ederick for
a more extended European policy. He did not, however, at once interfere
in the affairs of Holland, for there was a strong French party at his
court. Harris needed money to support the stadholder's cause, and
Carmarthen proposed a subvention of L1,200 a year. George was anxious
not to be drawn into another war, and said that as his family was
growing expensive the money could not be spared from the civil
list.[206] In May, 1787, the cabinet decided to put L20,000 at Harris's
disposal. Matters came to a crisis in June. As the princess was on her
way to the Hague she was arrested and turned back by a free corps.
Frederick William demanded that satisfaction should be made for this
insult, and as the states of Holland, relying on French support, refused
his demand, he entered into a secret convention with England to restore
the stadholder, the two powers agreeing, Prussia to send an army into
Holland and England to prepare forty ships of the line to support it. A
Prussian army under the Duke of Brunswick crossed the frontier and met
with little resistance. Amsterdam surrendered on October 10, and the
stadholder was restored. Meanwhile Montmorin, the French foreign
minister, declared that his court would support the Dutch. Pitt, who was
then personally directing foreign affairs, decided, with the full
approval of the king, that if the French court would not agree to the
restoration war was inevitable.[207] A treaty was made with the
Landgrave of Hesse Cassel for the hire of troops, and the naval and
military forces were augmented. On the 27th France definitely renounced
her design of intervention, and on Pitt's demand the French navy was
reduced to a peace-footing. The designs of France, which were fraught
with danger to English interests, were defeated, and the party in
Holland favourable to alliance with England was secured in power. Though
the Furstenbund, a purely German system directed against Austrian
ambition, failed to bring about an Anglo-Prussian alliance, the change
in Prussian policy and, as an immediate cause, the insult to the
Prussian king's sister, brought England and Prussia into active
co-operation against the attempt of France to become mistress of the
United Provinces, and in 1788 led to the formation of a triple alliance
for mutual defence and the maintenance of peace between England,
Prussia, and the republic which changed the political situation. England
was no longer isolated; she was restor