No mention by the Katte-Prozess guy of how FW follows the letter of the law by giving Katte a death penalty for planned desertion but pardons his son who actually attempted desertion, I assume? No overriding of the law because of emotion there.
Eh, he points out that FW had set up the tribunal to judge both his son and Katte and would have accepted a sentence from them but they refused to give one. He also says that since Fritz (and Katte, and SD and Wilhelmine) were also guilty of high treason because of the conspiring with foreign powers issue, this also justified FW's "should have had him hanged, drawn and quartered" outburst and that FW was in fact being merciful when going for the sword for Katte, rehabilitation regime for Fritz and nothing for SD & Wilhelmine (other than house arrest and marriage).
Now remember the predestination doctrine Argument? FW: a big believer in knowing best, like his son, and knowing best most def includes religious authorities as well as Judges.
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Re: The Katte War Tribunal Protocol
Date: 2020-01-07 05:26 pm (UTC)Eh, he points out that FW had set up the tribunal to judge both his son and Katte and would have accepted a sentence from them but they refused to give one. He also says that since Fritz (and Katte, and SD and Wilhelmine) were also guilty of high treason because of the conspiring with foreign powers issue, this also justified FW's "should have had him hanged, drawn and quartered" outburst and that FW was in fact being merciful when going for the sword for Katte, rehabilitation regime for Fritz and nothing for SD & Wilhelmine (other than house arrest and marriage).
Something he doesn't mention but which I learned form the Wilhelmine biography I read some months ago: FW actually consulted some Protestant pastors as to whether a man had the right to force his daughter to marry against her will. The pastors, most interestingly for me since this is so against the cliché, wrote back that no, a man did not because while a daughter owed her father obedience, marriage was a sacrament which could not be entered unwillingly. (They used some examples from the early church of female martyrs who had refused to marry their father's choice.) This was about as welcome a letter as the tribunal's had been, and FW of course ignored it. (Or circumvented it by blackmailing Wilhelmine with privileges for Fritz.)
Now remember the predestination doctrine Argument? FW: a big believer in knowing best, like his son, and knowing best most def includes religious authorities as well as Judges.