
Apponyi, vol. ii. 181
Arabi Pasha, vol. iii. 52
Archbishop of Reims, vol. i. 167
Arco, vol. iii. 343
Armand le Chevalier, vol. i. 540
Arnim, Harry, vol. i. 136 to 215, 307, 416, 417, 431, 457, 506;
vol. ii. 29, 30, 74, 117, 127, 133, 147, 163, 166, 222, 235, 236,
237, 260 to 266, 279, 286, 332, 476, 477, 478;
vol. iii. 9, 44, 218, 362, 378
Arnim, Boitzenburg, vol. i. 306
Arnim, Heinrich, vol. ii. 25
Arnim, Krochlendorff, vol. i. 402
Ascher, vol. iii. 5
Auber, vol. i. 60
Auersberg, Adolph, vol. iii. 2
Auerswald, vol. ii. 333;
vol. iii. 22
_Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung_, vol. i. 6;
vol. ii. 197, 308, 423
Augustenburger. _See_ Frederick VIII of Schleswig-Holstein
Aumale, Duc d’, vol. ii. 199, 207
Aunay, d’, vol. i. 560
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, vol. i. 21, 24, 30, 31, 32, 41, 136, 174, 179, 180,
207, 220, 257, 270, 278, 279, 288, 299, 310, 329, 334, 335, 339,
341, 351, 363, 366, 373, 374, 382, 410, 431, 432, 434, 452, 544;
vol. ii. 42, 52, 57, 82, 89, 102, 110, 112, 114, 119, 123, 127,
128, 137, 142, 147, 148, 158, 172, 180 to 182, 190, 191, 197, 200,
201, 210, 213, 248, 250, 304, 318, 326, 337, 343, 348, 386, 392,
393, 395, 404 to 406, 408, 409, 411, 412, 431, 479 to 481;
vol. iii. 21 to 26, 43, 44, 52, 62, 76, 79, 81, 83 to 85, 87,
119, 130, 148, 149, 160, 170, 182, 216, 218, 224, 226, 227, 246,
250, 254, 258 to 292, 301, 352, 354
Austria, Emperor of, vol. i. 178;
vol. ii. 85, 113 to 115, 119, 122, 216 to 219, 265, 266, 326,
407, 412;
vol. iii. 87, 216, 219
Archduchess Gisela of, vol. ii. 194
Archduchess Sophia of, vol. ii. 115
_Avenir de Loire et Cher_, vol. ii. 46
B
Bach, vol. ii. 179;
vol. iii. 218
Back, vol. ii. 97
Baden, Grand Duchess of, vol. i. 175;
vol. ii. 273, 274;
vol. iii. 140
Baden, Grand Duke of, vol. i. 292, 305, 403, 501;
vol. ii. 273;
vol. iii. 183, 198, 204, 247, 316, 332, 336, 356
Balan, vol. ii. 27, 73, 80, 124, 175, 216, 224, 245, 251, 252, 256
Bamberger, vol. i. 84, 103, 168, 222, 223, 233, 255, 286, 350, 361,
362, 484, 493;
vol. ii. 86, 87, 187, 206, 385, 388, 436, 453, 454, 458, 473, 484;
vol. iii. 36
Bancroft, vol. ii. 401
Banneville, vol. i. 18
Barjatinsky, vol. iii. 265
Barral, vol. i. 400
Barrot, vol. i. 440
Bastide, vol. ii. 76
Battenberg, Alex., vol. iii. 149, 171 to 174, 180 to 182, 292, 315,
316, 335
Baude, vol. ii. 81
Baudelot, Widow, vol. i. 140, 141
Bauer, vol. ii. 119
Bauer, Caroline, vol. ii. 421
Bauffremont, Duc de, vol. i. 288
Bavaria, King of, vol. i. 178, 246, 256, 319, 323, 348, 357, 359, 400,
431, 463, 464, 465, 523, 561;
vol. ii. 50, 138, 142, 169, 217, 226, 325, 332;
vol. iii. 198, 293, 300, 321, 332
Prince Luitpold of, vol. i. 98, 127, 165, 168, 178, 179, 180, 329,
360, 464, 562;
vol. ii. 126, 194;
vol. iii. 87, 213, 293
Prince Otto of, vol. i. 331, 562;
vol. ii. 126, 143
Prince Charles of, vol. i. 410, 431
Queen of, vol. ii. 296;
vol. iii. 140
Bazaine, Marshal, vol. i. 95, 126, 131, 271, 319;
vol. iii. 303
Beaconsfield, Lord, vol. ii. 423, 430, 456
Beatrice, Princess of England, vol. iii. 174
Beaufort, d’Hautpoule, vol. i. 507, 508
Bebel, vol. ii. 57, 81;
vol. iii. 379
Bechtoldsheim, vol. ii. 190
Beckedorff, vol. i. 422
Becker, vol. iii. 106
Beckmann, vol. ii. 237
Beckx, vol. iii. 67
Belgians, King of the, vol. i. 430;
vol. iii. 138, 178
BELGIUM, vol. i. 60, 63, 142, 176, 177, 295, 430, 501;
vol. ii. 54, 57, 81, 82, 85, 124, 126, 166, 192;
vol. iii. 272
Below, vol. iii. 128
Benda, vol. ii. 473
Benedetti, vol. i. 22, 60, 61 to 63, 193, 288, 544;
vol. ii. 33, 117, 118, 154, 340
Bennigsen, vol. i. 7, 30, 233, 270, 272, 274;
vol. ii. 281, 388, 437, 453;
vol. iii. 28, 30, 31, 34 to 37, 142
Berg, vol. ii. 44
Berghen, vol. i. 485;
vol. iii. 146
Bergmann, vol. iii. 175, 316
Berlichingen, vol. iii. 164
Bernhardi, vol. i. 493
Bernhardt, vol. ii. 304
Bernstorff, Count, vol. i. 135, 198, 203, 213, 319, 342, 345, 386, 417,
428, 443, 455, 458, 469, 489, 509, 512, 517, 554, 559;
vol. ii. 43, 83, 90, 138
Bernus, vol. ii. 52
Bernuth, vol. ii. 457, 461, 473
Beseler, vol. ii. 473
_Besseda_, vol. ii. 214
Beust, vol. i. 17, 18, 20, 30, 175, 176, 179, 188, 253, 277 to 279,
286, 314, 339, 434, 453, 463, 553;
vol. ii. 42, 52, 83 to 85, 88, 117, 120 to 122, 126, 129,
131 to 133, 137, 138;
vol. iii. 170, 171, 186, 187
Beuthner, vol. ii. 164
Beyer, vol. i. 501
Biedermann, vol. ii. 172
Biegeleben, vol. i. 314;
vol. ii. 89
Biron, vol. i. 193;
vol. ii. 256
Bismarck, Princess (Countess Johanna), vol. i. 251, 273, 289, 384, 387,
411;
vol. ii. 32, 205, 221, 246, 281 to 283, 324, 332, 335, 359, 420;
vol. iii. 14, 66, 106, 107, 109, 110, 112, 131, 199, 206, 208,
231, 246, 255, 293, 297, 298, 312, 320, 329, 344, 348, 352, 370,
374, 379, 381 to 384, 386, 388
Bismarck, Herbert, vol. i. 89, 102, 108, 289, 537, 543, 550, 551;
vol. ii. 219, 283, 312, 315, 317, 319, 363, 365, 416, 424, 449,
483;
vol. iii. 5, 10, 13 to 15, 42, 58, 60, 73, 101, 118 to 120, 125,
131, 135, 137, 143, 146, 231, 233, 246, 293, 303, 307, 312 to 314,
333, 337 to 341, 343, 344, 361, 374, 379, 381
William, vol. i. 95, 129, 291, 389, 444, 447, 448, 453, 454;
vol. ii. 281, 282, 381;
vol. iii. 10, 16, 33, 34, 42, 89, 97 to 99, 109, 145, 231, 345
Heinrich, vol. iii. 92
Philip, vol. i. 189
-Bohlen, vol. i. 34, 69, 70, 71, 74, 83, 91, 98, 113, 131, 141, 148,
149, 163, 165, 168, 169, 171, 183, 190, 195, 205, 213, 229, 254,
258, 280, 284, 305 to 307, 314, 318, 321, 322, 330, 349, 351,
354, 358 to 360, 396, 425, 435, 483, 487 to 489, 495, 498, 499,
501, 503, 504, 515, 516, 518, 519, 543;
vol. ii. 27, 123, 162, 372;
vol. iii. 205
Marie. _See_ Rantzau, Countess
Bissinger, vol. i. 387
Bitter, vol. ii. 453
Blankenburg, vol. i. 233, 270, 272, 274;
vol. ii. 261, 317, 318, 328;
vol. iii. 126, 128, 129
Bleibtreu, vol. i. 321
Bleichröder, vol. i. 271, 518, 532, 554;
vol. ii. 317, 318, 432, 454;
vol. iii. 62, 63, 67, 68, 74, 75, 79, 80, 161, 188, 198, 233,
312, 371
Blind, vol. i. 541
Blome, vol. i. 451
Bloomfield (Lady), vol. iii. 94
Blowitz, vol. ii. 394, 395, 441, 442
Blum, vol. iii. 383, 385
Blumenthal, Gen., vol. i. 151, 181, 203, 354, 477;
vol. ii. 337, 345
Bock, Dr., vol. i. 6
Bockh, vol. ii. 19
Bodelschwingh, vol. ii. 462;
vol. iii. 232
_Boersenzeitung_, vol. i. 13, 44;
vol. ii. 375;
vol. iii. 161, 188, 198, 343
BOHEMIA, vol. i. 34, 270;
vol. ii. 112, 114, 120, 122, 147, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 326,
405
Böhmen, vol. iii. 127
Bojanowski, vol. iii. 137
Bölsing, Sec., vol. i. 71, 174, 213, 229;
vol. ii. 12, 164
“Bonbonnière,” vol. ii. 274 to 279, 284, 287, 296
Bonnechose, vol. i. 417, 424, 428, 439;
vol. iii. 213
Borck, vol. i. 135, 303, 483
Borel, vol. ii. 76, 77, 79
Bose, vol. ii. 117
BOSNIA, vol. iii. 277
Bothmer, Gen. v., vol. i. 146, 207, 293
Bötticher, vol. ii. 476;
vol. iii. 93, 151, 210, 214, 298, 314, 341, 356, 367, 368
Bourbaki, vol. i. 383, 447, 482
Bouterweck, vol. ii. 111
Boyen, Gen. v., vol. i. 161, 171
Boyer, Gen., vol. i. 252, 253, 265
Brandenburg, vol. iii. 362
Brandenstein, vol. iii. 358
Brandt, vol. ii. 15;
vol. iii. 9
Brass, vol. i. 16, 17, 33, 55, 213, 308;
vol. ii. 48, 86 to 88, 101, 103, 105, 173, 191, 217, 339
Brater, vol. iii. 195
Bratiano, vol. ii. 129
Brauer, vol. iii. 203, 208
Braun, vol. ii. 52, 127
Bray, vol. i. 23, 190, 220, 221, 233, 360, 410, 428, 431, 523, 534;
vol. ii. 53, 117, 221;
vol. iii. 198
Breintz, v., vol. i. 113
Bright, vol. ii. 435
Brincourt, vol. ii. 43
Bronsart, vol. i. 349
Brühl, Count, vol. i. 169;
vol. ii. 462
Brunnow, vol. i. 418;
vol. ii. 90
Buch, L. v., vol. i. 415
Buchanan, Sir A., vol. i. 343
Bucher, Lothar, vol. i. 4, 16, 18, 34 to 37, 39, 43, 45, 60, 62, 71,
225, 226, 230, 241 to 243, 257, 319, 328, 335, 340, 349, 366, 371,
377, 383, 388, 391, 422, 431, 440, 448, 460, 483, 484, 499, 519,
520, 532, 561;
vol. ii. 12, 13, 15 to 23, 25, 28, 41, 44, 48, 71, 72, 78, 79,
82, 96, 105, 108, 117, 123, 137, 138, 144, 151, 162 to 164, 166,
167, 170, 172 to 176, 183, 191, 193, 199, 202 to 206, 209 to 211,
217, 219, 220, 221, 223, 224, 233 to 235, 239, 241, 245,
251 to 253, 255 to 258, 260, 263 to 266, 272 to 275, 279, 281,
288, 294, 296, 301, 302, 305, 311, 312, 328, 342, 354, 357, 372,
395, 399, 400, 433, 444, 445, 448, 449, 467;
vol. iii. 1, 3 to 6, 9 to 13, 15, 16, 41 to 43, 45 to 48,
60 to 68, 70 to 75, 80, 93, 112 to 116, 118, 119, 121, 123 to 125,
130 to 137, 142 to 146, 154 to 156, 169, 171, 184, 185, 187, 189,
198, 298, 306, 307, 337 to 348, 350 to 355, 357, 359, 372 to 381,
386, 387
Budberg, vol. i. 510
Buhl, vol. iii. 352
BULGARIA, vol. ii. 165;
vol. iii. 148, 149, 171
Bülow, vol. ii. 11, 21, 22, 219, 240, 255, 356, 357, 372, 399, 400,
402, 403, 406, 424, 453, 467;
vol. iii. 4, 18, 262, 264, 266, 285, 289, 296
Bülow of Mecklenburg, vol. ii. 27, 273
Bunsen, George, vol. iii. 46, 138
Bunsen, Josias, vol. ii. 24;
vol. iii. 4, 42 to 46, 53, 110, 178, 225
Bunsen, Theodore, vol. iii. 44, 46, 224
Buol, vol. ii. 318, 334, 339;
vol. iii. 218, 224
Burgomaster of Apolda, vol. i. 138
Burnaki, vol. ii. 57
Burnside, Gen., vol. i. 215, 216, 219, 237, 246, 250, 269
Busch (Under Sec.), vol. ii. 445, 449;
vol. iii. 13, 59, 68, 93, 124, 137, 144, 306
Byglewski, vol. ii. 126
C
Cahn, vol. ii. 68, 69
Calonne, vol. ii. 130, 131
Calvel, vol. i. 507
Cambriel, vol. i. 400
Camphausen, vol. i. 14, 33, 505;
vol. ii. 164, 267, 279, 288, 289, 290, 457, 458, 459, 461, 462;
vol. iii. 239, 362
Canrobert, vol. i. 271
Canstein, Gen., vol. i. 106
Capalti, Cardinal, vol. i. 27
Caprivi, vol. ii. 22;
vol. iii. 214, 318, 345, 352, 384
Carlyle, Thomas, vol. i. 378
Casimir-Perier. _See_ Perier
Castelneau, Gen., vol. i. 153, 161
CENTRAL ASIA, vol. iii. 131
Chamberlain, J., vol. iii. 58
Chambord, Comte de, vol. i. 267, 269, 484;
vol. ii. 74, 81, 90, 162, 207
Chanzy, Gen., vol. i. 383
Charette, vol. i. 295
Chaudordy, vol. i. 278, 392, 393, 395, 399, 467, 468, 469, 518
Chauvin, Gen., vol. i. 292
CHINA, vol. iii. 153, 284
Chrysander, vol. iii. 337, 344, 352, 375, 379 to 383, 387, 388
Cissey, vol. ii. 208
Clam-Martinitz, vol. ii. 121
Clary, vol. ii. 43
Cluseret, vol. ii. 58, 59, 60, 61, 69
Cobden, vol. ii. 18;
vol. iii. 2, 3, 7, 8
Coburg, Duke Ernst of, vol. iii. 178, 184, 186
Coburg, Grand Duke of, vol. i. 143, 146, 147, 238, 259, 280, 293, 294,
296, 397, 403, 428, 486, 564;
vol. ii. 162, 306, 368, 390;
vol. iii. 198, 249 to 252
Cochery, vol. i. 38, 296
Cockerell, vol. i. 454, 455
Coffin, vol. iii. 207
Cogalniceano, vol. ii. 129
_Constitutionnel_, vol. i. 32, 45, 83
Coppet, vol. i. 269
Costenoble, vol. ii. 338
_Courier_, vol. ii. 260
_Courier de la Champagne_, vol. i. 172
Cousa, vol. ii. 129
Cremieux, vol. i. 382, 553
Crimean War, vol. i. 59, 203, 407;
vol. ii. 248;
vol. iii. 132, 179
Crispi, vol. iii. 332
Crown Prince. _See_ German Emperors
Crown Princess. _See_ German Empress
Cumberland, Duke of. _See_ Hanover, King of
Curia. _See_ Pope
Czartoryski, vol. ii. 128, 147, 222, 297
_Czas_, vol. ii. 297
Czechs. _See_ Bohemia
Czernicki, vol. i. 157
D
_Daily News_, vol. i. 285, 308;
vol. iii. 124
_Daily Telegraph_, vol. i. 238, 379, 519;
vol. ii. 418, 433, 446, 448, 449, 476, 477;
vol. iii. 4, 5, 15, 132, 134, 136, 137, 188, 306, 308, 310, 341, 356
Dalwigk, vol. i. 430, 443
Danton, vol. i. 383
Darboy, vol. ii. 145
Darenthall, vol. iii. 145
Darmstadt, Grand Duchess Mathilde of, vol. i. 484
Grand Duke of, vol. ii. 174
Daru, vol. i. 22, 23;
vol. ii. 144, 145
Darwin, vol. iii. 233
Dauphinot, vol. i. 167
Daxenberger, vol. ii. 221
Decker, vol. ii. 244
Deichmann, vol. i. 66, 68
Delacroix, vol. i. 213
Delbrück, vol. i. 14, 171, 233, 246, 256, 257, 267, 276, 284, 287, 289,
292, 302, 307, 325, 339, 383, 390, 391, 415, 430, 450, 451, 494,
507, 512, 523;
vol. ii. 6, 75, 130, 230, 265, 267, 279, 307, 385, 386, 397, 422,
435;
vol. iii. 29 to 31
DENMARK, vol. i. 30, 31, 54, 477, 526;
vol. ii. 214, 215, 343, 389, 392;
vol. iii. 205
Denmark, King of, vol. i. 174;
vol. ii. 69, 329, 337
Derosne, vol. ii. 396
Dessau, Duke of, vol. i. 414
_Deutsche Presse_, vol. ii. 223, 251
_Deutsche Reichszeitung_, vol. ii. 147
_Deutsche Revue_, vol. ii. 467;
vol. iii. 20, 21, 32, 44
_Deutsche Rundschau_, vol. iii. 191 to 193, 196, 199, 203, 204, 212, 214
_Deutsche Zeitung_ (Vienna), vol. ii. 252
Dewitz, vol. i. 388
Dhuleep-Singh, vol. iii. 169
Diest, vol. ii. 284, 304, 317, 318, 453;
vol. iii. 39, 83, 126, 168
Dietze, vol. i. 337;
vol. ii. 294, 322, 382
Dilke, Sir C., vol. iii. 58
Dixon, Hepworth, vol. ii. 214, 215, 216
Doerr, vol. i. 30;
vol. ii. 124, 164
Döllinger, vol. ii. 51, 52;
vol. iii. 214
Dombrowski, vol. ii. 54, 55, 57
Dönhoff, Count, vol. i. 165, 478, 550;
vol. ii. 117
Drei-Kaiser Bund, vol. i. 178;
vol. ii. 393
_Droits de l’Homme_, vol. i. 381
Ducrot, Gen., vol. i. 189, 219, 252, 270, 276, 289, 352, 383, 397,
400, 443
Dufferin, Lord, vol. ii. 391, 395;
vol. iii. 132, 133
Duncker, vol. iii. 239
Dupanloup, Bishop, vol. i. 332;
vol. ii. 276, 382
Duparc, vol. i. 526
Düring, vol. ii. 109
Dürrbach, vol. i. 507, 510, 511
Dusch, vol. ii. 119
Duval, vol. i. 166
Duvernois, vol. i. 417, 455, 512;
vol. ii. 125
_Dzennik Poznanski_, vol. ii. 163
E
Ebers, vol. ii. 110
Eckart, vol. ii. 137, 214, 233;
vol. iii. 62
Edwardes, vol. iii. 216
Egloffstein, vol. ii. 227
EGYPT, vol. iii. 51 to 53, 62, 131, 133, 142
Eichmann, vol. i. 440;
vol. ii. 117
Eisenhart, vol. i. 431;
vol. ii. 51, 142, 143
Engel, vol. i. 142, 148, 149, 182, 274, 287, 389
Engelmann, vol. ii. 251
ENGLAND, vol. i. 24, 42, 54 to 57, 140, 174, 199, 241, 242, 252, 278,
312, 317, 319, 323, 329, 330, 334, 343, 358, 371, 376, 384, 385,
416, 419, 432, 438, 452, 454, 458, 467 to 469, 471 to 474, 477,
481, 499, 500, 526, 538, 550, 552, 554;
vol. ii. 18, 47, 49, 54, 82, 84, 85, 126, 139, 148, 157, 158,
205, 260, 291, 292, 297 to 299, 308, 309, 337, 339, 348, 383, 386,
393, 396, 397, 405, 410, 418, 431, 450, 456;
vol. iii. 5, 45, 51 to 53, 57, 58, 62, 83, 95, 110, 115, 116,
119 to 125, 131 to 136, 140, 142 to 146, 149, 150, 152, 154, 171,
174, 175, 177, 179, 180, 183 to 186, 205, 206, 213, 218, 226, 252,
269, 282, 284, 285, 287, 291, 317, 325 to 327, 352, 353
Queen Victoria, vol. i. 69, 315, 338, 354;
vol. ii. 139, 158, 277, 297, 298, 306, 413;
vol. iii. 53, 95, 140, 169, 171, 174, 178, 180 to 183, 185 to 191,
196, 198, 213, 250, 316, 325, 326
Prince of Wales, vol. ii. 116, 413
Princess of Wales, vol. ii. 116
Princess Beatrice, vol. iii. 174
Erkert, vol. ii. 281, 315, 317
Ernsthausen, vol. i. 458
Esquiros, vol. i. 267, 268
Ester, d’, vol. iii. 21
Esterhazy, vol. i. 363, 364, 544
Eugénie, Empress, vol. i. 33, 36, 45, 135, 169, 204, 283, 417, 428,
490, 535;
vol. ii. 90, 142, 144 to 146, 186, 276, 288, 295
Eulenburg, vol. i. 16, 203, 481;
vol. ii. 228 to 231, 371, 468 to 470;
vol. iii. 30, 35, 234, 321
F
Fabrice, vol. ii. 45, 53, 59, 60, 61, 65, 66, 74, 75, 79, 80, 90, 91,
92, 93;
vol. iii. 107
Faidherbe, vol. i. 383;
vol. ii. 208
Falk, vol. ii. 309, 369, 402, 422, 423
Falkenstein, Vogel v., vol. i. 77, 277, 324, 525;
vol. ii. 186
Fatio, Miss Jenny, vol. ii. 315, 328, 335
Favre, Jules, vol. i. 169, 174, 182, 188, 190, 191 to 193, 196, 197,
204, 208, 211 to 214, 229, 231, 269, 282, 285, 288, 290, 356, 362,
400, 421, 443, 460, 467 to 469, 471 to 473, 477, 483, 484,
486 to 490, 495 to 497, 498, 502, 507 to 509, 511 to 513, 516,
518, 519, 521, 525, 526, 531, 533, 534, 537, 541 to 545, 547, 548,
550, 551, 553, 563;
vol. ii. 56, 57, 61, 63, 65, 68, 71, 73 to 75, 84, 88, 90,
93 to 95, 97 to 99, 208
_Figaro_, vol. i. 326, 560
_Figaro_ (Berlin), vol. ii. 254
Finkenstein, vol. i. 94, 97, 101
FitzJames, Duc de, vol. i. 198 to 200
Fleming, vol. iii. 203
Fleury, vol. ii. 125, 126, 165
Forbes, Archibald, vol. i. 308
Forchhammer, vol. ii. 462
Forckenbeck, vol. i. 7, 505 to 507;
vol. ii. 462, 470;
vol. iii. 30, 56, 138, 163
Forsythe, vol. i. 90, 96, 132
Fourichon, vol. i. 382
Fouriere, vol. i. 118
Franchi, vol. i. 417
Francke, vol. iii. 249
Franco-German War (Declaration), vol. i. 49
Battle of Wörth, vol. i. 65
Gravelotte, vol. i. 85, 102
Beaumont, vol. i. 132, 138
Sedan, vol. i. 141 to 162
Bombardment of Paris, vol. i. 427
Prelim. Treaty Peace, vol. ii. 40
Frankenberg, Count, vol. i. 320, 389, 390
Frankenstein, vol. iii. 312
_Frankfurter Zeitung_, vol. ii. 115, 116, 122;
vol. iii. 184
Frederick VIII. of Schleswig-Holstein, vol. i. 110, 113, 140, 174,
293, 354;
vol. ii. 33, 306, 307, 390;
vol. iii. 205, 213, 257
Frederick the Great, vol. i. 73, 203, 293, 338, 412;
vol. ii., 3
Frederick William III., vol. i., 370;
vol. ii., 261
Frederick William IV., vol. i. 304;
vol. ii. 186, 261, 262, 334;
vol. iii. 44, 210, 215, 225, 310, 314, 324
Frederick, Crown Prince and Emperor; _see_ Germany
Freiberg, Maj., vol. i. 113, 165
_Fremden-Blatt_, vol. ii. 249, 250
Frese, vol. ii. 52, 113, 481
Freycinet, vol. iii. 53
Freydorf, v., vol. i. 9
Freytag, vol. ii. 306;
vol. iii. 65, 195, 205, 238
Friedberg, vol. iii. 173, 256, 297
Friedenthal, vol. i. 7, 233, 270, 272;
vol. ii. 422, 423, 424, 457, 461, 462
Friederich, vol. ii. 141
Friedländer, vol. i. 353
Fries, v., vol. i. 115
Friesen, vol. ii. 117
Fröbel, vol. ii. 123
Fuchs-Nordhof, vol. i. 121
Fürstenstein, vol. i. 217
G
Gablentz, vol. ii. 85;
vol. iii. 87, 88, 115
Gabriac, vol. i. 413;
vol. ii. 70, 127
Gagern, vol. i. 314;
vol. ii. 89, 381;
vol. iii. 224
Galiffet, vol. i. 196
Gambetta, vol. i. 169, 253, 268, 271, 290, 380, 400, 408, 409, 413,
414, 415, 417, 433, 459, 468, 506, 516, 521, 526, 531, 536, 537,
538, 540, 541, 545, 548, 550, 551, 553, 556;
vol. ii. 55, 199, 207, 208, 222, 235, 236, 249, 423, 468;
vol. iii. 11, 12, 32, 53
Gans, vol. ii. 14