“I shall soon be compelled to undertake the leadership of the Prussian Government.  My first care will be, with or without the help of Parliament, to reorganise the army.  The King has rightly set himself this task; he cannot however carry it through with his present councillors.  When the army has been brought to such a state as to command respect, then I will take the first opportunity to declare war with Austria, burst asunder the German Confederation, bring the middle and smaller States into subjection, and give Germany a national union under the leadership of Prussia.  I have come here to tell this to the Queen’s Ministers.”

Disraeli added to Vitzthum, who, of course, as Saxon Envoy was much interested:  “Take care of that man; he means what he says.”  It does not appear that Bismarck had an opportunity of explaining his project either to Lord Palmerston or to Lord Russell.

All through July he remained in Paris, to which he was called back in order to receive some despatches which after all never arrived; the same uncertainty continued; there was no work to be done there, Emperor and Ministers were going away; he was still all alone in the Embassy without servants, or furniture.  As he wrote to his wife, he did not know what to have for dinner or what to eat it on.  He therefore applied for leave; he was himself of opinion that as the King would not immediately give him the Foreign Office it was not yet time for him to enter the Ministry.  Writing to Roon he advised that the Government should prolong the conflict, draw the Chamber into disputes on small matters which would weary the country; then when they were getting worn out and hoped that the Government would meet them half-way so as to end the conflict, then would be the time to summon him,

“as a sign that we are far from giving up the battle.  The appearance of a new battalion in the Ministerial array would then perhaps make an impression that would be wanting now, especially if beforehand a commotion was created by expressions about a coup d’etat and a new Constitution; then my own reputation for careless violence would help me and people would think, ’now it is coming!’ Then, all the half-hearted would be inclined to negotiation.  I am astonished at the political incapacity of our Chambers and yet we are an educated country.  Undoubtedly too much so; others are not cleverer but they have not the childish self-confidence with which our political leaders publish their incapacity in its complete nakedness as a model and pattern.  How have we Germans got the reputation of retiring modesty?  There is not a single one of us who does not think that he understands everything, from strategy to picking the fleas off a dog, better than professionals who have devoted their lives to it.”

It was only with difficulty he could even get leave of absence, for the King was as irresolute as ever; as to the cause of the difficulty we get some hint in Roon’s letters.  There was a party which was pushing Schleinitz, the only member of the Liberal Ministry who remained in office; he had very influential support.