Study Source G. SOURCE G After dinner as we sat around smoking cigars, Field Marshal Roon arrived. Later Count Moltke arrived. Bismarck welcomed them warmly and said, 'The last time we three sat together was on 13 July 1870. What a stroke of luck it was that the French went so far! How hard it would have been to find another equally favourable opportunity! We never altered the telegram, but shortened it in such a way as to show the French arrogance. We had surrendered everything with respect to the Hohenzollern candidacy and had the French not insisted that we promise never to do so again we might have given up even more. I asked you both, “Are we ready?" You both said, "We are ready".' An account of a meeting in 1877 between Bismarck, Roon and Moltke by Lucius von Ballhausen who was present. Ballhausen was a member of the Reichstag, and a close friend of Bismarck's. In 1870 Roon had been Minister of War and Moltke had been head of the army.

1. How useful is this source as evidence about events before the outbreak of war? Explain your answer using details of the source and your knowledge.[7]