I couldn't resist taking a gander. So far, it appears to provide lots of neat material – ambassador reports and so forth – though when he’s quoting memoirs, the editor doesn’t provide a single „maybe not so reliable“ comment. To his credit, he does this with both Catt and Wilhelmine, as opposed to questionmarking Wilhelmine and giving Catt a pass. Also, for a guy publishing in 1976, he’s amazingly starry eyed about Fritz (while also considering MT awesome, in a Fritz talking to Catt way).
This is how he summarizes Silesia 1:
MT’s Dad dies.
Fritz: really really wants Prussia & Austria to team up against the French (editor believes this claim of his in a letter to FS completely), and when not hearing any offers in that regard, kidnaps Silesia to enforce his offer of „protection“ to FS and MT.
MT: No, you gangster. Go to hell, and take your protection racket with you. Editor: „Friedrich war erschüttert über so viel Hass.“ („Friedrich was stunned by so much hatred.“)
He also says that cunningly, Austrian propagandists painted Fritz as a ruthless robber re: Silesia. I’m not sure where the cunning and the progaganda lie in that one, editor.
More seriously, this editor is probably right that Fritz did not expect a) MT to fight back and b) MT to have any say in this at all, and was basing what little effort he made to come to terms with the Austrians before invading on his impression of Franzl as someone who would compromise. And go for the protection racket, since the Duke of Bavaria making a French-supported go at the Imperial Throne was indeed in the cards already, despite everyone having signed the Pragmatic Sanction.
The 1745 pep talk which opens the second volume, which is why it caught my eye while quickly browsing, is directed at Podewils, though having gone back to the beginning, I haven't ascertained whether it's the same Podewils who was the Prussian Ambassador giving Fritz the "MT, hot or not?" report. If it is, I can't help but wonder whether Podewils had some fears about ending up as a hostage in Vienna and this being Fritz' reply.
MT: As if I'd go after an ambassador. What do you think I am, a Prussian monarch?
Re: Fritz as a writer: an early Victorian take
This is how he summarizes Silesia 1:
MT’s Dad dies.
Fritz: really really wants Prussia & Austria to team up against the French (editor believes this claim of his in a letter to FS completely), and when not hearing any offers in that regard, kidnaps Silesia to enforce his offer of „protection“ to FS and MT.
MT: No, you gangster. Go to hell, and take your protection racket with you.
Editor: „Friedrich war erschüttert über so viel Hass.“ („Friedrich was stunned by so much hatred.“)
He also says that cunningly, Austrian propagandists painted Fritz as a ruthless robber re: Silesia. I’m not sure where the cunning and the progaganda lie in that one, editor.
More seriously, this editor is probably right that Fritz did not expect a) MT to fight back and b) MT to have any say in this at all, and was basing what little effort he made to come to terms with the Austrians before invading on his impression of Franzl as someone who would compromise. And go for the protection racket, since the Duke of Bavaria making a French-supported go at the Imperial Throne was indeed in the cards already, despite everyone having signed the Pragmatic Sanction.
The 1745 pep talk which opens the second volume, which is why it caught my eye while quickly browsing, is directed at Podewils, though having gone back to the beginning, I haven't ascertained whether it's the same Podewils who was the Prussian Ambassador giving Fritz the "MT, hot or not?" report. If it is, I can't help but wonder whether Podewils had some fears about ending up as a hostage in Vienna and this being Fritz' reply.
MT: As if I'd go after an ambassador. What do you think I am, a Prussian monarch?