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Meantime the liberties of
Germany, not less than
those of the
United States, were endangered; and the political question of the day assumed the largest proportions.
In the event of the death of the childless elector of
Bavaria, Joseph of
Austria was prepared, under the false pretext of a right of inheritance, to appropriate a large part of that electorate.
To prevent so fatal a measure, the king of
Prussia, in the last months of 1776, began to draw near to
France, which was one of the guarantees of the peace of
Westphalia.
1
His desire for a ‘good understanding’ with that power
2 was cordially reciprocated by
Vergennes.
3 On the advent of the rupture between
France and
England, he announced that
England should receive no aid from
Prussia; and
Vergennes on his side gave the hint that
France, if it should become involved in the conflict, would confine itself to a maritime war.
4
The year 1777 opened with nearer approaches be-
tween the courts of
Potsdam and
Versailles.
5 Frederic, while ‘he never ceased to be on his guard on every side, and held himself prepared for every event,’
6 on the seventh of January instructed his minister more definitely: ‘Should
France begin war, she may be sure that I will do everything in the world to preserve peace’ on the continent.
‘Convince the ministry at
Versailles of this; and ’