Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 42. (1992)
BLACK, Jeremy: British policy towards Austria, 1780–1793
Jeremy Black Theresa was persuaded to support the scheme which was successful, albeit at considerable cost, in 178017). This was an unwelcome move for Hanover. Maximilian, who succeeded to both sees in 1784, replaced a weak ruler and brought Habsburg power to the frontiers of Hanover, at a time when the gathering crisis in the United Provinces helped to make the entire region unstable. In 1773 a Prussian attack on Hanover had been feared and the vulnerability of the Electorate helped to lead George III in 1778 to persuade his British ministry to propose an alliance to Prussia. In 1776 Frederick II had instructed his Parisian envoy to try to sow Austro-French dissension suggesting that Joseph IPs vast and varied ambitions would ease his task18). It was equally the case that real or attributed Habsburg schemes helped to increase dissension between Austria and Hanover. However, Austria was unsympathetic to Britain during the late 1770s and early 1780s for a number of reasons that had nothing to do with Hanover. Her government did not wish to see Britain defeat her ally France, though neither did she wish to see the latter emerge completely victorious19). The Austrian wish to see a rough balance between Britain and France complemented her desire to gain prestige through mediating a settlement of the war and her concern that if she did not do so Catherine II would gain influence by so doing rather as she had recently emerged from the mediation of the War of the Bavarian Succession. In 1779 Kaunitz sought to mediate and in 1780-1 a joint Aus- tro-Russian attempt was made20). Britain’s response was ambivalent because though the intentions of the mediating powers was distrusted, she did not wish to alienate them at a time when better relations were sought. In December 1780 Stormont ordered Keith to take advantage of Joseph’s accession by proposing an alliance of Britain, Austria and Russia. The prospect of support for Joseph’s ambitious 17) Max Braubach Max Franz von Österreich. Letzter Kurfürst von Köln und Fürstbischof von Munster (Munster 1925) 45-58; Karl Otmar Freiherr von Aretin Heiliges Römisches Reich 1776-1806 (Wiesbaden 1967) I 131-6 II24-8; Recueil des Instructions donnees aux Ambassadeurs et Ministres de France depuis les Trades de Westphalie, jusqu’a la Revolution Francaise. L’Electorat de Cologne ed. G. Livet (Paris 1963) 1-li, 349, 358-9; Albert Schulte Ein englischer Gesandter am Rhein. George Cressener als Bevollmächtiger Gesandter an den Hofen der geistlichen Kurfürsten und beim Niederrheinisch-Westfälischen Kreis 1763-1781 (Bonn 1971) 200-15. 18) Jules Flammermont Les Correspondances des agents diplomatiques etrangers en France avant la Revolution (Paris 1896) p.100. 19) Correspondance secrete du Comte de Mercy-Argenteau avec TEmpereur Joseph II et le Prince de Kaunitz ed. Alfred Ritter von Arneth and Jules Flammermont (Paris 1889) 1, 540-1, 551. 20) Isabel de Madariaga Britain, Russia and the Armed Neutrality of 1780 (London 1962) 264-353. 194
