Frederick the Great discussion post 12

[cahn]

Every time I am amazed and enchanted that this is still going on! Truly DW is the Earthly Paradise!

All the good stuff continues to be archived at rheinsberg :)

Comments

Re: Trenck discussion

[mildred_of_midgard]

Not just interesting but it means the example of deserters getting pardoned in the 7 Years War is useless, since there the motivation is clearly to have more canon fodder

I agree it's pears and oranges, but I disagree that makes it completely useless. Because imagine if we didn't have that example. Imagine if desertion were SUCH an unforgivable crime that you had to execute people for it even when you had a good reason for keeping them around as cannon fodder. Then we'd really only have Peter and Trenck as the exceptions, and the Trenck exception of forgiveness for desertion + initial crime would be mind-blowing.

As it is, there's an abundance of precedent for pardoning of desertion, possibly even during peacetime, and it's plausible that if Fritz can find a reason for letting someone come back, he will. And no, Trenck isn't joining the army again (because of his initial crime that predated the desertion), but he's bringing some money with him, which might not be a lot, but in peacetime might be the equivalent of "one more piece of fodder for cannon." Especially if they are allowing pardons and rejoins in peacetime as well, which means "one more potential piece of fodder in the event we go to war again (which I don't think we are) and you're still here."

The. Dumbest. Gryffindor.

No contest!

Re: Trenck discussion

[selenak]

True, the fact that desertion & pardons were a (common) thing under specific circumstances for people other than Peter and Trenck should be mentioned, and I‘ll do it when I‘m back home. (Am in a train now.) But I haver something else for you, which I waited to post until Cahn put up a new post, she says mysteriously.

Re: Trenck discussion

[mildred_of_midgard]

Have already seen it, read it, and started preparing a reply. Thank you SO MUCH!

It had two magic K words, what can I say? :D I dropped everything.

ETA: Also, I should add that you did already mention in rheinsberg that pardons were common during wartime, but 1) we have a much more reliable source now than Duffy + Asprey, and 2) that source seems to imply that it was a peacetime practice as well, although I'm not sure. If we *really* care how exceptional Trenck was during peacetime, you could have a gander at that Disziplin und Desertion volume, although limited time is limited, so up to you.