"MEANWHILE, the latest news from the Silesian front..."
Quite. Especially since Mitchell was in hot water with his bosses already. For lo, this happened.
1756: Mitchell arrives, makes the treaty with Fritz. The Diplomatic Revolution happens.
British reaction: How ungrateful of MT! (Because England was one of the few not going to war with her in the Austrian War of Succession.) But really, "does the Queen-Empress have anything other than her fair face to provide a reason why she should be a Darling of the British People?" (Quote not from Mitchell but from his pen pal in the British foreign Office.) Can Fritz take her and the French, Mitchell?
Mitchell: Fritz can take them. He's totally cool. I'm so impressed. Also, invading Saxony and drafting the Saxons into his army before they can be used against him? Genius. Wish there was less sacking of Saxon Palaces, that's not so cool, but otherwise: go Fritz!
1758: Look, Fritz is a miracle worker, but there's only so much one man can do. Damn, I wish we'd have Kings and PMs like him in England. How about more subsidies? Also, Fritz says his cousin the Duke of Cumberland, son of G2, sucks as a general.
Uncle G2: What. Pitt the Elder, currently switching with Newcastle as PM: What. Lord Holderness: Mitchell, old buddy, rephrase that or be afraid to be recalled! Mitchell: Naturally I never wanted to imply the only reason why Fritz the Genius might lose this war is lack of British support. I'd never say that. We're all very grateful here for his Majesty's government's generous support for his ally. Pitt the elder: How about I replace you as envoy with Yorke? Fritz: I want to keep Mitchell, Hannover Cousins!
Or, as Mitchell phrases it, in his journal, not in the dispatch, for one obvious reason:
I answered that I should leave his Majesty's presence with regret, but begged in the present circumstances that he would leave all personal considerations out of the question and think only of publick affairs; that wherever I was, and in whatever situation, I should not be less zealously attached to his interest. The King then replyed that he sent for me to concert what was proper to be done, as he found Mr. Yorke was already arrived at Hambourg and upon the road hither; that he was resolved to speak freely to Yorke, and to let me know that he would not be governed by Mr. Pitt. I refused, says he, being governed by Kings, and I will not be governed by him. Do you know, says he, Mr. Pitt's system? It is to humble France without hurting it or doing it any harm. This man, sure, cannot be a great politician. We then went to dinner, and I had no more private conversation.
Apparantly "I didn't listen to my Dad, and you, Pitt, are not my Dad!" did the trick, or Yorke didn't want to spend the 7 Years War on the front, but: Mitchell got to stay and even got promoted to minister-plenipotentiary. But he was suspected of having gone Prussian from that point onwards.
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Re: Saxon envoys
Date: 2020-02-18 10:03 am (UTC)Quite. Especially since Mitchell was in hot water with his bosses already. For lo, this happened.
1756: Mitchell arrives, makes the treaty with Fritz. The Diplomatic Revolution happens.
British reaction: How ungrateful of MT! (Because England was one of the few not going to war with her in the Austrian War of Succession.) But really, "does the Queen-Empress have anything other than her fair face to provide a reason why she should be a Darling of the British People?" (Quote not from Mitchell but from his pen pal in the British foreign Office.) Can Fritz take her and the French, Mitchell?
Mitchell: Fritz can take them. He's totally cool. I'm so impressed. Also, invading Saxony and drafting the Saxons into his army before they can be used against him? Genius. Wish there was less sacking of Saxon Palaces, that's not so cool, but otherwise: go Fritz!
1757: OMG, we're talking total genius here! OMG Roßbach! OMG Leuthen! *sideeyes younger bros*
Fritzmania in England: explodes
1758: Look, Fritz is a miracle worker, but there's only so much one man can do. Damn, I wish we'd have Kings and PMs like him in England. How about more subsidies? Also, Fritz says his cousin the Duke of Cumberland, son of G2, sucks as a general.
Uncle G2: What.
Pitt the Elder, currently switching with Newcastle as PM: What.
Lord Holderness: Mitchell, old buddy, rephrase that or be afraid to be recalled!
Mitchell: Naturally I never wanted to imply the only reason why Fritz the Genius might lose this war is lack of British support. I'd never say that. We're all very grateful here for his Majesty's government's generous support for his ally.
Pitt the elder: How about I replace you as envoy with Yorke?
Fritz: I want to keep Mitchell, Hannover Cousins!
Or, as Mitchell phrases it, in his journal, not in the dispatch, for one obvious reason:
I answered that I should leave his Majesty's presence with regret, but begged in the present circumstances that he would leave all personal considerations out of the question and think only of publick affairs; that wherever I was, and in whatever situation, I should not be less zealously attached to his interest. The King then replyed that he sent for me to concert what was proper to be done, as he found Mr. Yorke was already arrived at Hambourg and upon the road hither; that he was resolved to speak freely to Yorke, and to let me know that he would not be governed by Mr. Pitt.
I refused, says he, being governed by Kings, and I will not be governed by him. Do you know, says he, Mr. Pitt's system? It is to humble France without hurting it or doing it any harm. This man, sure, cannot be a great politician. We then went to dinner, and I had no more private conversation.
Apparantly "I didn't listen to my Dad, and you, Pitt, are not my Dad!" did the trick, or Yorke didn't want to spend the 7 Years War on the front, but: Mitchell got to stay and even got promoted to minister-plenipotentiary. But he was suspected of having gone Prussian from that point onwards.