to Valori, the French Minister at Berlin, Frederick expressed his pleasure—his 'consolation'—that he had 'never received the alms of France'.
Illustrations of diplomacy—personal illustrations and illustrations of type—history furnishes in large number and impressive variety, and from many lands and nearly all times, whether we think of the intrigues and discussions preserved and improvised for us by the ancient classical historians, or of the rise of modern diplomacy in the city-states of Italy, or of the successes due to the prudence of Richelieu and the subtlety of Mazarin, or the cool and calculating policy of William III—Ranke's man of true international nature—the brilliance and fragmentary triumph of a Carteret, the cynicism and wit of a Talleyrand.
Successful diplomacy in modern times—diplomacy sustained by political supports in well-considered relation to military equipment, and successful in, at least, its immediate practical purpose—has had no more cogent example than Bismarck; and Bismarck, as he once declared, was no doctrinaire in politics. In 1861 he outlined his programme to Disraeli—at a dinner in London. He expected, he said, to be called upon, in a short time, to undertake the direction of the Prussian Government. His first duty would be to reorganize the army, He would then seize the first really good pretext to declare
war against Austria, to dissolve the German Diet, to overpower the middle and smaller states, and to give to Germany a national unity under the leadership of Prussia. Disraeli remarked, 'Take care of that man; he means what he says'.[1] The programme was carried out to the letter. Do not let your diplomacy outrun your preparations. ‘That was the burden of the charge brought by the elder Pitt against the incompetents at the outset of the Seven Years' War. It is a maxim for all time in the conduct of foreign policy; and for Bismarck, with the plans
- ↑ Loftus, Diplomatic Reminiscences, i. ch, xvi.
