LVI. 1808. June 9. a powerful diversion was now likely to be made in the quarter where the French Emperor least expected it, and where he was most desirous of obtaining solid support. They readily anticipated that England would not be slow in availing herself of this unexpected revolution of fortune in her favour, and would ere long descend in strength upon that theatre of warfare where the sea would prove the best possible base for military operations, and the scanty internal resources of the country would render it impossible to keep the armies of France together for any length of time in sufficient strength for their expulsion. In order to be in a situation to improve any chances which might thus arise in their favour, the cabinet of Vienna no sooner heard of the breaking out of the Spanish contest, than they issued a decree by which a militia, raised by conscription, under the name of the LANDWEHR, was instituted. The general enthusiasm in favour of the monarchy, about, it was hoped, to resume its place among the European powers, soon raised this admirable force from two hundred thousand, the number fixed by the law for its German possessions, to three hundred thousand men. In addition to this, the Hungarian Diet voted twelve thousand recruits for the regular army for the year 1807, and eighty thousand for 1808; besides an insurrec1 Pelet, 37, tion, or levy en masse, of eighty thousand men, of whom 3296, 297. thirty thousand were excellent horsemen. These immense Erz. Johan. military preparations, in addition to a regular standing 1809, 10, army now raised to three hundred and fifty thousand men, were sufficient to demonstrate the existence of some great national project;1* and they were rendered still more formidable by the activity which prevailed in completing 38. Hard. Feldzug 138, 141. Thiers, X. 60, 61. LVI. 1808. the remounting of the cavalry and artillery, and arming CHAP. the fortresses, both on the frontier and in the interior; as well as the enthusiastic feelings which this universal sound of military preparation had awakened in all classes of the monarchy. 4. remonstrances against July 24. Napoleon was no sooner informed of these serious military changes, than he addressed the most pressing Napoleon's remonstrances to the Imperial cabinet; and, in the midst of the increasing intricacy of the Peninsular affairs, and these meaall the whirl of a rapid journey from Bayonne, by Bor- u deaux, to Paris, repeatedly demanded a categorical explanation of armaments so well calculated to disturb the peace of Europe. At the same time he addressed a circular to the princes of the Confederation of the Rhine, Aug. 15. in which he called on them "to make ready their contingents, and prevent a war without a pretext, as without an object, by showing to Austria that they were prepared for it." No sooner had he arrived in his capital than he addressed a public remonstrance on the same subject to Metternich the Austrian ambassador, in presence of all the diplomatists of Europe.* The Imperial government *"Je le répète: vous êtes entraînés, et malgré vous. La fermentation de votre peuple imprudemment excité, et les intrigues des partisans des Anglais, et des quelques membres de l'ordre équestre, qui ont porté chez vous l'amertume de leurs regrets, vous mèneront à la guerre. L'Empereur de la Russie peut-être l'empêchera; mais si ce n'est qu'à son intervention que l'Europe doit la continuation de la paix, ni l'Europe, ni moi, ne vous aurons obligation. En attendant qu'arrivera-t-il ? Vous avez levé 400,000 hommes; je vais en lever 200,000. La Confédération, qui avait renvoyé ses troupes, va les réunir, et faire des levées. L'Allemagne, qui commençait à respirer après tant de guerres ruineuses, va voir de nouveau rouvrir toutes ses blessures. A suivre votre exemple, il faudra armer jusqu'aux femmes. Dans un tel état des choses, lorsque tous les ressorts seront tendus, la guerre deviendra désirable pour amener un dénouement. C'est ainsi que dans le monde physique, l'état de souffrance où est la nature à l'approche d'un orage, fait désirer que l'orage crève, pour détendre les fibres crispées, et rendre au ciel et à la terre une douce sérénité. Un mal vif, mais court, vaut mieux qu'une souffrance prolongée. Cependant, toutes les espérances de la paix maritime s'évanouissent; les mesures fortes, prises pour l'obtenir, demeurent sans effet. Les Anglais sourient à la Prusse du désordre ranimée de nouveau sur le Continent, et se reposent sur elle de la défense de leurs intérêts. Voilà les maux que vous avez produits, et, je le crois, sans en avoir l'intention : mais si vos dispositions sont aussi pacifiques que vous le dites, il faut vous prononcer." -Paroles de NAPOLÉON à METTERNICH, 15th August 1808; BIGnon, vii. 340, 341. LVI. 1808. CHAP. made loud professions of pacific intentions, but did not for an hour discontinue their military preparations. Napoleon was not deceived: the coincidence of these formidable armaments with the insurrection in Spain, and the disasters of Vimeira and Baylen, was too evident to escape the most ordinary sagacity: but he dissembled his resentment, and contented himself with ordering the princes 1 Pelet,i.39, of the Confederation to keep their contingents together, x. 295, 296. and strengthening to the utmost the armies in Germany, 260. so as to replace the veterans who were withdrawn in such numbers for the war in the Peninsula.1 40. Hard. Thiers, ix. 5. pacific pro Austria at Erfurth. It was in a great measure to overawe Austria that Deceitful Napoleon pressed the Emperor Alexander to meet him at fessions of Erfurth; and he flattered himself, that however tempting the opportunity afforded by the Spanish insurrection might be, the cabinet of Vienna would hesitate before they engaged in hostilities with the two most powerful military states of the Continent. The preparations of Austria being not yet complete, it was deemed advisable to gain time; and in order to accomplish this object, M. de Vincent was despatched to that city with a letter to the Emperors, so full of protestations of amity that Napoleon authorised the princes of the Confederation to dismiss their contingents, with the advice merely to reassemble them as soon as Austria resumed her hostile attitude.* To the Emperor Francis he returned an answer, earnestly counselling moderation and pacific views; 2+ and having thus, as he hoped, dispelled the cloud Oct. 14. 2 Thib. V. 200, 201. Pelet, i. 42, 47. Thiers, ix. 316, 344. "He flattered himself that the Emperor Napoleon had never ceased to be convinced, that if false insinuations, in regard to the organic changes which he had deemed it necessary to introduce into his monarchy, had for a moment thrown doubts on the continuance of his amicable relations, the explanations which Count Metternich had made on that subject had entirely dissipated them. The Baron Vincent was charged to confirm them, and to afford every explanation that could be desired."-FRANCIS to NAPOLEON, 21st Sept. 1808; SCHOELL, ix. 218. "He could assure his Imperial Majesty that he was seriously afraid he should see hostilities renewed; the war faction had pushed Austria to the most violent measures, and threatened misfortunes even greater than the preceding If, however, the measures of the Emperor Francis were such as to ones. LVI. 1808. 6. of the pre Austria in in Spain and return to Paris. which threatened to burst in the east of Germany, or at CHAP. least delayed its bursting, he by a formal decree dissolved the Grand Army, and directed a considerable part of the troops composing it, particularly the corps of Soult and Ney, with the Imperial Guards, to Spain, where they achieved the successes which have already been detailed. Notwithstanding the disasters, however, which befel the Spaniards, the cabinet of Vienna was not discouraged. Intelligence During the winter, measures evidently indicating a hostile parations of spirit, were adopted; the harbour of Trieste was opened duces Napoto the English and Spanish flag; large purchases of arms leon to halt were there made by the agents of the Spanish insurgents; articles hostile to Napoleon began to appear in the public journals, which, being all under the control of the police, indicated more or less the disposition of government; and the Austrian ambassador declined to accede to a proposal made at Paris by Count Romanzoff, for the conclusion of a treaty, involving a triple guarantee between the courts of St Petersburg, Vienna, and the Tuileries. Secret amicable relations had been established with Great Britain-the common refuge of all those on the Continent, however hostilely disposed in former times, who found the tyranny of France growing insupportable. But though the cabinet of St James's tendered the offer of their assistance in subsidies, they strongly counselled the Imperial government not to take the irrevocable step, unless the resources of the monarchy were clearly equal to the struggle which awaited them. The animating display so recently made, however, of the vigour of the English administration, indicate confidence, they would inspire it. Truth and simplicity have now become the best politicians; he had communicated to him his apprehensions, in order that they might be instantly dissipated: when he had it in his power to have dismembered the Austrian dominions, he had not done so he was ever ready, on the contrary, to guarantee their integrity. The last levy en masse would have occasioned a war, if he had believed it was raised in concert with Russia. He had just disbanded the camp of the Confederation of the Rhine one hundred thousand of his troops were about to renew their threatening attitude against England. Let your Imperial Majesty, therefore, abstain from all hostile armaments which can give umbrage to the French cabinet, or operate as a diversion in favour of Great Britain."-THIBAUDEAU, vii. 73, 74. LVI. 1808. Dec. 16. CHAP. notwithstanding their prudent advice, was such as eminently to inspire confidence; the spectacle of thirty thousand British soldiers taking the field, in the Peninsular campaigns, was as unusual as it was encouraging, and promised a diversion of a very different kind from those which had terminated in such disaster on the plains of Flanders and the bay of Quiberon. At length there appeared, in the middle of December, a declaration of the King of England, which openly alluded to the hostile preparations of Austria, and assigned the prejudicial effect of Great Britain withdrawing at such a moment from the contest, as a powerful reason for declining the mediation of France and Russia, offered at Erfurth; * and the same courier, who, on the 1st January 1809, brought this im- 1 portant state paper to Napoleon, conveyed also decisive intelligence in regard to the hostile preparations and general movement in the Austrian states. Napoleon immediately halted, as already mentioned, at Astorga; returned with extraordinary expedition to Valladolid, 1 Ante, ch. where he shut himself up for two days with Maret, his minister for foreign affairs; despatched eighty-four messengers in different directions, with orders to concentrate 297, 298. his forces in Germany, and call out the full contingents of the Rhenish confederacy; and returned himself without delay to Paris.1 Jan. 15, 1809. Iv. § 47. Pelet, i. 45, 48. 7. The Austrian cabinet, meanwhile, notwithstanding Division of their hostile preparations, were as yet undecided as to the Austrian the course which they should finally adopt. The extreme cabinet on peril which the monarchy had already undergone in the opinion in the war. wars with Napoleon, as well as the uncertain nature of the diversion which they could expect from so tumultuary "If, among the nations who maintain against France a precarious and doubtful independence, there are any who, at this moment, hesitate between the ruin which will result from a prolonged inaction and the contingent dangers which may arise from a courageous effort to escape from it, the deceitful prospect of a peace between Great Britain and France could not fail to be singularly disastrous. The vain hope of a return of tranquillity might suspend their preparations, or the fear of being abandoned to their own resources shake their resolution."-16th Dec. 1808, King's Speech, Parl. Deb. |