Bismarck and the foundation of the German empire . tives of the Ministers on the other hand regarded themselvesto some extent as a Parliamentary Ministry; theyhad a majority in the House and they were inclinedto defer to it. The latent causes of difference werebrought into activity by the question of armyreform. The Prince Regent was chiefly and primarily asoldier. As a second son it had been doubtfulwhether he would ever succeed to the throne. Hehad an intimate acquaintance with the whole condi-tion of the army, and he had long known that inmany points reform was necessary. His firs
Bismarck and the foundation of the German empire . tives of the Ministers on the other hand regarded themselvesto some extent as a Parliamentary Ministry; theyhad a majority in the House and they were inclinedto defer to it. The latent causes of difference werebrought into activity by the question of armyreform. The Prince Regent was chiefly and primarily asoldier. As a second son it had been doubtfulwhether he would ever succeed to the throne. Hehad an intimate acquaintance with the whole condi-tion of the army, and he had long known that inmany points reform was necessary. His first actionon succeeding his brother was to appoint a Commis-sion of the War Office to prepare a scheme of re-organisation. A memorandum had been drawn upfor him by Albert von Roon, and with some altera-tions it was accepted by the Commission. TheMinister of War, Bonin (the same who had beendismissed in 1854 at the crisis of the Eastern compli-cations), seems to have been indifferent in the mat-ter; he did not feel in himself the energy for carrying. GENERAL VON ROON. w 1862] St. Petersburg and Paris. 141 through an important reform which he had not him-self originated, and of which perhaps he did notaltogether approve. The Prince Regent had sethis mind upon the matter ; the experience gainedduring the mobilisation of 1859 ^^^ shewn how seri-ous the defects were; the army was still on a warfooting and it was a good opportunity for at oncecarrying through the proposed changes. Bonintherefore resigned his oflfice and Roon, in December,1859, w^s appointed in his place. This appointment was to have far-reaching results ;it at once destroyed all harmony in the Ministryitself. Tfie rest of the Ministers were was a strong Conservative. He was appointedprofessedly merely as a departmental Minister, buthe soon won more confidence with the Regent thanall the others. He was a man of great energy ofcharacter and decision in action. The best type ofPrussian ofificer, to considera
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbismarckottofrstvon1
