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III. Disraeli and Palmerston in 1857, or, the Dangers of Explanations in Parliament
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 December 2011
Extract
On 2 December 1854 a treaty was signed between Britain, France and Austria. By this treaty, Britain and France hoped to draw Austria into the Crimean War—Austria, on the contrary, hoped that Russia would be frightened into concessions, and that peace would thus be made without Austrian intervention in the war. There was a powerful pro-Russian party at Vienna; the young Emperor Franz Josef was for a long time unable to make up his mind; and it was only after toilsome negotiations that the tripartite treaty was signed. A decisive factor in Franz Josef's ultimate decision was the Austrian fear of revolutionary intrigue in Italy, backed up by the French. Napoleon III had been the ‘man of order’ since the coup d'état; but this was Only three years ago, and the Austrians feared that Napoleon might not have shed all his Carbonarist leanings. It might therefore be good policy for Austria to risk the growing antagonism of Russia, and enter into treaty engagements with France and Britain, if, in return, France would promise good behaviour in Italy.
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References
1 See Henderson, G. B., ‘The Diplomatic Revolution of 1854’, American Historical Review, October 1937Google Scholar, for details of the tripartite treaty of 2 December 1854.
We are happy to have the opportunity of publishing the present article, signed by the late Professor Temperley and Dr Henderson, and containing in its closing pages some of the last historical writing from Professor Temperley's pen. Both writers contributed to the material and the form of the article; but Dr Henderson provided the information from the Disraeli MSS., and so elucidated certain points that had originally attracted Professor Temperley's attention.
2 Hübner, , [Neuf ans (2 vols. (2nd edn.), 1905-1908)], 1, 283Google Scholar.
3 Walewski told this to Clarendon, 2 Dec. 1854. Clarendon to Cowley, 5 Dec. 1854, no. 1194: F.O. 27/1004A.
4 Hübner, I, 283.
5 State Papers Domestic, France, F.O. 27/1040 contains two copies of this draft, headed: ‘Project of Treaty between Austria and France: commd by C Walewski, Dec. 2: as to joint Military Action.’
6 Clarendon's account of this interview is in his dispatch to Cowley, 5 Dec. 1854, no. 1194: F.O. 27/1004A. Walewski's account is in his dispatch to Drouyn de Lhuys, 2 Dec. 1854: copy enclosed in a private letter from Cowley to Clarendon, 10 Feb. 1857: MSS. Clarendon Papers.
7 Russell to Clarendon, 3 Dec. 1854: ibid.
8 Hübner, I, 290.
9 Sir H. L. Bulwer to Clarendon, 3 Jan. 1855, no. 1, Florence: F.O. 170/69.
10 Buol to Hübner, 4 Jan. 1855, no. 6: Haus-, Hof-, und Staatsarchiv, Vienna: Frankreich ix, Fasc. 50. A similar dispatch went to Colloredo, Austrian minister in London.
11 Monypenny, and Buckle, [Disraeli (2nd edn.)], I, 1457Google Scholar.
12 Eckstaedt, Vitzthum von, St Petersburg and London (2 vols. 1887), II, 39Google Scholar.
13 Earle's appointment at Paris dated from 6 October 1854 (Foreign Office List). Dr Henderson hopes shortly to publish an account of the relations of Earle and Disraeli.
14 Earle to Disraeli: envelope addressed to Mrs Disraeli. MSS. Disraeli Papers, Box XIII. Dr Henderson is indebted to Mr Langley Taylor of Beaconsfield for access to these private papers, and to Mrs Henderson for assistance in locating two bundles of Earle's correspondence.
15 MSS. Disraeli Papers, Box II. The letter is undated, but evidently lies between 23 Jan. and 5 Feb. 1857—the dates of the preceding and succeeding letters. On the envelope is written: ‘No.-I: Immediate: The R. Honble.B. Disraeli, M.P.’ The letter is signed ‘X’ and purports to be a copy made by Earle of a communication from an anonymous person. But evidently X = Earle. Most of the Earle correspondence has no proper address or signature.
16 ‘Heartlessness’ is crossed out, and ‘perfidy’ inserted.
17 Hansard, 3rd Series, CXLIV, IIO.
18 A true word spoken in jest. ‘My information was derived from the only official documents, relating to the transaction, in all of which (they consist of despatches, which passed between Ld. Cowley and Ld. Clarendon) a treaty is spoken of.’ Earle to Disraeli, 28 Feb. 1857: MSS. Disraeli Papers, Box II.
19 Hansard, 3rd Series, CXLIV, 158-64.
20 Ibid., 138.
21 MSS. Disraeli Papers, Box II.
22 Ibid.
23 Palmerston to Clarendon, 9 Feb. 1857: MSS. Clarendon Papers.
24 Clarendon, to Cowley, , 9 Feb. 1857: MSS. Wellesley PapersGoogle Scholar.
25 Cowley, to Clarendon, , 12 Feb. 1857: MSS. Clarendon Papers. And telegraphic dispatch,Google Scholar 12 Feb. 1857: F.O. 27/1190.
26 Cowley, to Clarendon, , 9 Feb. 1857: MSS. Clarendon PapersGoogle Scholar.
27 Cowley to Clarendon, 10 Feb. 1857: ibid.
28 Cowley to Clarendon, 12 Feb. 1857: ibid.
29 Earle, to Disraeli, , 10 Feb. 1857: MSS. Disraeli Papers, Box IIGoogle Scholar.
30 Hansard, 3rd Series, CXLIV, 465-6. Disraeli knew, from Earle's letters, that 'cordial concurrence' was an exaggeration.
31 Cowley's letter of the 9th, based on the misunderstanding with Walewski.
32 Hansard, 3rd Series, CXLIV, 470-2.
33 Palmerston, to Clarendon, , 11 Feb. 1857: MSS. Clarendon PapersGoogle Scholar.
34 Cipher telegraphic dispatch, Clarendon, to Cowley, , 11 Feb. 1857Google Scholar: F.O. 27/1173.
35 F.O. 27/1190. See also Cowley's private letter to Clarendon, 12 Feb. 1857: MSS. Clarendon Papers. ‘I hope that Lord P. explained that the mistake was mine.’
36 Hansard, 3rd Series, CXLIV, 535.
37 Ibid., 536-9.
38 The Press, vol. V, no. 198, 14 Feb. 1857Google Scholar.
39 The Greville Memoirs (8 vols. 1896), VIII, 86–7Google Scholar.
40 Clarendon to Cowley, 12 Feb. 1857: MSS. Wellesley Papers.
41 Monypenny and Buckle, I, 1466.
42 Ibid., 1, 1468.
43 House of Lords, 26 Feb. 1857, Ayes 146, Noes no. Government victory (Hansard, 3rd Series, CXLIV, 1385). House of Commons, 3 March 1857, Ayes 263, Noes 247. Government defeat (Hansard, 3rd Series, CXLIV, 1846).
44 Temperley, Harold, England and the Near East, The Crimea (1936), 270, 278Google Scholar.
45 Stanley to Loftus, 25 June 1867, no. 200: F.O. 64/615. Endorsed as ‘seen by Lord Derby and the Queen’.