I should be justified in treating you as a prisoner of war." He had to return without achieving anything.

Frankfort had been occupied by the Prussian army; the citizens were required to pay a war indemnity of a million pounds; Manteuffel, who was in command, threatened to plunder the town, and the full force of Prussian displeasure was felt by the city where Bismarck had passed so many years.

It was arranged with Austria and France that the southern States should participate in the suspension of hostilities; that they should preserve their independence and should be allowed to enter into any kind of Federal alliance with one another.

The result of this would have been that South Germany would be a weak, disunited confederation, which would be under the control partly of France and partly of Austria.

This would have meant the perpetuation in its worst form of French influence over South Germany.