emperor. The ministry agreed with Prussia that
support must be given to Sweden, which was exhausted by its war with
Russia; a subsidy was promised and a squadron lay in the Downs ready to
sail for the Baltic. As soon as Catherine heard of the issue of the
conference at Reichenbach, she made a peace with Gustavus without the
mediation of the allies, which was concluded at Werela in August. So
far, then, in spite of serious difficulties arising from the ambition of
the Prussian king, the triple alliance had enabled the government to
carry out its policy with success. Its formation secured the Dutch from
the ascendency of France; it strengthened the position of England in its
quarrel with Spain, saved the independence of Sweden, mediated peace on
the basis of the _status quo_ between Austria and the Porte, hindered
the spread of French influence in the Netherlands, and indirectly
restored peace in the Baltic.

[Sidenote: _THE RUSSIAN ARMAMENT._]

Pitt's policy, however, received one decided check. Catherine rejected
the proposal of England that she should make peace with the Turks on the
basis of the _status quo_ before the war, and declared that she would
keep Ochakov and the line of the Dniester. Pitt differed from the views
held by his father, the whigs generally, and the coalition, with
reference to Russia. They looked on Russia as the natural ally of
England, both for commercial reasons and as a counterpoise to the
Bourbon alliance, and Catherine owed much to England's good-will in her
war with the Turks in 1770 and during her conquest of Crimea in 1783.
Times had changed; and Pitt regarded with displeasure the establishment
of Russia on the Black Sea and the prospect of the conquest of
Constantinople, and held that the Turks were useful as a check on
Russian aggrandisement. The possession of Ochakov was believed to be of
the first importance in the struggle between the two powers. Frederick
William urged that Catherine should be forced to resign it. In 1790 Pitt
was opposing his wishes elsewhere; he was unwilling to alienate him
altogether, and agreed to put pressure on Russia. The Turks were
repeatedly defeated, and in December Suvorov (Suwarrow) took Ismail;
12,000 Russians and 28,000 Turks perishing in the storming and sack of
the city, which are described in Byron's splendid verse. In the
following March, in spite of some opposition, Pitt persuaded the cabinet
to agree to send a fleet to the Baltic, and a squad