40 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758,
most effectual manner; 100,000l. was voted for the Hanoverian and Hessian forces; and a convention between the King of Prussia Apr. 11 and his Britannic majesty was figned at London, whereby the King of Great Britain engages to pay his Pruflian majefty the fum of 670*000 pounds fterling ; and each of the contradting powers en- gage to conclude no peace without the participation of the other.
The northern courts made no al- teration in their fyftem. In Swe- den, fome real plots to c-iiturb the eftablillied conlHtution ended in the ruin of their contrivers; fome fifti- tious plots were fet on foot to give a fandion to meafures againft the crown party, which anfwercd their ends ; and, as the ruling power continued the fame, and the inter- nal diflenfions the fame, the holVi- lities againft the Kmg of Prulha were refolved with the former ani- mofity, but promifed to be purfued with the former languor. In Ruf- fia, the Emprefs did not think her intentions well fcconded by her minifters. The great delays, and the unaccountable retreat in the I?.lt campaign, gave ground to luf- pe£t, that (he had been betrayed by her minillers, or her generals. M. -Apraxin was removed from the command^ and put under arreft. Hejuftiiied his conduft by exprefs orders from Count Beftuchef, Eef- tuchef was removed from his oflice, and put under arrelt alfo. Count WoronzofF fucceeded Beftuchef in his employment, and the generals Brown and Fermer took the com- mand of the army in the place of Apraxin.
As foon as the feafon permitted
. the Kinp of Pruifia to re-
Apr, 3. ° ,.
^ ■ -' commence his operations,
he laid fiege to Schweidnitz, and
puflied it with fo much vigour, that the place furrendered in .^ thirteen days. 1 he garri- fon, reduced by ficknefs during the blockade, and by their loftes during the fiege, from feven to little more than three thoufand men, yielded themfelves prifoners of war. By this ftroke, the King of Pruffia left his enemies no footing in any part of his dominions. His next confi- deration was how to guard againft their future attempts, and at the fame lime to make a vigorous at- tack upon fome part of the Auftrian territories. lr!is forces were well ftationed for both thefe purpofes ; for befidcs the troops which Count Dohna commanded on the fide of Pomerania, a confiderable body were ported between Woldau and Giogau, in order to cover Silefia from the fury of the Ruffians, in cafe they ibould make their inroad that "Aay. An army, in a little time after, was formed in Saxony, com-- manded by his brother Prince Henry, which confuted ef thirty battalions, and forty-five fquadrons. It was deftined to make head againft the army of the Empire, which by amazing efforts m.ide during the winter, and by the junftion of a large body of Auftrians, was now in a condition to aft again. A read . communication was kept up between all the King of Pruflia's armies, by a proper choice of pofts.
The King refolved to make Mo- ravia the theatre of the war this year. Moravia was frefti ground; a country as yet untouched by the ravages of war. \t he fhould fuc- ceed in his operations in this coun- try, his fucceiTes, by opening to him the ncareft road to Vienna, muft prove more decifive than they could any where elfe. If he fhould
fail.
^■31: ¥• ;:r
