Common danger brought together old enemies.

"I am not going to have the Russians for neighbors," the Empress Maria Theresa was always repeating.

The devastating flood had to be directed, and at the same time stemmed.

The feeble goodwill of France and the small body of troops commanded by Dumouriez were still supporting the Polish insurrection, but the Duke of Choiseul had just succumbed to intrigue at home.

There was no longer any foreign policy in France.