CHAPTER XVIIDuring the War—The German Empire is ProclaimedThe blue and white Bavarian and the black and white Prussian banners were waving side by side in the streets when the Crown Prince proceeded on his journey that same evening. The King accompanied him to the railway station; Prince Otto and Prince Luitpold followed him to war.Never before had Ludwig felt himself more beloved by his people, never before had he been regarded with greater respect by the whole of Germany. But the demands which were made at this time on his powers of work, the representative duties which he had not been able to avoid, had over-taxed his strength. His physical sufferings took possession of him to so great a degree that he found it not only impossible to proceed to the seat of war, but also to remain in his capital. The great victories which succeeded one another aroused a feeling of the utmost joy among his people. But he who was not on the field of battle, felt the good tidings as almost a reproach. He was not master of his moods; the public which satisfied him one day displeased and wearied him the next.On the 1st of September he came from Berg to Munich. The day afterwards he called upon a Russian Grand Duchess who was passing through his capital. It was the day of Sedan. The news that the French army had surrendered and that Napoleon was a prisoner reached him the following morning. Everywhere the victory was celebrated, for it was thought to be the precursor of a conclusion of peace. In the towns and villages of Bavaria there were illuminations, flags and banners, music and showers of flowers. Only the ruler of the country did not participate in the general rejoicings. Despite the earnest representations of the Minister of the Royal House and of his equerry, he could not be persuaded to remain in Munich on the 3rd of September. He said to his Minister, “As there is neither a German Empire nor a German Republic, as hitherto there has not been any German Confederation, it is my wish that only Bavarian flags, or better still, no flags at all, shall be hoisted on the Government buildings.”1He returned to his solitude. The procession which the same evening defiled past the Royal Palace greeted the Queen-mother, who was standing at the window, with lively shouts of hurrah. But it pained all parties that the Monarch disdained their homage on this day.No sooner had the Crown Prince of Prussia left Munich than he received a letter from Ludwig in which the latter expressed the wish that “the independence of Bavaria might be respected at the conclusion of peace.” The handwriting was bad, and the lines uneven; but the contents bore witness to the warmth of his patriotism. Friedrich ridiculed this “patriotic” letter. Amiable as the King had been towards the Crown Prince of Prussia during his short visit, the impression received by the guest had not been altogether favourable. In April 1868 he had visited him when on a journey to Italy, and had enjoyed being in his company. Now he was “alarmed at the alteration two years had made.” He noted in his diary that Ludwig gave the impression of being very nervous, that he was less handsome than formerly, and had lost one of his front teeth.The young King knew that comparisons had been made between him and the King of Prussia, who led his army in person. He could not possibly be blind to the fact that this comparison was not to his advantage, hiding himself away as he did, and shunning the love of his people. Good and bad feelings were fighting for the mastery in his soul. He was a faithful and honourable ally. After the victory at Metz he congratulated the King of Prussia as “William the Conqueror,” and he sent the Crown Prince the Order of Max Joseph. But he gave his Ministerscontradictory orders where the negotiations with Prussia were concerned. Although his mother was a Hohenzollern, his personal sympathies were by no means wedded to this house.The thought of a German Empire had arisen. At the headquarters at Versailles the project was discussed, and it was thought that King Wilhelm should be the Emperor. This was the object of both Bismarck’s and the Crown Prince’s labours. With regard to details, however, their views were at complete variance. Friedrich desired a German unified state; he thought of the Emperor as surrounded by responsible ministers. The German Princes would, of course, govern within the limits of their countries, but their power must be considerably curtailed; and those who would not voluntarily make sacrifices for the federated fatherland must be made to do so by force. The Chancellor, on the other hand, was of opinion that the Princes ought to be protected as far as was possible, and that they ought to retain their rights. He greatly desired that the Empire might arise from a free agreement on their side. “If only the South Germans would take the decisive step!” he often said.2The King of Prussia had up to the last moment little desire to accept the Imperial crown.Should it, however, prove to be necessary, he wished that it might take place on the invitation of the King of Bavaria. Ludwig was pressingly invited to come to Versailles. Shortly before this he had, through a fall from his horse, twisted his ankle, with the result that it caused him excessive pain to sit on horseback. Still, for a short time, he considered the question of proceeding thither. Bismarck’s secretary, Busch, tells us in his memoirs that it was thought to summon a congress of Princes on the 11th of October, and that it was hoped that the King of Bavaria would be present. The historical rooms of Versailles were to be placed at his disposal, as it was considered that he would appreciate this mark of attention. “I never thought that I should come to play the part of a major-domo at Trianon,” said Bismarck. “If only the King will come!”But the King did not come.On the 19th of October the Ministers of Würtemberg, Hesse, and Baden went to Versailles. On the 20th the King of Bavaria sent his Ministers Bray, Pranckh, and Lutz to the headquarters.It appeared at first as if the negotiations would be crowned with success; the desire that South Germany should offer King Wilhelm the Imperial crown seemed to be nearing its fulfilment. The leaders of the national party developed a restless energy. Large meetingsof the people accepted resolutions which made for the same end. The press warmly advocated a German Empire. The greatest enthusiasm in favour of the project was shown in Prussia and in Baden; but it spread from land to land.On the 7th of November negotiations took place between the Ministers of Würtemberg, Hesse, and Baden. The Bavarian Minister was not invited to take part in it, no agreement having been come to with Bavaria. This annoyed Ludwig. “Why do they conclude agreements with Würtemberg, Baden, and Hesse and not till later with my Government?” he exclaimed in anger. He was tired of the throne, tired of European politics. His nerves were overstrung, and he demanded that Prince Otto should at once leave the seat of war; he awaited his arrival at Hohenschwangau with impatience. “I look upon my brother as the King,” he said to those about him. “Matters hang on a single thin thread, and then it will be, ‘Le roi Louis II. est mort. Vive le roi Othon I.!’”On the 5th of November the Prince arrived; not without danger had he travelled day and night to fulfil his brother’s wish. The King talked much and excitedly to him of abdicating the throne. Otto dissuaded him from such a step in the most affectionate manner. He asked permission to return to Versailles; but it wasnot until peace was all but concluded that he obtained the Monarch’s consent to this step. Ludwig soon changed his mind with regard to his abdication. “Fancy,” he said shortly afterwards to a gentleman of hisentourage, “Count B. really believes that I am seriously thinking of abdicating.” He enforced the necessity on several influential personages, “of using every effort in order that these rumours should be definitely put a stop to.”3By the 15th of November an agreement had been come to with Baden and Hesse. Accord with Würtemberg seemed likewise near at hand. But suddenly steps were taken from Munich which caused the Government in Stuttgart to assume a waiting position; the Würtembergian delegates received a telegraphic message to the effect “that they were to go hand in hand with their Bavarian colleagues.”4It became known that this later change of front was owing to the intrigues of the Austrian Chancellor, Count von Beust, who was at this time a visitor at Munich, and who had always been the enemy of Prussia.Ludwig made strenuous attempts to preserve the independence of his country, demanding during the negotiations not only independent sovereignty with regard to home affairs, but also that Bavaria should continue to have anindependent army and her own foreign policy. As he would not give way an inch in the matter, the question of the German Empire stood for some time on an exceedingly critical footing.The Crown Prince of Prussia was filled with indignation over the protracted nature of the proceedings, and wished to break down the opposition of Bavaria by force. The wise Bismarck, however, advised a considerate course. “With the Bavarian troops fighting with the Prussians against France, Prussia can hardly coerce their country.” The Grand Duke of Baden had come to the headquarters; he sent one of his confidential friends to Munich to persuade Ludwig to proceed to Versailles. The Bavarian Ministers likewise exerted themselves to induce him to make the journey. “I know well that in many respects it would be advisable for me to make this journey,” said the King. “It need hardly be said that it would also be of political advantage. But I feel myself too suffering. Whether or not I take the journey depends, moreover, on the guarantees which I desire. Without them I will not go! Here the matter rests—it is my will!”“Ludwig is not coming to Versailles, firstly, because he cannot ride just now without discomfort, and, secondly, because he does not like playing second fiddle,” wrote Bismarck’s secretary, Busch, in his journal.No one could deny that he had done Prussiainvaluable service by the rapidity with which he had decided to mobilise his army. He now thought his action entitled him to ask a service in return from this country. One of his wishes was to extend the frontiers of his land. His Ministers inquired whether the Palatinate of Baden, which in olden days had been the territory of the Electors of Bavaria, could be ceded to Bavaria, Baden receiving as indemnity a portion of Alsace-Lorraine. To this Bismarck answered decisively that “Baden was a ‘noli me tangere,’” and that neither King Wilhelm nor the Archduke of Baden would ever agree to it.”On the evening of the 23rd of November he had another meeting with the Bavarian Ministers. An agreement was at last come to. After they had left him, at ten o’clock in the evening, he said in a satisfied tone: “German unity is a completed act, and the ‘Emperor’ likewise. It is an event!... The agreement has its weak points; but as it is, it is more tenable. I consider it to be the most important thing we have accomplished this year. With regard to the ‘Emperor’ I made him more acceptable during the negotiations, as I represented to the Ministers that it must be easier and more convenient for their Kings to allow the German Emperor certain privileges than to allow them to the neighbouring King of Prussia.”Ludwig made a last attempt to maintain his position. Prince Adalbert pressed him to putforward a claim that the Kings of Bavaria and of Prussia should alternately wear the Imperial crown; and Prince Luitpold was pushed forward to make this proposal. Bismarck scouted the idea, remarking: “The King of Bavaria lives in a world of dreams. He is hardly more than a boy who does not know his own mind!” The Prussian statesman, it need hardly be said, was careful not to say this directly to Ludwig. He wrote a long and exceedingly deferential letter to him, in which he emphasised how necessary it was that the Imperial crown should beofferedto the King of Prussia, and that it was for the King of Bavaria to take the first step. If the last-named would not make the proposal, the Princes of the smaller states would do this, and Ludwig in such a case could not avoid following in their footsteps.The descendant of the thousand-year-old House of Wittelsbach, which had counted three emperors among its forefathers, bent before the force of circumstances. He telegraphed to his Minister, Count Bray, that the latter was to inform Bismarck that Count Holnstein would arrive at Versailles within three days, to discuss with him the details of the matter. “Not till then”—he expressed himself—“shall I be able to make a final decision.” Holnstein hurried off. Without losing a moment’s time he sought out Bismarck, and made him acquaintedwith his errand, after which he immediately returned to Hohenschwangau.Ludwig was in bed with a toothache, and would not be disturbed, but the Count knew how to arouse his curiosity in such a manner that he was received in audience all the same. He brought with him two sealed envelopes; the one contained a renewed demand to Ludwig to offer Wilhelm the Imperial crown; the other was the draft, composed by Bismarck, of a communication from the King of Bavaria in which this was done. The application was favourably received. Ludwig at once decided to follow the Prussian statesman’s instructions. With his own hand he wrote the letter which transformed Germany into an empire. Count Holnstein now rode to Munich, in conformity with the King’s command that he should confer with Secretary Eisenhart, whom he found in the Residenz Theater. He presented the aforesaid letter from Ludwig to the King of Prussia, also one to Eisenhart in which his master inquired whether he considered it desirable that another communication, couched in terms more suited to the circumstances, should be sent: in such a case the King gave Eisenhart a free hand to retain his own letter. The secretary sent it on without alteration. Holnstein swung himself up on his horse again and rode off to Versailles. In accordance with Ludwig’s express command, his communicationwas handed to the King of Prussia by Prince Luitpold.“The King of Bavaria has copied Bismarck’s letter word for word,” noted Prince Friedrich in his journal.The delight was great all over Germany. It was known that it was the young King of Bavaria, who had spoken the word at the right moment. Only the initiated were cognisant that he had done it under pressure and after hesitation. Hardly a dinner was given, and no political meeting was held, but the health of “Ludwig the German” was drunk with enthusiasm. The greatest satisfaction prevailed at headquarters. He was no longer now “the boy who did not know his own mind.” Both Bismarck and the King of Prussia expressed themselves in terms of the warmest recognition of the Bavarian Sovereign.The proclamation of the Empire was to take place at Versailles on the 18th of January, 1871. Three days before this date the future emperor summoned the court chaplain to him. He spoke of Ludwig II.’s idealism, and added: “Whatever his abilities may be, he must at any rate be very highly considered.” Bismarck at an entertainment rose to his feet, and made the following speech:—“I drink to the health of his Majesty the King of Bavaria, and to the prosperity of his dynasty, which has extended through a thousand years! I can only repeatthat as long as I have a voice in matters, a step shall never be taken which might wound Bavaria in its rightful position. His Majesty the King will find in me, as long as I live, a servant as attached as if I were still his vassal.”5After the death of Ludwig II. the Chancellor of the German Empire declared: “In 1870 Ludwig was our only influential friend in Germany.”1Louise von Kobell: “König Ludwig II. und Fürst Bismarck im Jahre 1870.”↑2Bismarck’s “Gedanken und Erinnerungen,” v. ii., and “Kaiser Friedrich in Versailles,” (Erinnerungen eines Diplomaten).↑3Louise von Kobell, “König Ludwig II. und Fürst Bismarck im Jahre 1870.”↑4Professor Dr.Otto J. W. Richter, “Kaiser Friedrich III.”↑5The Emperor “Ludwig der Bayrer” enfeoffed in 1323 his son Mark Brandenburg. Brandenburg remained under the sway of the Wittelsbachs until 1373, when Otto V. ceded it to the Emperor Karl IV. Bismarck mentions in his “Gedanken und Erinnerungen” the particular favour shown to his ancestors by the Bavarian dynasty.↑
CHAPTER XVIIDuring the War—The German Empire is ProclaimedThe blue and white Bavarian and the black and white Prussian banners were waving side by side in the streets when the Crown Prince proceeded on his journey that same evening. The King accompanied him to the railway station; Prince Otto and Prince Luitpold followed him to war.Never before had Ludwig felt himself more beloved by his people, never before had he been regarded with greater respect by the whole of Germany. But the demands which were made at this time on his powers of work, the representative duties which he had not been able to avoid, had over-taxed his strength. His physical sufferings took possession of him to so great a degree that he found it not only impossible to proceed to the seat of war, but also to remain in his capital. The great victories which succeeded one another aroused a feeling of the utmost joy among his people. But he who was not on the field of battle, felt the good tidings as almost a reproach. He was not master of his moods; the public which satisfied him one day displeased and wearied him the next.On the 1st of September he came from Berg to Munich. The day afterwards he called upon a Russian Grand Duchess who was passing through his capital. It was the day of Sedan. The news that the French army had surrendered and that Napoleon was a prisoner reached him the following morning. Everywhere the victory was celebrated, for it was thought to be the precursor of a conclusion of peace. In the towns and villages of Bavaria there were illuminations, flags and banners, music and showers of flowers. Only the ruler of the country did not participate in the general rejoicings. Despite the earnest representations of the Minister of the Royal House and of his equerry, he could not be persuaded to remain in Munich on the 3rd of September. He said to his Minister, “As there is neither a German Empire nor a German Republic, as hitherto there has not been any German Confederation, it is my wish that only Bavarian flags, or better still, no flags at all, shall be hoisted on the Government buildings.”1He returned to his solitude. The procession which the same evening defiled past the Royal Palace greeted the Queen-mother, who was standing at the window, with lively shouts of hurrah. But it pained all parties that the Monarch disdained their homage on this day.No sooner had the Crown Prince of Prussia left Munich than he received a letter from Ludwig in which the latter expressed the wish that “the independence of Bavaria might be respected at the conclusion of peace.” The handwriting was bad, and the lines uneven; but the contents bore witness to the warmth of his patriotism. Friedrich ridiculed this “patriotic” letter. Amiable as the King had been towards the Crown Prince of Prussia during his short visit, the impression received by the guest had not been altogether favourable. In April 1868 he had visited him when on a journey to Italy, and had enjoyed being in his company. Now he was “alarmed at the alteration two years had made.” He noted in his diary that Ludwig gave the impression of being very nervous, that he was less handsome than formerly, and had lost one of his front teeth.The young King knew that comparisons had been made between him and the King of Prussia, who led his army in person. He could not possibly be blind to the fact that this comparison was not to his advantage, hiding himself away as he did, and shunning the love of his people. Good and bad feelings were fighting for the mastery in his soul. He was a faithful and honourable ally. After the victory at Metz he congratulated the King of Prussia as “William the Conqueror,” and he sent the Crown Prince the Order of Max Joseph. But he gave his Ministerscontradictory orders where the negotiations with Prussia were concerned. Although his mother was a Hohenzollern, his personal sympathies were by no means wedded to this house.The thought of a German Empire had arisen. At the headquarters at Versailles the project was discussed, and it was thought that King Wilhelm should be the Emperor. This was the object of both Bismarck’s and the Crown Prince’s labours. With regard to details, however, their views were at complete variance. Friedrich desired a German unified state; he thought of the Emperor as surrounded by responsible ministers. The German Princes would, of course, govern within the limits of their countries, but their power must be considerably curtailed; and those who would not voluntarily make sacrifices for the federated fatherland must be made to do so by force. The Chancellor, on the other hand, was of opinion that the Princes ought to be protected as far as was possible, and that they ought to retain their rights. He greatly desired that the Empire might arise from a free agreement on their side. “If only the South Germans would take the decisive step!” he often said.2The King of Prussia had up to the last moment little desire to accept the Imperial crown.Should it, however, prove to be necessary, he wished that it might take place on the invitation of the King of Bavaria. Ludwig was pressingly invited to come to Versailles. Shortly before this he had, through a fall from his horse, twisted his ankle, with the result that it caused him excessive pain to sit on horseback. Still, for a short time, he considered the question of proceeding thither. Bismarck’s secretary, Busch, tells us in his memoirs that it was thought to summon a congress of Princes on the 11th of October, and that it was hoped that the King of Bavaria would be present. The historical rooms of Versailles were to be placed at his disposal, as it was considered that he would appreciate this mark of attention. “I never thought that I should come to play the part of a major-domo at Trianon,” said Bismarck. “If only the King will come!”But the King did not come.On the 19th of October the Ministers of Würtemberg, Hesse, and Baden went to Versailles. On the 20th the King of Bavaria sent his Ministers Bray, Pranckh, and Lutz to the headquarters.It appeared at first as if the negotiations would be crowned with success; the desire that South Germany should offer King Wilhelm the Imperial crown seemed to be nearing its fulfilment. The leaders of the national party developed a restless energy. Large meetingsof the people accepted resolutions which made for the same end. The press warmly advocated a German Empire. The greatest enthusiasm in favour of the project was shown in Prussia and in Baden; but it spread from land to land.On the 7th of November negotiations took place between the Ministers of Würtemberg, Hesse, and Baden. The Bavarian Minister was not invited to take part in it, no agreement having been come to with Bavaria. This annoyed Ludwig. “Why do they conclude agreements with Würtemberg, Baden, and Hesse and not till later with my Government?” he exclaimed in anger. He was tired of the throne, tired of European politics. His nerves were overstrung, and he demanded that Prince Otto should at once leave the seat of war; he awaited his arrival at Hohenschwangau with impatience. “I look upon my brother as the King,” he said to those about him. “Matters hang on a single thin thread, and then it will be, ‘Le roi Louis II. est mort. Vive le roi Othon I.!’”On the 5th of November the Prince arrived; not without danger had he travelled day and night to fulfil his brother’s wish. The King talked much and excitedly to him of abdicating the throne. Otto dissuaded him from such a step in the most affectionate manner. He asked permission to return to Versailles; but it wasnot until peace was all but concluded that he obtained the Monarch’s consent to this step. Ludwig soon changed his mind with regard to his abdication. “Fancy,” he said shortly afterwards to a gentleman of hisentourage, “Count B. really believes that I am seriously thinking of abdicating.” He enforced the necessity on several influential personages, “of using every effort in order that these rumours should be definitely put a stop to.”3By the 15th of November an agreement had been come to with Baden and Hesse. Accord with Würtemberg seemed likewise near at hand. But suddenly steps were taken from Munich which caused the Government in Stuttgart to assume a waiting position; the Würtembergian delegates received a telegraphic message to the effect “that they were to go hand in hand with their Bavarian colleagues.”4It became known that this later change of front was owing to the intrigues of the Austrian Chancellor, Count von Beust, who was at this time a visitor at Munich, and who had always been the enemy of Prussia.Ludwig made strenuous attempts to preserve the independence of his country, demanding during the negotiations not only independent sovereignty with regard to home affairs, but also that Bavaria should continue to have anindependent army and her own foreign policy. As he would not give way an inch in the matter, the question of the German Empire stood for some time on an exceedingly critical footing.The Crown Prince of Prussia was filled with indignation over the protracted nature of the proceedings, and wished to break down the opposition of Bavaria by force. The wise Bismarck, however, advised a considerate course. “With the Bavarian troops fighting with the Prussians against France, Prussia can hardly coerce their country.” The Grand Duke of Baden had come to the headquarters; he sent one of his confidential friends to Munich to persuade Ludwig to proceed to Versailles. The Bavarian Ministers likewise exerted themselves to induce him to make the journey. “I know well that in many respects it would be advisable for me to make this journey,” said the King. “It need hardly be said that it would also be of political advantage. But I feel myself too suffering. Whether or not I take the journey depends, moreover, on the guarantees which I desire. Without them I will not go! Here the matter rests—it is my will!”“Ludwig is not coming to Versailles, firstly, because he cannot ride just now without discomfort, and, secondly, because he does not like playing second fiddle,” wrote Bismarck’s secretary, Busch, in his journal.No one could deny that he had done Prussiainvaluable service by the rapidity with which he had decided to mobilise his army. He now thought his action entitled him to ask a service in return from this country. One of his wishes was to extend the frontiers of his land. His Ministers inquired whether the Palatinate of Baden, which in olden days had been the territory of the Electors of Bavaria, could be ceded to Bavaria, Baden receiving as indemnity a portion of Alsace-Lorraine. To this Bismarck answered decisively that “Baden was a ‘noli me tangere,’” and that neither King Wilhelm nor the Archduke of Baden would ever agree to it.”On the evening of the 23rd of November he had another meeting with the Bavarian Ministers. An agreement was at last come to. After they had left him, at ten o’clock in the evening, he said in a satisfied tone: “German unity is a completed act, and the ‘Emperor’ likewise. It is an event!... The agreement has its weak points; but as it is, it is more tenable. I consider it to be the most important thing we have accomplished this year. With regard to the ‘Emperor’ I made him more acceptable during the negotiations, as I represented to the Ministers that it must be easier and more convenient for their Kings to allow the German Emperor certain privileges than to allow them to the neighbouring King of Prussia.”Ludwig made a last attempt to maintain his position. Prince Adalbert pressed him to putforward a claim that the Kings of Bavaria and of Prussia should alternately wear the Imperial crown; and Prince Luitpold was pushed forward to make this proposal. Bismarck scouted the idea, remarking: “The King of Bavaria lives in a world of dreams. He is hardly more than a boy who does not know his own mind!” The Prussian statesman, it need hardly be said, was careful not to say this directly to Ludwig. He wrote a long and exceedingly deferential letter to him, in which he emphasised how necessary it was that the Imperial crown should beofferedto the King of Prussia, and that it was for the King of Bavaria to take the first step. If the last-named would not make the proposal, the Princes of the smaller states would do this, and Ludwig in such a case could not avoid following in their footsteps.The descendant of the thousand-year-old House of Wittelsbach, which had counted three emperors among its forefathers, bent before the force of circumstances. He telegraphed to his Minister, Count Bray, that the latter was to inform Bismarck that Count Holnstein would arrive at Versailles within three days, to discuss with him the details of the matter. “Not till then”—he expressed himself—“shall I be able to make a final decision.” Holnstein hurried off. Without losing a moment’s time he sought out Bismarck, and made him acquaintedwith his errand, after which he immediately returned to Hohenschwangau.Ludwig was in bed with a toothache, and would not be disturbed, but the Count knew how to arouse his curiosity in such a manner that he was received in audience all the same. He brought with him two sealed envelopes; the one contained a renewed demand to Ludwig to offer Wilhelm the Imperial crown; the other was the draft, composed by Bismarck, of a communication from the King of Bavaria in which this was done. The application was favourably received. Ludwig at once decided to follow the Prussian statesman’s instructions. With his own hand he wrote the letter which transformed Germany into an empire. Count Holnstein now rode to Munich, in conformity with the King’s command that he should confer with Secretary Eisenhart, whom he found in the Residenz Theater. He presented the aforesaid letter from Ludwig to the King of Prussia, also one to Eisenhart in which his master inquired whether he considered it desirable that another communication, couched in terms more suited to the circumstances, should be sent: in such a case the King gave Eisenhart a free hand to retain his own letter. The secretary sent it on without alteration. Holnstein swung himself up on his horse again and rode off to Versailles. In accordance with Ludwig’s express command, his communicationwas handed to the King of Prussia by Prince Luitpold.“The King of Bavaria has copied Bismarck’s letter word for word,” noted Prince Friedrich in his journal.The delight was great all over Germany. It was known that it was the young King of Bavaria, who had spoken the word at the right moment. Only the initiated were cognisant that he had done it under pressure and after hesitation. Hardly a dinner was given, and no political meeting was held, but the health of “Ludwig the German” was drunk with enthusiasm. The greatest satisfaction prevailed at headquarters. He was no longer now “the boy who did not know his own mind.” Both Bismarck and the King of Prussia expressed themselves in terms of the warmest recognition of the Bavarian Sovereign.The proclamation of the Empire was to take place at Versailles on the 18th of January, 1871. Three days before this date the future emperor summoned the court chaplain to him. He spoke of Ludwig II.’s idealism, and added: “Whatever his abilities may be, he must at any rate be very highly considered.” Bismarck at an entertainment rose to his feet, and made the following speech:—“I drink to the health of his Majesty the King of Bavaria, and to the prosperity of his dynasty, which has extended through a thousand years! I can only repeatthat as long as I have a voice in matters, a step shall never be taken which might wound Bavaria in its rightful position. His Majesty the King will find in me, as long as I live, a servant as attached as if I were still his vassal.”5After the death of Ludwig II. the Chancellor of the German Empire declared: “In 1870 Ludwig was our only influential friend in Germany.”1Louise von Kobell: “König Ludwig II. und Fürst Bismarck im Jahre 1870.”↑2Bismarck’s “Gedanken und Erinnerungen,” v. ii., and “Kaiser Friedrich in Versailles,” (Erinnerungen eines Diplomaten).↑3Louise von Kobell, “König Ludwig II. und Fürst Bismarck im Jahre 1870.”↑4Professor Dr.Otto J. W. Richter, “Kaiser Friedrich III.”↑5The Emperor “Ludwig der Bayrer” enfeoffed in 1323 his son Mark Brandenburg. Brandenburg remained under the sway of the Wittelsbachs until 1373, when Otto V. ceded it to the Emperor Karl IV. Bismarck mentions in his “Gedanken und Erinnerungen” the particular favour shown to his ancestors by the Bavarian dynasty.↑
CHAPTER XVIIDuring the War—The German Empire is Proclaimed
The blue and white Bavarian and the black and white Prussian banners were waving side by side in the streets when the Crown Prince proceeded on his journey that same evening. The King accompanied him to the railway station; Prince Otto and Prince Luitpold followed him to war.Never before had Ludwig felt himself more beloved by his people, never before had he been regarded with greater respect by the whole of Germany. But the demands which were made at this time on his powers of work, the representative duties which he had not been able to avoid, had over-taxed his strength. His physical sufferings took possession of him to so great a degree that he found it not only impossible to proceed to the seat of war, but also to remain in his capital. The great victories which succeeded one another aroused a feeling of the utmost joy among his people. But he who was not on the field of battle, felt the good tidings as almost a reproach. He was not master of his moods; the public which satisfied him one day displeased and wearied him the next.On the 1st of September he came from Berg to Munich. The day afterwards he called upon a Russian Grand Duchess who was passing through his capital. It was the day of Sedan. The news that the French army had surrendered and that Napoleon was a prisoner reached him the following morning. Everywhere the victory was celebrated, for it was thought to be the precursor of a conclusion of peace. In the towns and villages of Bavaria there were illuminations, flags and banners, music and showers of flowers. Only the ruler of the country did not participate in the general rejoicings. Despite the earnest representations of the Minister of the Royal House and of his equerry, he could not be persuaded to remain in Munich on the 3rd of September. He said to his Minister, “As there is neither a German Empire nor a German Republic, as hitherto there has not been any German Confederation, it is my wish that only Bavarian flags, or better still, no flags at all, shall be hoisted on the Government buildings.”1He returned to his solitude. The procession which the same evening defiled past the Royal Palace greeted the Queen-mother, who was standing at the window, with lively shouts of hurrah. But it pained all parties that the Monarch disdained their homage on this day.No sooner had the Crown Prince of Prussia left Munich than he received a letter from Ludwig in which the latter expressed the wish that “the independence of Bavaria might be respected at the conclusion of peace.” The handwriting was bad, and the lines uneven; but the contents bore witness to the warmth of his patriotism. Friedrich ridiculed this “patriotic” letter. Amiable as the King had been towards the Crown Prince of Prussia during his short visit, the impression received by the guest had not been altogether favourable. In April 1868 he had visited him when on a journey to Italy, and had enjoyed being in his company. Now he was “alarmed at the alteration two years had made.” He noted in his diary that Ludwig gave the impression of being very nervous, that he was less handsome than formerly, and had lost one of his front teeth.The young King knew that comparisons had been made between him and the King of Prussia, who led his army in person. He could not possibly be blind to the fact that this comparison was not to his advantage, hiding himself away as he did, and shunning the love of his people. Good and bad feelings were fighting for the mastery in his soul. He was a faithful and honourable ally. After the victory at Metz he congratulated the King of Prussia as “William the Conqueror,” and he sent the Crown Prince the Order of Max Joseph. But he gave his Ministerscontradictory orders where the negotiations with Prussia were concerned. Although his mother was a Hohenzollern, his personal sympathies were by no means wedded to this house.The thought of a German Empire had arisen. At the headquarters at Versailles the project was discussed, and it was thought that King Wilhelm should be the Emperor. This was the object of both Bismarck’s and the Crown Prince’s labours. With regard to details, however, their views were at complete variance. Friedrich desired a German unified state; he thought of the Emperor as surrounded by responsible ministers. The German Princes would, of course, govern within the limits of their countries, but their power must be considerably curtailed; and those who would not voluntarily make sacrifices for the federated fatherland must be made to do so by force. The Chancellor, on the other hand, was of opinion that the Princes ought to be protected as far as was possible, and that they ought to retain their rights. He greatly desired that the Empire might arise from a free agreement on their side. “If only the South Germans would take the decisive step!” he often said.2The King of Prussia had up to the last moment little desire to accept the Imperial crown.Should it, however, prove to be necessary, he wished that it might take place on the invitation of the King of Bavaria. Ludwig was pressingly invited to come to Versailles. Shortly before this he had, through a fall from his horse, twisted his ankle, with the result that it caused him excessive pain to sit on horseback. Still, for a short time, he considered the question of proceeding thither. Bismarck’s secretary, Busch, tells us in his memoirs that it was thought to summon a congress of Princes on the 11th of October, and that it was hoped that the King of Bavaria would be present. The historical rooms of Versailles were to be placed at his disposal, as it was considered that he would appreciate this mark of attention. “I never thought that I should come to play the part of a major-domo at Trianon,” said Bismarck. “If only the King will come!”But the King did not come.On the 19th of October the Ministers of Würtemberg, Hesse, and Baden went to Versailles. On the 20th the King of Bavaria sent his Ministers Bray, Pranckh, and Lutz to the headquarters.It appeared at first as if the negotiations would be crowned with success; the desire that South Germany should offer King Wilhelm the Imperial crown seemed to be nearing its fulfilment. The leaders of the national party developed a restless energy. Large meetingsof the people accepted resolutions which made for the same end. The press warmly advocated a German Empire. The greatest enthusiasm in favour of the project was shown in Prussia and in Baden; but it spread from land to land.On the 7th of November negotiations took place between the Ministers of Würtemberg, Hesse, and Baden. The Bavarian Minister was not invited to take part in it, no agreement having been come to with Bavaria. This annoyed Ludwig. “Why do they conclude agreements with Würtemberg, Baden, and Hesse and not till later with my Government?” he exclaimed in anger. He was tired of the throne, tired of European politics. His nerves were overstrung, and he demanded that Prince Otto should at once leave the seat of war; he awaited his arrival at Hohenschwangau with impatience. “I look upon my brother as the King,” he said to those about him. “Matters hang on a single thin thread, and then it will be, ‘Le roi Louis II. est mort. Vive le roi Othon I.!’”On the 5th of November the Prince arrived; not without danger had he travelled day and night to fulfil his brother’s wish. The King talked much and excitedly to him of abdicating the throne. Otto dissuaded him from such a step in the most affectionate manner. He asked permission to return to Versailles; but it wasnot until peace was all but concluded that he obtained the Monarch’s consent to this step. Ludwig soon changed his mind with regard to his abdication. “Fancy,” he said shortly afterwards to a gentleman of hisentourage, “Count B. really believes that I am seriously thinking of abdicating.” He enforced the necessity on several influential personages, “of using every effort in order that these rumours should be definitely put a stop to.”3By the 15th of November an agreement had been come to with Baden and Hesse. Accord with Würtemberg seemed likewise near at hand. But suddenly steps were taken from Munich which caused the Government in Stuttgart to assume a waiting position; the Würtembergian delegates received a telegraphic message to the effect “that they were to go hand in hand with their Bavarian colleagues.”4It became known that this later change of front was owing to the intrigues of the Austrian Chancellor, Count von Beust, who was at this time a visitor at Munich, and who had always been the enemy of Prussia.Ludwig made strenuous attempts to preserve the independence of his country, demanding during the negotiations not only independent sovereignty with regard to home affairs, but also that Bavaria should continue to have anindependent army and her own foreign policy. As he would not give way an inch in the matter, the question of the German Empire stood for some time on an exceedingly critical footing.The Crown Prince of Prussia was filled with indignation over the protracted nature of the proceedings, and wished to break down the opposition of Bavaria by force. The wise Bismarck, however, advised a considerate course. “With the Bavarian troops fighting with the Prussians against France, Prussia can hardly coerce their country.” The Grand Duke of Baden had come to the headquarters; he sent one of his confidential friends to Munich to persuade Ludwig to proceed to Versailles. The Bavarian Ministers likewise exerted themselves to induce him to make the journey. “I know well that in many respects it would be advisable for me to make this journey,” said the King. “It need hardly be said that it would also be of political advantage. But I feel myself too suffering. Whether or not I take the journey depends, moreover, on the guarantees which I desire. Without them I will not go! Here the matter rests—it is my will!”“Ludwig is not coming to Versailles, firstly, because he cannot ride just now without discomfort, and, secondly, because he does not like playing second fiddle,” wrote Bismarck’s secretary, Busch, in his journal.No one could deny that he had done Prussiainvaluable service by the rapidity with which he had decided to mobilise his army. He now thought his action entitled him to ask a service in return from this country. One of his wishes was to extend the frontiers of his land. His Ministers inquired whether the Palatinate of Baden, which in olden days had been the territory of the Electors of Bavaria, could be ceded to Bavaria, Baden receiving as indemnity a portion of Alsace-Lorraine. To this Bismarck answered decisively that “Baden was a ‘noli me tangere,’” and that neither King Wilhelm nor the Archduke of Baden would ever agree to it.”On the evening of the 23rd of November he had another meeting with the Bavarian Ministers. An agreement was at last come to. After they had left him, at ten o’clock in the evening, he said in a satisfied tone: “German unity is a completed act, and the ‘Emperor’ likewise. It is an event!... The agreement has its weak points; but as it is, it is more tenable. I consider it to be the most important thing we have accomplished this year. With regard to the ‘Emperor’ I made him more acceptable during the negotiations, as I represented to the Ministers that it must be easier and more convenient for their Kings to allow the German Emperor certain privileges than to allow them to the neighbouring King of Prussia.”Ludwig made a last attempt to maintain his position. Prince Adalbert pressed him to putforward a claim that the Kings of Bavaria and of Prussia should alternately wear the Imperial crown; and Prince Luitpold was pushed forward to make this proposal. Bismarck scouted the idea, remarking: “The King of Bavaria lives in a world of dreams. He is hardly more than a boy who does not know his own mind!” The Prussian statesman, it need hardly be said, was careful not to say this directly to Ludwig. He wrote a long and exceedingly deferential letter to him, in which he emphasised how necessary it was that the Imperial crown should beofferedto the King of Prussia, and that it was for the King of Bavaria to take the first step. If the last-named would not make the proposal, the Princes of the smaller states would do this, and Ludwig in such a case could not avoid following in their footsteps.The descendant of the thousand-year-old House of Wittelsbach, which had counted three emperors among its forefathers, bent before the force of circumstances. He telegraphed to his Minister, Count Bray, that the latter was to inform Bismarck that Count Holnstein would arrive at Versailles within three days, to discuss with him the details of the matter. “Not till then”—he expressed himself—“shall I be able to make a final decision.” Holnstein hurried off. Without losing a moment’s time he sought out Bismarck, and made him acquaintedwith his errand, after which he immediately returned to Hohenschwangau.Ludwig was in bed with a toothache, and would not be disturbed, but the Count knew how to arouse his curiosity in such a manner that he was received in audience all the same. He brought with him two sealed envelopes; the one contained a renewed demand to Ludwig to offer Wilhelm the Imperial crown; the other was the draft, composed by Bismarck, of a communication from the King of Bavaria in which this was done. The application was favourably received. Ludwig at once decided to follow the Prussian statesman’s instructions. With his own hand he wrote the letter which transformed Germany into an empire. Count Holnstein now rode to Munich, in conformity with the King’s command that he should confer with Secretary Eisenhart, whom he found in the Residenz Theater. He presented the aforesaid letter from Ludwig to the King of Prussia, also one to Eisenhart in which his master inquired whether he considered it desirable that another communication, couched in terms more suited to the circumstances, should be sent: in such a case the King gave Eisenhart a free hand to retain his own letter. The secretary sent it on without alteration. Holnstein swung himself up on his horse again and rode off to Versailles. In accordance with Ludwig’s express command, his communicationwas handed to the King of Prussia by Prince Luitpold.“The King of Bavaria has copied Bismarck’s letter word for word,” noted Prince Friedrich in his journal.The delight was great all over Germany. It was known that it was the young King of Bavaria, who had spoken the word at the right moment. Only the initiated were cognisant that he had done it under pressure and after hesitation. Hardly a dinner was given, and no political meeting was held, but the health of “Ludwig the German” was drunk with enthusiasm. The greatest satisfaction prevailed at headquarters. He was no longer now “the boy who did not know his own mind.” Both Bismarck and the King of Prussia expressed themselves in terms of the warmest recognition of the Bavarian Sovereign.The proclamation of the Empire was to take place at Versailles on the 18th of January, 1871. Three days before this date the future emperor summoned the court chaplain to him. He spoke of Ludwig II.’s idealism, and added: “Whatever his abilities may be, he must at any rate be very highly considered.” Bismarck at an entertainment rose to his feet, and made the following speech:—“I drink to the health of his Majesty the King of Bavaria, and to the prosperity of his dynasty, which has extended through a thousand years! I can only repeatthat as long as I have a voice in matters, a step shall never be taken which might wound Bavaria in its rightful position. His Majesty the King will find in me, as long as I live, a servant as attached as if I were still his vassal.”5After the death of Ludwig II. the Chancellor of the German Empire declared: “In 1870 Ludwig was our only influential friend in Germany.”
The blue and white Bavarian and the black and white Prussian banners were waving side by side in the streets when the Crown Prince proceeded on his journey that same evening. The King accompanied him to the railway station; Prince Otto and Prince Luitpold followed him to war.
Never before had Ludwig felt himself more beloved by his people, never before had he been regarded with greater respect by the whole of Germany. But the demands which were made at this time on his powers of work, the representative duties which he had not been able to avoid, had over-taxed his strength. His physical sufferings took possession of him to so great a degree that he found it not only impossible to proceed to the seat of war, but also to remain in his capital. The great victories which succeeded one another aroused a feeling of the utmost joy among his people. But he who was not on the field of battle, felt the good tidings as almost a reproach. He was not master of his moods; the public which satisfied him one day displeased and wearied him the next.
On the 1st of September he came from Berg to Munich. The day afterwards he called upon a Russian Grand Duchess who was passing through his capital. It was the day of Sedan. The news that the French army had surrendered and that Napoleon was a prisoner reached him the following morning. Everywhere the victory was celebrated, for it was thought to be the precursor of a conclusion of peace. In the towns and villages of Bavaria there were illuminations, flags and banners, music and showers of flowers. Only the ruler of the country did not participate in the general rejoicings. Despite the earnest representations of the Minister of the Royal House and of his equerry, he could not be persuaded to remain in Munich on the 3rd of September. He said to his Minister, “As there is neither a German Empire nor a German Republic, as hitherto there has not been any German Confederation, it is my wish that only Bavarian flags, or better still, no flags at all, shall be hoisted on the Government buildings.”1
He returned to his solitude. The procession which the same evening defiled past the Royal Palace greeted the Queen-mother, who was standing at the window, with lively shouts of hurrah. But it pained all parties that the Monarch disdained their homage on this day.No sooner had the Crown Prince of Prussia left Munich than he received a letter from Ludwig in which the latter expressed the wish that “the independence of Bavaria might be respected at the conclusion of peace.” The handwriting was bad, and the lines uneven; but the contents bore witness to the warmth of his patriotism. Friedrich ridiculed this “patriotic” letter. Amiable as the King had been towards the Crown Prince of Prussia during his short visit, the impression received by the guest had not been altogether favourable. In April 1868 he had visited him when on a journey to Italy, and had enjoyed being in his company. Now he was “alarmed at the alteration two years had made.” He noted in his diary that Ludwig gave the impression of being very nervous, that he was less handsome than formerly, and had lost one of his front teeth.
The young King knew that comparisons had been made between him and the King of Prussia, who led his army in person. He could not possibly be blind to the fact that this comparison was not to his advantage, hiding himself away as he did, and shunning the love of his people. Good and bad feelings were fighting for the mastery in his soul. He was a faithful and honourable ally. After the victory at Metz he congratulated the King of Prussia as “William the Conqueror,” and he sent the Crown Prince the Order of Max Joseph. But he gave his Ministerscontradictory orders where the negotiations with Prussia were concerned. Although his mother was a Hohenzollern, his personal sympathies were by no means wedded to this house.
The thought of a German Empire had arisen. At the headquarters at Versailles the project was discussed, and it was thought that King Wilhelm should be the Emperor. This was the object of both Bismarck’s and the Crown Prince’s labours. With regard to details, however, their views were at complete variance. Friedrich desired a German unified state; he thought of the Emperor as surrounded by responsible ministers. The German Princes would, of course, govern within the limits of their countries, but their power must be considerably curtailed; and those who would not voluntarily make sacrifices for the federated fatherland must be made to do so by force. The Chancellor, on the other hand, was of opinion that the Princes ought to be protected as far as was possible, and that they ought to retain their rights. He greatly desired that the Empire might arise from a free agreement on their side. “If only the South Germans would take the decisive step!” he often said.2The King of Prussia had up to the last moment little desire to accept the Imperial crown.Should it, however, prove to be necessary, he wished that it might take place on the invitation of the King of Bavaria. Ludwig was pressingly invited to come to Versailles. Shortly before this he had, through a fall from his horse, twisted his ankle, with the result that it caused him excessive pain to sit on horseback. Still, for a short time, he considered the question of proceeding thither. Bismarck’s secretary, Busch, tells us in his memoirs that it was thought to summon a congress of Princes on the 11th of October, and that it was hoped that the King of Bavaria would be present. The historical rooms of Versailles were to be placed at his disposal, as it was considered that he would appreciate this mark of attention. “I never thought that I should come to play the part of a major-domo at Trianon,” said Bismarck. “If only the King will come!”
But the King did not come.
On the 19th of October the Ministers of Würtemberg, Hesse, and Baden went to Versailles. On the 20th the King of Bavaria sent his Ministers Bray, Pranckh, and Lutz to the headquarters.
It appeared at first as if the negotiations would be crowned with success; the desire that South Germany should offer King Wilhelm the Imperial crown seemed to be nearing its fulfilment. The leaders of the national party developed a restless energy. Large meetingsof the people accepted resolutions which made for the same end. The press warmly advocated a German Empire. The greatest enthusiasm in favour of the project was shown in Prussia and in Baden; but it spread from land to land.
On the 7th of November negotiations took place between the Ministers of Würtemberg, Hesse, and Baden. The Bavarian Minister was not invited to take part in it, no agreement having been come to with Bavaria. This annoyed Ludwig. “Why do they conclude agreements with Würtemberg, Baden, and Hesse and not till later with my Government?” he exclaimed in anger. He was tired of the throne, tired of European politics. His nerves were overstrung, and he demanded that Prince Otto should at once leave the seat of war; he awaited his arrival at Hohenschwangau with impatience. “I look upon my brother as the King,” he said to those about him. “Matters hang on a single thin thread, and then it will be, ‘Le roi Louis II. est mort. Vive le roi Othon I.!’”
On the 5th of November the Prince arrived; not without danger had he travelled day and night to fulfil his brother’s wish. The King talked much and excitedly to him of abdicating the throne. Otto dissuaded him from such a step in the most affectionate manner. He asked permission to return to Versailles; but it wasnot until peace was all but concluded that he obtained the Monarch’s consent to this step. Ludwig soon changed his mind with regard to his abdication. “Fancy,” he said shortly afterwards to a gentleman of hisentourage, “Count B. really believes that I am seriously thinking of abdicating.” He enforced the necessity on several influential personages, “of using every effort in order that these rumours should be definitely put a stop to.”3
By the 15th of November an agreement had been come to with Baden and Hesse. Accord with Würtemberg seemed likewise near at hand. But suddenly steps were taken from Munich which caused the Government in Stuttgart to assume a waiting position; the Würtembergian delegates received a telegraphic message to the effect “that they were to go hand in hand with their Bavarian colleagues.”4It became known that this later change of front was owing to the intrigues of the Austrian Chancellor, Count von Beust, who was at this time a visitor at Munich, and who had always been the enemy of Prussia.
Ludwig made strenuous attempts to preserve the independence of his country, demanding during the negotiations not only independent sovereignty with regard to home affairs, but also that Bavaria should continue to have anindependent army and her own foreign policy. As he would not give way an inch in the matter, the question of the German Empire stood for some time on an exceedingly critical footing.
The Crown Prince of Prussia was filled with indignation over the protracted nature of the proceedings, and wished to break down the opposition of Bavaria by force. The wise Bismarck, however, advised a considerate course. “With the Bavarian troops fighting with the Prussians against France, Prussia can hardly coerce their country.” The Grand Duke of Baden had come to the headquarters; he sent one of his confidential friends to Munich to persuade Ludwig to proceed to Versailles. The Bavarian Ministers likewise exerted themselves to induce him to make the journey. “I know well that in many respects it would be advisable for me to make this journey,” said the King. “It need hardly be said that it would also be of political advantage. But I feel myself too suffering. Whether or not I take the journey depends, moreover, on the guarantees which I desire. Without them I will not go! Here the matter rests—it is my will!”
“Ludwig is not coming to Versailles, firstly, because he cannot ride just now without discomfort, and, secondly, because he does not like playing second fiddle,” wrote Bismarck’s secretary, Busch, in his journal.
No one could deny that he had done Prussiainvaluable service by the rapidity with which he had decided to mobilise his army. He now thought his action entitled him to ask a service in return from this country. One of his wishes was to extend the frontiers of his land. His Ministers inquired whether the Palatinate of Baden, which in olden days had been the territory of the Electors of Bavaria, could be ceded to Bavaria, Baden receiving as indemnity a portion of Alsace-Lorraine. To this Bismarck answered decisively that “Baden was a ‘noli me tangere,’” and that neither King Wilhelm nor the Archduke of Baden would ever agree to it.”
On the evening of the 23rd of November he had another meeting with the Bavarian Ministers. An agreement was at last come to. After they had left him, at ten o’clock in the evening, he said in a satisfied tone: “German unity is a completed act, and the ‘Emperor’ likewise. It is an event!... The agreement has its weak points; but as it is, it is more tenable. I consider it to be the most important thing we have accomplished this year. With regard to the ‘Emperor’ I made him more acceptable during the negotiations, as I represented to the Ministers that it must be easier and more convenient for their Kings to allow the German Emperor certain privileges than to allow them to the neighbouring King of Prussia.”
Ludwig made a last attempt to maintain his position. Prince Adalbert pressed him to putforward a claim that the Kings of Bavaria and of Prussia should alternately wear the Imperial crown; and Prince Luitpold was pushed forward to make this proposal. Bismarck scouted the idea, remarking: “The King of Bavaria lives in a world of dreams. He is hardly more than a boy who does not know his own mind!” The Prussian statesman, it need hardly be said, was careful not to say this directly to Ludwig. He wrote a long and exceedingly deferential letter to him, in which he emphasised how necessary it was that the Imperial crown should beofferedto the King of Prussia, and that it was for the King of Bavaria to take the first step. If the last-named would not make the proposal, the Princes of the smaller states would do this, and Ludwig in such a case could not avoid following in their footsteps.
The descendant of the thousand-year-old House of Wittelsbach, which had counted three emperors among its forefathers, bent before the force of circumstances. He telegraphed to his Minister, Count Bray, that the latter was to inform Bismarck that Count Holnstein would arrive at Versailles within three days, to discuss with him the details of the matter. “Not till then”—he expressed himself—“shall I be able to make a final decision.” Holnstein hurried off. Without losing a moment’s time he sought out Bismarck, and made him acquaintedwith his errand, after which he immediately returned to Hohenschwangau.
Ludwig was in bed with a toothache, and would not be disturbed, but the Count knew how to arouse his curiosity in such a manner that he was received in audience all the same. He brought with him two sealed envelopes; the one contained a renewed demand to Ludwig to offer Wilhelm the Imperial crown; the other was the draft, composed by Bismarck, of a communication from the King of Bavaria in which this was done. The application was favourably received. Ludwig at once decided to follow the Prussian statesman’s instructions. With his own hand he wrote the letter which transformed Germany into an empire. Count Holnstein now rode to Munich, in conformity with the King’s command that he should confer with Secretary Eisenhart, whom he found in the Residenz Theater. He presented the aforesaid letter from Ludwig to the King of Prussia, also one to Eisenhart in which his master inquired whether he considered it desirable that another communication, couched in terms more suited to the circumstances, should be sent: in such a case the King gave Eisenhart a free hand to retain his own letter. The secretary sent it on without alteration. Holnstein swung himself up on his horse again and rode off to Versailles. In accordance with Ludwig’s express command, his communicationwas handed to the King of Prussia by Prince Luitpold.
“The King of Bavaria has copied Bismarck’s letter word for word,” noted Prince Friedrich in his journal.
The delight was great all over Germany. It was known that it was the young King of Bavaria, who had spoken the word at the right moment. Only the initiated were cognisant that he had done it under pressure and after hesitation. Hardly a dinner was given, and no political meeting was held, but the health of “Ludwig the German” was drunk with enthusiasm. The greatest satisfaction prevailed at headquarters. He was no longer now “the boy who did not know his own mind.” Both Bismarck and the King of Prussia expressed themselves in terms of the warmest recognition of the Bavarian Sovereign.
The proclamation of the Empire was to take place at Versailles on the 18th of January, 1871. Three days before this date the future emperor summoned the court chaplain to him. He spoke of Ludwig II.’s idealism, and added: “Whatever his abilities may be, he must at any rate be very highly considered.” Bismarck at an entertainment rose to his feet, and made the following speech:—“I drink to the health of his Majesty the King of Bavaria, and to the prosperity of his dynasty, which has extended through a thousand years! I can only repeatthat as long as I have a voice in matters, a step shall never be taken which might wound Bavaria in its rightful position. His Majesty the King will find in me, as long as I live, a servant as attached as if I were still his vassal.”5
After the death of Ludwig II. the Chancellor of the German Empire declared: “In 1870 Ludwig was our only influential friend in Germany.”
1Louise von Kobell: “König Ludwig II. und Fürst Bismarck im Jahre 1870.”↑2Bismarck’s “Gedanken und Erinnerungen,” v. ii., and “Kaiser Friedrich in Versailles,” (Erinnerungen eines Diplomaten).↑3Louise von Kobell, “König Ludwig II. und Fürst Bismarck im Jahre 1870.”↑4Professor Dr.Otto J. W. Richter, “Kaiser Friedrich III.”↑5The Emperor “Ludwig der Bayrer” enfeoffed in 1323 his son Mark Brandenburg. Brandenburg remained under the sway of the Wittelsbachs until 1373, when Otto V. ceded it to the Emperor Karl IV. Bismarck mentions in his “Gedanken und Erinnerungen” the particular favour shown to his ancestors by the Bavarian dynasty.↑
1Louise von Kobell: “König Ludwig II. und Fürst Bismarck im Jahre 1870.”↑
2Bismarck’s “Gedanken und Erinnerungen,” v. ii., and “Kaiser Friedrich in Versailles,” (Erinnerungen eines Diplomaten).↑
3Louise von Kobell, “König Ludwig II. und Fürst Bismarck im Jahre 1870.”↑
4Professor Dr.Otto J. W. Richter, “Kaiser Friedrich III.”↑
5The Emperor “Ludwig der Bayrer” enfeoffed in 1323 his son Mark Brandenburg. Brandenburg remained under the sway of the Wittelsbachs until 1373, when Otto V. ceded it to the Emperor Karl IV. Bismarck mentions in his “Gedanken und Erinnerungen” the particular favour shown to his ancestors by the Bavarian dynasty.↑