The public attention, however was soon directed from these internal matters to even more serious questions of foreign policy.
At the beginning of February the Poles had once more risen in revolt against the Russian Government.

Much sympathy was felt for them in Western Europe.

England, France, and Austria joined in representations and remonstrances to the Czar; they expected that Prussia would join them.
Nothing could have been more inconvenient to Bismarck; he was at the time fully occupied in negotiations about German affairs, and he was probably anxious to bring to a speedy issue the questions between Prussia and Austria; it was therefore most important to him to be on good terms with France and England, for he would not challenge Austria unless he was sure that Austria would have no allies; now he must quarrel with either Russia or with France.

An insurrection in Poland was, however, a danger to which everything else must be postponed; on this his opinion never varied, here there could be no compromise.

He was perfectly open: "The Polish question is to us a question of life and death," he said to Sir Andrew Buchanan.