ue, which gave to
Prussia Hanover, Schleswig-Holstein, Hesse, Nassau, and the city of
Frankfort. Prussia did not annex Wurtemburg in compliment to the czar,
who was related to its king by marriage.

If Russia looked carelessly upon Prussia's growth, not so Napoleon III
of France. He saw in it a threat, and to offset Prussia's increase of
power, tried to secure other territory. It was evident that nothing
but a pretext was needed to bring on war. It was found, and Napoleon
declared war on July 15, 1870. Once again it was Alexander who protected
Prussia on the east, by threatening Austria which would gladly have
seized the opportunity to avenge 1866. As a consequence France (p. 230)
had to fight the whole of Germany; and Russia seized the opportunity
for repudiating the treaty of Paris of 1856, which forbade the
construction of arsenals on the coast of the Black Sea and did not
permit any war vessels in it. None of the powers felt any inclination
to fight Russia single-handed, but Prussia proposed a conference,
which was held at London. The result was that Russia was left free in
the Black Sea, but the sultan has the right to close the Dardanelles
to warships.

On January 18, 1871, the King of Prussia became German Emperor, and in
the following year the Emperor of Russia, the Emperor of Austria, and
the German Emperor met at Vienna, with the result that an alliance was
concluded among the three powers.

In 1867 Russia resolved to dispose of its possessions on the western
hemisphere by selling Alaska, a territory covering 590,884 square
miles, to the United States. In the same year a Slavophil Congress was
held at Moscow with the czar's approval. The object was said to be to
unite all the nations of Slav origin by a bond of friendship; but the
real purpose was to bring them under the rule of the czar. This was
apparent when it was resolved to send emissaries among the Slavs under
Turkish rule. They met with encouragement in Montenegro, Bulgaria,
Bosnia, and Herzegovina. General Ignatieff, the Russian ambassador at
Constantinople, thought that this might be the means to bring about
the longed-for annexation of the old Czargrad. He worked upon the
Turkish subjects belonging to the Greek Church, but showed his hand
when, under his decision, the Bulgarians were released from the (p. 231)
authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople. In 1875, the Bulgarian
Christians rose against the Turkish tax-farmers. The revolt wa