America had not yet begun to play a prominent part in the pages of history or in the policies of cabinets.
Germany was then divided into many small governments, with the one great empire of Austria.

The policy of the smaller States shifted, and it was the aim of France to combine as many of them as possible under her influence, in pursuance of her traditional opposition to Austria.
With France thus working against her on the one side, Austria was in imminent peril on the other from the constant assaults of the Turkish Empire, still vigorous though decaying.

The policy of France had long inclined to friendly relations with Turkey, not only as a check upon Austria, but also from her wish to engross the trade with the Levant.
Colbert, in his extreme eagerness for the sea power of France, favored this alliance.

It will be remembered that Greece and Egypt were then parts of the Turkish Empire.
Prussia as now known did not exist.

The foundations of the future kingdom were then being prepared by the Elector of Brandenburg, a powerful minor State, which was not yet able to stand quite alone, but carefully avoided a formally dependent position.