This seven years' war cost
Europe nearly a million of men. Their blood fertilized the German
soil, and their bones lay mouldering beneath her green sods.
Throughout all Europe, weeping mothers, wives, and children turned
their sorrowful faces toward the land which had robbed them of their
dear loved ones; they were even deprived the painfully sweet
consolation of weeping over these lonely and neglected graves.
Losses were not only to be counted in myriads of men, whose blood
had been shed in vain, but uncounted millions had been lavished upon
the useless strife.
During this war, the debt of England had increased to seventy
million pounds sterling; the yearly interest on the debt was four
and a half million crowns. The Austrians calculated their debt at
five hundred million guldens; France at two thousand million livres;
Sweden was almost bankrupt, and unfortunate Saxony had to pay to
Prussia during the war over seven million crowns.
In the strict meaning of the term, Prussia had made no debt, but she
was, in fact, as much impoverished as her adversaries. The Prussian
money which was circulated during the war was worthless.
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