Bonin therefore resigned his office and Roon, in December, 1859, was appointed in his place.
This appointment was to have far-reaching results; it at once destroyed all harmony in the Ministry itself.

The rest of the Ministers were Liberals.

Roon was a strong Conservative.

He was appointed professedly merely as a departmental Minister, but he soon won more confidence with the Regent than all the others.

He was a man of great energy of character and decision in action.