Hmm. I was kind of going the opposite direction. The problem is that I don't know Fredersdorf's personality very well, but he's now spent almost twenty years as Fritz's right-hand man, totally dependent on him politically, and in a close personal relationship. While this doesn't rule out thinking Fritz was wrong (as I'm told by an unreliable source that Eichel later did about Finck's cashiering), it's not unlikely that Fredersdorf starts rationalizing Fritz's side of events to himself. While I can see the appeal of making Fredersdorf the always-reasonable objectively-correct observer of Hohenzollern dysfunction, rationalization is a thing that people do with allegiances, and Fredersdorf was a flawed human being like anyone else.
Either way, whether through thinking Fritz was misguided or out of a sheer desire to help solve this problem for him, if Fredersdorf interceded at all, my headcanon is that it wasn't at all done by trying to get Fritz to see that he was overreacting, that there was no political value, etc. Rather, my Fredersdorf would take a more overtly supportive approach, like, "I'm so sorry about this falling out, I really hope you work this out soon, for your sake," and then proposes (or tries to steer the conversation around such that it becomes Fritz's idea) ways of dealing with the problem by cementing Heinrich's loyalty to Fritz with an act of mercy, like maybe not forcing him to get married once he capitulates. Not because it wouldn't be justified! but because mercy might be in Fritz's long-term interests.
And that way Fritz can be all, "No, you don't understand my brother, only *I* understand my brother. If I give him an inch, he'll take a mile." Then Fredersdorf can see he's not budging and then back off, without having done anything that even resembled an attempt to intervene on the side of reason Heinrich.
And I think this works much better if it's not manipulation to get Heinrich a better outcome but a genuine concern for Fritz's needs first and an effort to forestall the radioactive hateship? Because on both a political and a personal level, not alienating your brother the prince is a good solid move!
Expediting letters, sure. Better yet, timing the delivery of the letters to when Fritz is in a comparatively better mood, or even, trying to help get him into a better frame of mind right before delivering the letters.
Anyway, that's my personal headcanon after thinking about it for a bit. YMMV!
Re: Brotherly Conduct I: The Prelude
Either way, whether through thinking Fritz was misguided or out of a sheer desire to help solve this problem for him, if Fredersdorf interceded at all, my headcanon is that it wasn't at all done by trying to get Fritz to see that he was overreacting, that there was no political value, etc. Rather, my Fredersdorf would take a more overtly supportive approach, like, "I'm so sorry about this falling out, I really hope you work this out soon, for your sake," and then proposes (or tries to steer the conversation around such that it becomes Fritz's idea) ways of dealing with the problem by cementing Heinrich's loyalty to Fritz with an act of mercy, like maybe not forcing him to get married once he capitulates. Not because it wouldn't be justified! but because mercy might be in Fritz's long-term interests.
And that way Fritz can be all, "No, you don't understand my brother, only *I* understand my brother. If I give him an inch, he'll take a mile." Then Fredersdorf can see he's not budging and then back off, without having done anything that even resembled an attempt to intervene on the side of
reasonHeinrich.And I think this works much better if it's not manipulation to get Heinrich a better outcome but a genuine concern for Fritz's needs first and an effort to forestall the radioactive hateship? Because on both a political and a personal level, not alienating your brother the prince is a good solid move!
Expediting letters, sure. Better yet, timing the delivery of the letters to when Fritz is in a comparatively better mood, or even, trying to help get him into a better frame of mind right before delivering the letters.
Anyway, that's my personal headcanon after thinking about it for a bit. YMMV!