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Part I. Russian Despatches

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2009

Abstract

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Type
Despatches Relating to The Third Coalition, 1804–1805
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1904

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References

page 2 note 1 Mr. Foresti was British agent at Corfu to the Government of the Republic of the Seven Islands, Where a considerable Russian force was then established.

page 4 note 1 In the campaign which he undertook in November 1798 against the French in the Roman States.

page 5 note 1 Duroc, Michel (1772–1813), served as aide-de-camp to Bonaparte in Egypt and elsewhere; undertook diplomatic missions to Berlin in 1803, 1804, 1805; he became Marshal of France and Grand-Marshal of the Palace, and had the title of Due de Friuli; was killed in the Silesian campaign of 1813.

page 5 note 2 Rapp, John (1772–1821), served as aide-de-camp to Desaix in Germany and Egypt; distinguished himself at Austerlitz ; became Governor of Danzig in 1807, and stubbornly defended that city in 1813–1814.

page 6 note 1 This important despatch will show that Russia, despite her diplomatic reserve, was pressing Great Britain to accord subsidies for the expected war between Russia and Napoleon, as also to the future allies of Russia.

page 8 note 1 The seizure of the Duo d'Enghien by French troops on March 15,1804; he was shot at Vincennes, March 20.

page 9 note 1 France and Russia mediated jointly in German affairs at the time of the Reichsdeputationshauptsohluss (March 1803), which led to the Secularisations.

page 9 note 2 Russia was admitted as guarantor of the Germanic system by the Treaty of Teschen (1779).

page 11 note 1 1 Stralsund was the chief town of Swedish Pomerania.

page 12 note 1 This refers to news imparted to Sir J. B. Warren by Prince Czartoryski from the despatches lately come from the Russian chargé d'affaires at Paris, M. d'Oubril.

page 13 note 1 By the Senatus Consultum of May 18,1804.

page 13 note 2 Dudley Ryder, first Earl of Harrowby (1762–1847), became Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in 1789, and then held various appointments under Pitt, whose confidence he enjoyed. His control of the Foreign Office in 1804 was ended by an accident. In July 1805 he became Chancellor of the Duohy of Lancaster, and in spite of bad health went on a special mission to Berlin in November of that year. In 1812 he became President of the Council in the Liverpool Ministry.

page 14 note 1 With the exception of that of April 30,1804 [o.s.], printed above, these are, missing. Some of them are, however, printed in the Memoirs of Prince Adam Czartoryski, vol. ii. Chapters ii.–iii.

page 22 note 1 In the former part of this despatch Warren describes a conversation with Prince Czartoryski similar to that set forth in the despatch No. 50.

page 24 note 1 Granville Leveson-Gower, first Earl Granville (1773–1846), was third son of Granville, Marquis of Stafford. He became a Lord of the Treasury in the Pitt Administration. After holding various responsible posts, he received the title of Viscount Granville in 1815. In 1824 he went as British ambassador to Paris, an appointment which he held, with two intervals, till 1841.

page 25 note 1 Before the War of the Second Coalition began Pitt strove to bring about a clear understanding, but this was never reached owing to the strained relations of Austria, first to Great Britain and thereafter to Russia.

page 26 note 1 M. Alopeus was Russian ambassador at Berlin.

page 27 note 1 Swedish ambassador at St. Petersburg.

page 27 note 1 American ambassador at Paris.

page 27 note 1 This refers to the late Cadoudal-Pichegru conspiracy. As to the complicity of some, at least, of the British officials serving under Addington, see The Life of Napoleon I., by Rose, J. H., vol. i. pp. 450452Google Scholar.

page 28 note 1 Place omitted.

page 28 note 2 This is now known as the R. Rion. The town of Poti is near its mouth.

page 29 note 1 In the first part of this despatch Warren described his effort to bring about an Anglo-Russian compact.

page 31 note 1 By the Treaty of Teschen (1779).

page 32 note 1 The Emperor Paul in 1800–1801 offered his mediation to Napoleon on behalf of Naples, and it was accepted.

page 32 note 2 With respect to their intervention in the affairs of Germany (before the Secularisations).

page 32 note 3 For the full text of M. d'Oubril's note of if August, 1804, see Garden, , Traités, vol. viii. pp. 266272Google Scholar.

page 32 note 4 Baron Stedingk.

page 33 note 1 Francis II. had just recognised Napoleon's imperial title; he himself took the title of Hereditary Emperor of Austria on August 10, 1804.

page 35 note 1 ‘Louis XVIII.’ The following despatches will prove that the Emperor Alexander had no intention of pressing for the restoration of this prince to the throne of France.

page 35 note 2 Austrian minister in London.

page 36 note 1 For a criticism of Cobenzl's policy see Wertheimer, E., Geschichte Oesterreichs and Ungarns, vol. i. ch. vii. ad finGoogle Scholar.

page 38 note 1 Swedish ambassador at London.

page 38 note 2 This should be M. de Blacas, the confidential agent of the Comte de Provence (‘Louis XVIII.’).

page 39 note 1 Left blank.

page 40 note 1 The due d'Enghien.

page 40 note 2 The condemnation was by a secret court-martial.

page 40 note 3 M. de Novossiltzoff was really charged with a confidential mission to the British Government, many of the details of which are set forth in the Czartoryski Memoirs, as well as in the chief histories of the period.

page 41 note 1 Lord G. L. Gower was designated as ambassador to succeed Sir J. B. Warren at St. Petersburg. See biographical note on p. 24.

page 42 note 1 The disputes between Russia and Austria in 1799 turned largely on the refusal of the latter to reinstate the King of Sardinia in his mainland possessions, and on the plans of aggrandisement of the House of Habsburg against that kingdom and the Papal Legations. On August 10,1799, Baron Thugut informed the British ambassador at Vienna, Lord Minto, that he considered ‘ the conquest of Piedmont as one made by Austria of an enemy's country.’ [F.O. Austria, vol. 56.’

page 43 note 1 This refers especially to the Novarese, which, as Lord Minto stated, formed the minimum of Austria's demands in 1799.

page 43 note 2 One of the Austrian plans in 1799, as reported on August 3,1799, by Lord Henley (Lord Minto's predecessor), was to transfer the King of Sardinia from Piedmont to part of the Papal States (the Legations). The ‘ further instructions ’ issued by the British Government in June 1799 to Lord Minto bade him not to oppose the acquisition of the Novarese by Austria, and to indemnify the King of Sardinia for this loss by giving him access to the sea. Genoa was meant. [F.O. Austria, vols. 55 and 56.] The ‘ German indemnities ’ previously referred to in the despatch were the Breisgau allotted to the dispossessed Duke of Modena by the Treaty of Campo Formio (Oct. 17, 1797).

page 44 note 1 These were scattered districts on the coast of Tuscany, and included also part of Elba.

page 44 note 2 At the close of the year 1798 Russia made a treaty with the kingdom of Naples, granting it her protection. This led the Queen of Naples in 1801 to beg the intercession of the Czar Paul to avert the conquest of the kingdom by France. Napoleon yielded to his intercession on her behalf.

page 45 note 1 This was one of the terms on which Napoleon insisted with the Neapolitan Government in 1801.

page 48 note 1 British minister at Constantinople.

page 49 note 1 British minister at Stockholm.

page 50 note 1 Count Goltz was Prussian minister at St. Petersburg.

page 51 note 1 Prince Czartoryski.

page 56 note 1 General Bernadotte commanded the French forces then occupying Hanover. Born in 1764 at Pau, the son of a notary of that town, he distinguished himself as a soldier in the revolutionary wars; gained the title Prince de Ponte Corvo in 1806; in 1810 was chosen by the Swedish Government to be Crown Prince of Sweden ; ascended the throne as Charles John XIV.; died 1844.

page 58 note 1 Jackson, Francis James (1770–1814), was British minister at Berlin in 1802–1806, except for intervals when his younger brother George was in charge.

page 58 note 2 Russian minister at the Prussian Court.

page 60 note 1 Nevertheless the negotiations between Russia and Austria led to the secret convention of November 6, 1804 [o.s.], whereby the two Powers agreed to take steps to guard against further French encroachments in Europe, especially against Turkey and Naples, and to place in the field armies of not less than 115,000 and 235,000 men respectively for that purpose, if either of them should be attacked by France. For the text see Thiers, bk. 21. For Austrian policy at this time see Wertheimer, op. cit., vol. i. ch. vii. ad fin.

page 65 note 1 Neapolitan minister at the Russian Court.

page 66 note 1 See note on p. 60.

page 67 note 1 Overtures for an alliance with England were made by Gustavus IV. in the autumn of 1803, when he was travelling in Germany. They were continued in the spring and summer of 1804. A secret convention for the grant of a subsidy was signed at Stockholm on December 3, 1804 ; by it Great Britain agreed to pay to Sweden the sum of 60,000l. for her armaments, while Sweden covenanted to help the raising of a corps of Hanoverian troops for Great Britain in Swedish Pomerania and to admit British wares on easy terms. (Garden's, Traités, vol. ix. p. 383Google Scholar).

page 67 note 2 The outrage took place in the Circle of Lower Saxony, of which the King of Prussia was Protector. For the protest sent by the King of Prussia to Napoleon, see Hardenberg's Denkwürdigkeiten, vol. ii. pp. 94 et seq.

page 68 note 1 Karl August, Baron von Hardenberg (1750–1822), held the portfolio for Foreign Affairs at the Prussian Court in 1804–5, but thereafter was chiefly in retirement until 1810, when he became Chancellor of State. He received the title pi Prince in 1814.

page 70 note 1 For the work of this man in helping the Archduke Charles to reform the Austrian War Department, see the Paget Papers, vol. ii. pp. 163–167; also Wertheimer, op. cit., vol. i. chs. ix. and xi.

page 70 note 2 For the Archduke Charles's hostility to war, see the Paget Papers, vol. ii. pp. 167, 179.

page 71 note 1 Four Spanish frigates bringing treasure from the Spanish colonies were stopped by a British squadron on October 5, 1804. In the ensuing fight one blew up; the others were taken to England. For the reasons of this action see Mahan's Influence of Sea Power upon the French Revolution and Empire, vol. ii. pp. 133–139.

page 74 note 1 Marquis Camden (1759–1840), Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1794.

page 75 note 1 Lucchesini, Girolamo, Marquis of (1752–1825), statesman and diplomatist; at that time Prussian ambassador at Paris. For his despatches see Baillen's Preussen und Frankreich, vols. i., ii.

page 75 note 2 This refers to the claims as to the liberty of action of British ambassadors put forth in Lord Hawkesbury's circular note of April 30, 1804, for which see the Annual Register for 1804, pp. 215–217.

page 79 note 1 Generally spelt Lasci. He was an Irishman named Lacey, and afterwards commanded the Russian troops in South Italy.

page 80 note 1 For details as to this proposal see the Denkwürdigkeiten of Hardenberg, vol. ii., at the close of his recital of the year 1804 ; also Diaries of Sir G. Jackson, vol. i p. 251.

page 81 note 1 This statement and others on this topic bear upon the question whether Czartoryski was seeking, as a Polish patriot, for the dismemberment of Prussia. As to this see the Czartoryski Memoirs, vol. ii. pp. 96100Google Scholar, and Oneken, , Das, Zeitalter des Kaiserreichs und der Befreiungskriege, vol. iiGoogle Scholar. ad fin.

page 84 note 1 This may explain the paucity of Paget' papers at the close of 1804. (Paget Papers, vol. ii. pp. 154–156.)

page 86 note 1 The tenour of the secret convention of November 6, 1804, between Russia and Austria is said to have been known to Pitt and Harrowby, but to no other British official.

page 86 note 2 This is somewhat exaggerated. The French Government had heard of the secret Anglo-Swedish convention of December 3, 1804, and sent a highly coloured version of it to Berlin through M. Laforest. The Prussian Court thereupon protested strongly to the Swedish Court. (Hardenberg's, Denkwürdigkeiten, vol. ii. pp. 119121.Google Scholar)

page 87 note 1 Owing to an accident that befel Lord Harrowby at the close of the year 1804, he was succeeded at the Foreign Office by Lord Mulgrave on January 11, 1805. Lord Mulgrave (1755–1831) had distinguished himself at Toulon in 1793 and thereafter in his parliamentary career. He held the portfolio for Foreign Affairs up to February 7, 1806, and later on became First Lord of the Admiralty.

page 91 note 1 Compare this draft with the treaty of April 11,1805, printed in the Appendix.

page 92 note 1 It would be of interest (if space permitted) to compare this draft of a treaty with the proposals set forth in writing by the British Government to M. Novossiltzoff on January 19, 1805; they are published, though not in full, by Garden, (Traités, vol. ix. pp. 317323Google Scholar) and by Alison (vol. vi. App. i.). The Russian envoy reported to his Government that ‘ the opinions of the British Ministry entirely coincide with the intentions of his Majesty the Emperor ’ (Czartoryski, Memoirs, vol. ii. eh. vii.)—a statement which demolishes Thiers's attempt to draw a distinction between the spirit of Russian and of British policy.

page 93 note 1 See the letter in Napoleon's Correspondence for January 2, 1805.

page 96 note 1 Then on a mission to the British Government.

page 97 note 1 This was in part due to Lord Harrowby's accident and resignation, of which Lord G. L. Gower was still unaware.

page 97 note 2 A secret Russo-Swedish convention had been signed on January 14, 1805, by which they agreed to unite ‘ to maintain the equilibrium between the Powers of Europe and to guarantee the independence of Germany.’ Russia also agreed to send troops, under certain conditions, into Germany, to be under the command of the King of Sweden. (Garden, , Traités, vol. ix. p. 305Google Scholar.)

page 98 note 1 British ambassador at the Swedish Court.

page 98 note 2 This statement of Laforest (French minister at Berlin) was a distorted version of the secret Anglo-Swedish convention of December 3, 1804, referred to above.

page 103 note 1 General Winzingerode was an accomplished officer on the general staff of the Russian army, who afterwards achieved distinction in the campaigns of 1813–1814. For Metternich's despatches describing his mission, see Metternich's Memoirs, vol. ii. pp. 46 et seq. (Engl. edit.).

page 104 note 1 This was covenanted in the secret Russo-Swedish convention of January 14 1805.

page 105 note 1 Brother of the Austrian chancellor, and ambassador at Paris.

page 107 note 1 Emmanuel Godoy (1767–1851), chief minister of Spain in the years 1792–1808.

page 109 note 1 In its earlier negotiations with Russia the Austrian Government gave her to understand that it expected from England 2,000,000l. for the preliminary preparations and 4,000,000l. a year. Russia promised to use her good offices to obtain this from Great Britain. (Czartoryski's, Memoirs, vol. ii. ch. vi.Google Scholar)

page 119 note 1 The words ‘ have been’ are written above the words ' may be.

page 122 note 1 The annexation of Genoa to Piedmont appears in Czartoryski's draft plan for the reconstruction of Europe, drawn up in 1804. See his Memoirs, vol. ii. ch. v.

page 124 note 1 1 This plan of making Joseph Bonaparte King of Lombardy came to nothing, because he would no renounce his claim to succeed to the throne of Prance.

page 124 note 2 Austria signed two conventions with France at the close of 1802, by which the former gained Eichstadt, Trent, and Brixen, but recognised recent changes made by the French in Italy.

page 125 note 1 The Ionian Islands.

page 126 note 1 See p. 97, n. 2.

page 127 note 1 This refers to the secret Russo-Prussian convention of May 24, 1804 (taking the form of two declarations), providing against any new encroachments of France against the States of North Germany, or any increase of French garrisons there. See the text in Garden's, Traités, vol. ix. p. 385Google Scholar.

page 129 note 1 By this the Prussian Government renounced its claims to Geldern on the left bank of the Rhine. See Häusser, vol. ii. pp. 72–73 (edit, of 1869).

page 129 note 2 The House of Orange was related to that of Hohenzollern, and by the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1803 received Fulda and other smaller domains as a set-off to the loss of its authority and lands in Holland. As the sequel shows, Fulda was to be ceded to Prussia.

page 132 note 1 Nevertheless, as is well known, the Russian Government insisted on the surrender of Malta by Great Britain forming part of the treaty, as sent to London. See Martens, , Traités, vol. xi. pp. 108et seqGoogle Scholar.

page 133 note 1 As to Lord G. L. Gower's firmness, see Czartoryski's and Novossiltzoff's letters of this date to Woronzow at London, in the Archives Woronzoff, vol. xv. p. 292, vol. xviii. p. 458.

page 134 note 1 This is missing.

page 136 note 1 The British proposal on this head was due to the neglect of its allies in the previous wars to keep up their forces to the numbers agreed upon and subsidised. Woronzow, in a letter of January , 1805, to Czartoryski, stated that both the Prussian and Austrian forces were but half of those subsidised by Great Britain. (Czartoryski, , Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 71Google Scholar.)

page 137 note 1 Brother of Count Simon Woronzow (Vorontsoff), the Russian ambassador in England.

page 140 note 1 See Appendix.

page 141 note 1 Russian ambassador at Vienna.

page 144 note 1 For General von Zastrow's mission to the Russian Court, and his instructions, see Hardenberg's Denkwürdigkeiten, vol. ii. pp. 153 et seq.

page 147 note 1 That Count Woronzow was convinced of the necessity of Malta to Great Britain may be seen by his private letters of May 10 and May 18, 1805, to Prince Czartoryski. (Czartoryski, , Memoirs, vol. ii. pp. 74, 75.)Google Scholar

page 149 note 1 See Appendix.

page 153 note 1 M. de la Rochefoucauld was French ambassador at Vienna.

page 155 note 1 See the King of Sweden's letter in the Paget Papers, vol. ii. p. 170.

page 165 note 1 For the details of this demand see Martens, vol. xi. pp. 108 et seq.

page 171 note 1 The important despatch of January 19,1805, from Lord Mulgrave to Count Woronzow, in F. O. Russia, vol. 60.

page 177 note 1 As late as July 20, 1805, Sir A. Paget wrote from Vienna to Lord Mulgrave that nothing would be concluded there by negotiation, and that Russia ought to march 0,000 men into her States. (Paget Papers, vol. ii. p. 188.)

page 181 note 1 See Jackson's Diaries (vol. i. Appendix) for documents on this topic; also Novossiltzoff's letter of the same date to Hardenberg in the Paget Papers. vol. ii. pp. 186–7.

page 183 note 1 For the Czar's irritation on this matter, see Czartoryski's despatch of June 4, 1805 [o.s.], to Woronzow: ‘ Je n'ai jamais vu notre Maître plus mécontenté et plus hors de lui.’ (Archives Woronzow, vol. xv. p. 323.)

page 190 note 1 This miscalculation was the primary cause of the disaster at Ulm.

page 192 note 1 This was doubtless in order to obviate the difficulties under which General Suvoroff laboured in 1799 from Austrian dictation.

page 193 note 1 This article was afterwards omitted, as is stated in Gower's next despatch.

page 194 note 1 1 Printed in the Appendix to this volume.

page 194 note 2 [Query ‘ adaptation.’]

page 196 note 1 That is, by way of reply to Bonaparte's letter of January 2,1805, to King George III. Novossiltzoff's note of , 1805, to Hardenberg is printed in the Woronzow Archives, the Appendix to Sir G. Jackson's Diaries (vol. i.), and in the Paget Papers, vol. ii. p. 186.

page 197 note 1 See Appendix to this volume.

page 202 note 1 This is printed in the Appendix to this volume.