70, 86-87, 92-95; also Headlam's _Bismarck_, p.

327.] Such was the state of the case when the affair became known to the Ollivier Ministry.

Though not aware, seemingly, of all these details, Napoleon's advisers were justified in treating the matter, not as a private affair between the Hohenzollerns and Spain (as Germans then maintained it was) but as an attempt of the Prussian Government to place on the Spanish throne a prince who could not but be friendly to the North German Power.

In fact, the French saw in it a challenge to war; and putting together all the facts as now known, we must pronounce that they were almost certainly right.

Bismarck undoubtedly wanted war; and it is impossible to think that he did not intend to use this candidature as a means of exasperating the French.