Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T07:21:19.143Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Bismarck and England in the Earlier period of his Career

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2009

V. Valentin
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Queen Victoria wrote in a famous letter to her grandson William II, on June 12th 1899: “I never personally attacked or complained of Prince Bismarck, though I knew well what a bitter enemy he was to England and all the harm he did.” Why did Queen Victoria call Bismarck “a bitter enemy to England”? Obviously her remark was meant in a purely political sense. It was well known, as well to Queen Victoria as to anyone else in that period, that Prince Bismarck had a strong personal liking for England. He had known English and indeed had spoken the language well as a youth, not as well as he spoke French later on, but we have it from reliable witnesses that he was quite able to express himself fluently. There were times when he would hesitate, and instead of the ordinary word would find a most original and telling phrase. Lord Goschen, too, has borne witness to “his racy style of speech.” Until he reached old age Bismarck displayed an astonishing intimacy with Shakespeare and was very fond of Walter Scott.

Type
Research Article
Information
Transactions of the Royal Historical Society , Volume 20 , December 1937 , pp. 13 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1937

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

page 13 note 1 Queen Victoria, the Letters, Third Series, vol. III, pp. 381–2;Google Scholar the thesis: Baum, Eva Maria, Bismarcks Urteil über England und die Engländer, München, 1936, is an industrious but rather trivial study, unfortunately spoiled by many elementary mistakes.Google Scholar

page 13 note 2 Bismarck, , Die Gesammelten Werke, IX, p. 353Google Scholar (Urteil des amerikanischen Journalisten Smalley, G. W., 1893).Google Scholar

page 13 note 3 Elliot, A. D., Life of G. J. Goschen, I, p. 211.Google Scholar

page 14 note 1 Bismarck, , Die Gesammelten Werke, VIII, p. 534.Google Scholar

page 14 note 2 Marcks, Erich, Bismarck, I, S. 140. The remarks of Eva Maria Baumon the affair are erroneous.Google Scholar

page 17 note 1 Lord Bloomfield's dispatch, Berlin, nth March 1854. F.O. Prussia, Public Record Office.

page 18 note 1 SirMalet, A. to the Earl of Clarendon, Frankfurt, 29 03 1854. F.O. Germany. Earl of Clarendon to Sir Alexander Malet, London, 8 April 1854, F.O. Germany, P.R.O.Google Scholar

page 19 note 1 Lord Bloomfield to the Earl of Clarendon, 8 April 1854, Berlin, F.O. Germany.

page 20 note 1 Sir Alexander Malet to the Earl of Clarendon, Frankfurt, 29 April, 1854, F.O. Germany.

page 22 note 1 Sir Alexander Malet's dispatches, Frankfurt, 24 Jan. 23 Feb., 2 and 30 March 1855, F.O. Germany; Lord Bloomfield's dispatches, Berlin, 2, 12, 22 March 1855, F.O. Prussia.

page 25 note 1 Lord Bloomfield's dispatches, Berlin, 7 Nov., 12, 17 Nov., 5 Dec. 1857, 14 Jan. 1858, F.O. Prussia; Earl of Clarendon's instructions, London, 2 Dec, 9 Dec. 1857, 6 Jan. 1858, Prussia, F.O.; Mr. Edwardes' dispatch, Frankfurt, 31 Dec. 1857,Google ScholarGermany, F.O.; private letter of Sir Alexander Malet to Bismarck, Frankfurt, 28 Jan. 1858;Google ScholarBismarck's answer, Frankfurt, 31 Jan. 1858.Google ScholarPrinted sources: Preussen am Bundestage, III, 174, f. 189 f, 196, 220;Google Scholarvon Poschinger, H., Bismarck und der Bundestag, p. 283;Google Scholarvon Bismarck, O., Die Gesammelten Werhe, II, pp. 266 ff.Google Scholar; Meyer, A. O., Bismarcks Kampf mit Oesterreich, p. 377,Google Scholar

page 26 note 1 Sir Alexander Malet's dispatch, Frankfurt, 15 Jan. 1859, F.O. Germany.

page 27 note 1 Earl of Malmesbury to Lord Bloomfield, London, 8 June 1859;Google ScholarLord Bloomfield's dispatches, Berlin, II and 30 May 1859,Google ScholarPrussia, F.O.; Die Politische Berichte des Ftirsten Bismarck aus Petersburg und Paris, I, pp. 58, 85, 90;Google ScholarBismarck, , Die Gesammelten Werke, III, p. 40.Google Scholar

page 28 note 1 Lord Bloomfield's dispatch, Berlin, 28 May 1860, F.O. Prussia.Google Scholar

page 29 note 1 Lord A. Loftus' dispatch, Berlin, 15 March, F.O. PrussiaGoogle Scholar; Loftus, Lord A., Diplomatic Reminiscences, First Series, vol. II, p. 230;Google ScholarRinghoffer, K., Im Kampf um Preussens Ehre (Graf A. Bernstorff), p. 505.Google Scholar

page 29 note 2 As Professor Webster suggested in the discussion. Queen Victoria used to identify England with the house of Coburg; Bismarck, indeed, was no friend of the Coburg family and its European influence; cp. many new letters of the Queen in Queen Victoria-ein Frauenleben, ed. Jagow, K., Berlin, 1936.Google Scholar