GRENVILLE'S SECOND OVERTURE TO PRUSSIA. 
51 
GRENVILLE’S SECOND OVERTURE TO PRUSSIA AND HAMMOND’S 
JOURNEY. 
November, 1796, to May, 1797. 
In the episode just narrated the view taken is that up to November 
7, 1796, Pitt was really sincere in the proposals made to France, while 
Grenville was sincere only so long as he saw no hope of any other than 
a peaceful solution, and that with his very first instructions to Malmes¬ 
bury he was planning a renewal by England of a vigorous war policy. 
An additional proof of this purpose on Grenville’s part and of his re¬ 
sumption of authorit}' in foreign affairs is that on November 7, the day 
that his memorial to the Directory was despatched, he reopened with 
Austria the idea of securing Prussian aid.* * * § His plan was, as formerly, 
that Austria should cede the Netherlands to Prussia, and herself take 
Bavaria. In December, 1796, and again in January, 1797, Morris 
wrote of rumors of Prussian willingness to enter into the proposed ex¬ 
changes,! but Thugut’s dislike of a Prussian alliance and his earnest¬ 
ness in maintaining Austrian war preparations led Grenville to set the 
plan aside for the moment. But in February Prussia herself made 
advances to England. These were caused by the suspicion prevalent 
at Berlin that France was offering a separate peace to Austria, involv¬ 
ing the sacrifice of Bavaria in return for the Rhenish frontier. The 
offer had in fact been determined upon by the Directory, and, though 
the terms were not positively known at Berlin, the old Prussian 
jealousy of Austria was aroused .X The overture made to England 
was apparently for an agreement as to the terms of a general peace to 
be imposed on France,§ but the refusal of France to accept such terms 
* Sybel, IV, 327. 
t Morris to Grenville, Dec. 21, 1796, from Vienna, and Jan. 26,1797, from Dresden. 
Dropmore, III, 287, 294. In December Morris urged upon Thugut the necessity 
of securing Prussian aid (Morris, II, 62), and on January 31 he proposed to Gren¬ 
ville that England should offer Hanover to Prussia. Ibid ., 257-264. This last letter 
is not in Dropmore. 
% Sybel states that in the middle of January, 1797, France desired to make peace 
with Austria on these terms : 1, to restore Lombardy to the Emperor ; 2, to give 
Bavaria to Austria in exchange for Belgium ; 3, France to keep the left bank of the 
Rhine. Sybel, IV, 464. Barras details a long discussion by the Directory on Janu¬ 
ary 15 of Clarke’s offer to Austria. The terms of Carnot’s despatch to Clarke 
coincide with the points given in Sybel. Barras, II, 312. The Berlin rumor also 
included a cession of the Netherlands to England. Morris, II, 275. 
§ Grenville wrote to Morton Eden on March 3, 1797, in regard to the proposals of 
Prussia, “ It is very material to observe that the basis of this plan is the scheme 
of peace already offered by the allies.” Dropmore, III, 298. This must mean the 
separation of the Netherlands from France, but coming from Prussia could not have 
involved an exchange for Bavaria. At this same time Prussia was urging France to 
be permitted to propose to Austria and to England the holding of peace conferences. 
France objected to any such suggestion being made to England, and repeatedly 
asserted that French interests demanded a continental, but not a general, peace. 
Berichte von Caillard aus Berlin, Feb. 18 and March 4, 1797 - Bailleu, I, 451-453. 
