40 3 THE POPE COERCED. 2 [CHAP. LIX. with Naples, for which he calculated that a reinforcement of 21,000 men would be necessary. By the treaty signed at Paris, October 10th, Ferdinand agreed to be neutral, and to shut his ports against all vessels of war belonging to belligerents, that should exceed the number of four. Bonaparte now also despatched Augereau's division to invade the States of the Church. The Bolognese had sent a deputation to him at Milan, to solicit his aid in relieving them from the yoke of Rome, and restoring them to that liberty which they had acquired at the period of the Lombard League. The French entered Bologna June 19th. Bonaparte, who was accompanied by the regicide Salicetti, the Commissary of the French Government, published a manifesto on the 20th, declaring that the relations which had subsisted between Bologna and the Court of Rome since 1513, were at an end, and the Sovereign Power restored to the Bolognese Senate; the Senators were to swear fidelity to the French Republic, and to exercise their authority in dependence upon it. This oath they accordingly took to Bonaparte, seated on a sort of throne in the Sala Farnese. But Bonaparte, as usual, imposed a heavy contribution on the city; and the inhabitants found to their surprise that they were treated rather as enemies than allies; a title with which the Generalissimo had honoured the Republic of Bologna. He and Salicetti even laid their hands on the Mont de Piété, excepting only pledges of less value than 200 lire. But first of all, though surrounded by their victorious bands, they took the precaution to disarm the citizens. Urbino, Ferrara, and Ravenna were next successively occupied by the French troops, and were also amerced in contributions. The Pope, now aged and infirm, and alarmed by the progress of the invaders, despatched the Chevalier D'Azara, the Spanish Ambassador at Rome, to mediate for him with Bonaparte and Salicetti. He could not have placed his interests in worse hands. Spain, under the influence of Godoy, was sinking every day more and more into French vassalage. D'Azara delivered, as it were, the Pope and the Holy See bound into the hands of the young and imperious conqueror. It was only on very hard terms that a suspension of arms was granted. Pius VI. engaged to give satisfaction for the murder of Basseville in 1793 (vol. iv. p. 424); to liberate all persons confined for political opinions, to shut his ports against the vessels of Powers at war with France. The legations of Bologna and Ferrara were to 1 See his letter of October 2nd to the Directory, Corr. de Napoléon I. (Paris, 1859), t. ii. p. 32. 2 Martens, t. vi. p. 636. 3 Botta, t. i. p. 444. continue in the occupation of the French troops, who were also to be put in possession of the citadel of Ancona; but Faenza was to be evacuated. The Pope was to deliver 100 pictures, busts, vases, or statues, to be selected by commissaries appointed for that purpose; in which were to be comprised the bronze bust of Junius Brutus, and the marble one of Marcus Brutus; also 500 manuscripts. He was further to pay 15,500,000 livres in money, and 5,500,000 in merchandise, horses, &c., independently of the contributions of the legations; and he was to permit the passage of French troops through his territories. In these negotiations Bonaparte seems to have followed the instructions of the Directory, and to have disapproved, as at all events premature, the harsh treatment to which the Pope was subjected, on account of his vast moral influence, which would be exerted against France.2 1 While these negotiations were going on with the Pope, Bonaparte, in violation of the Treaty of Paris, establishing the neutrality of Tuscany, despatched General Vaubois to take possession of Leghorn. All the English merchandise there was seized. Fortunately, however, the English merchants had obtained information of the approach of the French, and had shipped off the greater part of their goods. Bonaparte himself proceeded into Tuscany, and was entertained by the Grand Duke at Florence with almost royal honours. The rigid Republicans observed that he already betrayed a disposition to familiarize himself with Princes, and to extend his protection to them, as well as to the clergy and nobles. Salicetti, the Commissary of the Directory, by way of tacit reproof of Bonaparte, declined the Grand Duke's invitation. The English, in retaliation for the proceedings at Leghorn, landed 2,000 troops at Porto Ferrajo, the capital of Elba, declaring that they should hold that island till the peace, to prevent its incurring the fate of Leghorn. The neutrality of Genoa was no more respected than that of the other Italian States. From the beginning of the year the French had pressed upon the Genoese a series of demands which they could not grant without incurring the resentment of the allies, and which were constantly refused. Among these demands was a secret loan of five million francs, for the immediate necessities of the French army; but the English Minister at Turin, having received information of it, declared to the Genoese, that if it was granted, their city would be bombarded by the Martens, t. vi. p. 239. * See his letter to the Directory, October 8th, Corr. de Nap. I. t. ii. p. 42. The Directory, in their correspondence with Bonaparte, did not even give the Pope his proper title, but called him the Prince of Rome. Homme d'état, t. iii. p. 482. 42 CAMPAIGN ON THE RHINE. [CHAP. LIX. English fleet, which was then blockading the Riviera. The French, after their victories, renewed their demands in a tone which showed they would take no refusal (June 21st); and the Senate, after long hesitating between the dangers which awaited them from the French armies on one side, and the English fleet on the other, at length decided for the French. A treaty was concluded at Paris, October 9th, 1796, by which the Genoese agreed to close their port against the English, to pay two million francs to the French, and to grant them a loan for a like sum.1 The ill success of General Beaulieu determined the Austrian Cabinet to supersede him by General Wurmser, who was then commanding the Austrian army on the Upper Rhine. At the time of Wurmser's recall the campaign in that quarter was on the point of commencing. The armistice had been terminated by the Austrians giving notice that hostilities were to begin on June 1st. At this time the position of the opposing forces was as follows: Wurmser, with an army of 60,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry, occupied the right bank of the Rhine from Basle to Mannheim, having its right wing extended on the opposite bank to Kaiserslautern, in the Vosges mountains. Another Austrian army, under the Archduke Charles, which, including the contingents of some German Princes and the garrisons of Mentz and Ehrenbreitstein, numbered 70,000 foot and 20,000 horse, was posted lower down the stream, between the rivers Sieg and Lahn. Moreau was opposed to Wurmser with the army of the Rhine, consisting of 70,000 foot, and 6,500 horse, cantoned along the left bank of the Rhine, from Hüningen to Germersheim in Alsace, and thence across the Vosges by Pirmasens to Homburg. Over against the Archduke stood Jourdan with the army of the Sambre and Meuse, 65,000 infantry and 11,000 cavalry. The numerical superiority was therefore at first rather in favour of the Austrians; but was lost the day before hostilities began by the departure of Wurmser for Tyrol with 25,000 men. Wurmser was succeeded by Latour, and the command-in-chief of both armies was assumed by the Archduke Charles. That Prince, now aged twenty-five, was destined to achieve in this campaign a military reputation only short of that of Bonaparte, his youthful competitor on the other side of the Alps. We can give only a brief outline of the somewhat complicated German campaign of 1796.2 The army of the Sambre and Meuse 1 Martens, t. vi. p. 252. 2 The best sources for those who would study it are the Archduke Charles's own work, Grundsätze der Strategie, erläutert took the initiative by crossing the Rhine, Kléber on June 1st, and Jourdan on the 12th, at Neuwied. The Germans in this quarter, under the Prince of Würtemberg, were driven back as far as Wetzlar, but here Jourdan was defeated by the Archduke Charles, June 15th, and compelled to recross the Rhine. Kléber, who covered his retreat, after engaging the Austrians under Kray at Uckerath and Kircheim, also repassed the Rhine. Moreau crossed that river higher up, and seized the fort of Kehl, June 25th. The Archduke, leaving Wartensleben between the Lahn and Sieg with 36,000 men to oppose Jourdan, hastened with the remainder of his army to the aid of Latour, but, being defeated by Moreau in an engagement at Malsch, July 9th, retreated to Pforzheim. Meanwhile Jourdan had again crossed the Rhine, and driven Wartensleben beyond Frankfort. Hence that General continued his retreat by way of Würtzburg to Amberg, with the view of covering the magazines in Bohemia, thus separating himself more and more from the Archduke, and rendering the latter's situation still more difficult. Charles continued his retreat along the right bank of the Neckar pursued by Moreau, and on July 21st, there was some fighting at Cannstadt and Esslingen. At this crisis of the campaign the Archduke was suddenly deserted by some of the Princes of the Empire with their contingents. The Duke of Würtemberg, the Margrave of Baden, and the petty Princes of the Circle of Suabia, on the invasion of their territories by Moreau, separated their forces from the army of the Confederation, and. obtained from the French General, by heavy contributions, a suspension of arms. At the same time the perfidious Cabinet of Berlin took advantage of the dangers and misfortunes of the German Fatherland to push its own interests. The advance of the French, which seemed to threaten both Empire and Emperor with destruction, and which might have been averted had the Prussians acted with loyalty as members of the Confederation, was employed by them to draw closer their connection with France. On August 5th, as the French armies were penetrating into Franconia and Bavaria, two treaties, one patent, the other secret, were signed at Berlin with the French Minister Caillard. The first of these treaties modified the neutral line established by the Treaty of Basle. The new line comprised Lower Saxony and the greater part of durch die Darstellung des Feldzuges von 1796, 3 B. 8vo.; Jourdan, Mém. pour servir à l'hist. de la campagne de 1796; Marshal de St. Cyr-Gouvion, Mém. sur les campagnes des armées du Rhin et de Rhin-et-Moselle, de 1792 jusqu'à la paix de Campo Formio. 4 vols. 8vo. 44 PRUSSIA SACRIFICES GERMANY. [CHAP. LIX. the Circle of Westphalia. The States included in it were to withdraw their contingents from the Imperial army and cease their contributions for the war, and the King of Prussia was to assemble an army of observation to guarantee the line of neutrality. The secret treaty was still more important. By this Frederick William II. agreed not to oppose the cession of the left bank of the Rhine to the French, and that the temporal Princes who might suffer from this arrangement should be indemnified by the secularization of ecclesiastical domains in Germany. To the King of Prussia himself was to be assigned the Bishopric of Münster, with the district of Rechlinghausen by way of compensation for his trans-Rhenane provinces. That part of the Bishopric on the left bank of the Ems was to be united to the Batavian Republic. The House of Hesse was also to be indemnified by secularizations, and the branch of Cassel was to be elevated to the electoral dignity. If, at the future pacification, the re-establishment of the House of Orange in the Stadholderate should be deemed inadmissible, the French Republic was to use its influence to procure for the Prince of Orange the secularized Bishoprics of Würtzburg and Bamberg, also with the electoral dignity. In case the Prince should die without male issue the Bishoprics were to devolve to the House of Brandenburg. The Elector and the other States of Upper Saxony, whose territories were not included in the neutral line, now hastened to accede to the neutrality, by the Treaty of Erlangen, August 13th, under the mediation of Prussia. The line of demarcation was extended so as to include the Bishopric of Fulda, the County of Henneberg, Upper Saxony, and Lusatia, and the Elector undertook to defend it with 20,000 men. The Saxon contingent was now also withdrawn from the Imperial army. The Diet of the Empire, assembled at Ratisbon, trembling for their safety, had also sent to Jourdan to negotiate the neutrality of that place, and informed him that they had urged the Emperor to take measures for a peace. But Jourdan declared that he had no power in the matter, and referred them to the Directory.* Prussia, by making concessions to France for which she was to be indemnified at the expense of the Empire, not only ruined the 1 Garden, Hist. des Traités, t. v. p. 359. 2 This secret treaty was betrayed by the French Foreign Minister himself in his negotiations with Lord Malmesbury in the following October, by way of proof that Prussia did not insist upon the left bank of the Rhine. Menzel, N. Gesch, der Deutschen, B. vi. S. 366. Garden, Hist. des Traités, t. v. p. 360. Politisches Journal, 1796, S. 915; Menzel, B. vi. S. 350. |