English Translation

52 - 49 - from his accession to the throne of November 12, 1796 the desire to maintain friendly relations with England. The emperor himself declared to the English envoy Whit-worth at the reception of the diplomatic corps on November 2nd: "Vous pouvez étre sur, Monsicur, que je conserverai avec soin les relations qui existnt entre nos deux pays, et qui sont également utiles pour tous les deaux."1) Despite these declarations of friendship with England, for the foreign policy of the new ruler, whose leadership was in far. To a greater extent than Catherine II himself took in charge and personally gave instructions to his envoy, determining the pursuit of peace and the keeping Russia out of all disputes, including from the ongoing war against revolutionary France. The Russian squadron, operating together with the English, will be recalled, causing England, in whose fleet mutinies at that time break out, to a difficult situation. 2) In his decree to the Count Vorontsov of December 4, 1796, Paul declares that Russia does not want any troops Even later, Paul rejects all the desires of conquest and complains about the selfishness and falsehood of his allies; "Je me suis malheureusement embarqué et associté avec des alliés perfides et machiavélistes, ils sont sans bonne foi; ils m'ont fait sacrifier mes troupes pour leur interět personel."4) This fundamentally peaceful policy, which rejected all the conquests, is explained, apart from the honest and peace-loving character of the ruler, by the reaction of the emperor, sting in sharp contrast to his mother, against the policy of divisions and the imperial expansion of the empire pursued by her. In contrast, Paul returned to the policy of balance. 1) Whitworth's report of 2l.ll.1796 in the London State Archives, at Alcksandrenko 1, p.73 Note 2, 2) E.S.Šumigorskij: Imperatór Pavel I, S.-Puterburg 1907, p.l06. 3) Aleksandrsenko 1, pp.73 Comment 4. 4) Georgel: Voyage à Saint-Pétorsbourg en l799-i800, Paris l818, p.305 at Alek sandrsko 1, p.14 Note 2.