This is SO GREAT. It's too bad it wasn't actually published in 2019, but even 1972 information that's new to us is good.
in 1755, Fritz hinted he could visit, and G2 was all NO NO NO DO NOT WANT to his ministers, who had to tone it down and massage it into a diplomatic reply
ROTFL
This is how Blanning describes this episode, while recounting Anglo-Prussian relations leading up to the Seven Years' War:
Fortunately, relations with Uncle George (II) had thawed slightly from their normal state of deep freeze. Back in 1751 Frederick had gone out of his way to upset him by sending the Jacobite Earl Marischal George Keith to Versailles as Prussian ambassador. When his foreign minister, Podewils, asked how George might react, Frederick replied coarsely, “I don’t give a fuck!” 86 In late 1754, however, the two kings had cooperated to contain the damage to the Protestant party in the Holy Roman Empire threatened by the conversion of the Crown Prince of Hessen-Kassel to Catholicism. The ice was dissolved further when Frederick traveled across Germany to his territories in the west in May 1755, passing close to George, who was in residence at Herrenhausen. Although the two kings did not meet, amicable messages were exchanged.
Amicable messages thanks to the underappreciated ministers, I see.
Blanning continues:
Frederick also used a visit by the Duchess of Brunswick to the Hanoverian court, on a matrimonial mission of her own, to convey informally the assurance that he would never attack his uncle’s territories.
Fritz: Just in case you had any concerns on that front, or anything.
G2: Thanks, I guess. Your word is as good as gold!
The recall of Jean-Henri D'Andrie, who was Prussian minister in London from 1738 to 1747, left Prussian representation there in the hands of a secretary of legation.
Note: this is when the Brits suggest Peter Keith, and Fritz is all NO NO NO DO NOT WANT about the idea. :P
Mitchell, due to being on the front lines with Fritz, was one of the few who got to know Eichel and get alone with him well - until later 1758, which was when Mitchell went from distructing Heinrich to hanging out with Heinrich more and more, and Eichel (who apparantly was the "loyal only to the monarch and no one else" type - when FW ruled, this was FW, when Fritz ruled, it was Fritz) became distrustful of Mitchell and considered him contaminated by Heinrich's Fritz-critical opinions
Oohh, this is very neat! It's not the least bit surprising of Eichel, but it is new information. Also, Mitchell getting to know him, that *is* a coup!
G2's immediate reaction is not on record
Lol. I still remember Lavisse saying it was a pity that FW's alliance with France never got him into this position vis-a-vis the Emperor.
Mitchell dates:
Woot! This is going in the chronology! This is soooo great, thank you so much.
1730: Andrew resumes his studies, enroles at the law faculty i nLeyden where he spends two semesters (this means he's in the Netherlands when Peter Keith hightails it out of Prussia); (studying in the Netherlands for two terms was also what Boswell did before embarking on his Grand Tour, when I read this bit, I thought, that sounds familiar)
Neat!
In 1747 Lord Chesterfield, speaking from his experience as secretary of state, and ith the friction between Hannover and Prussia in mind, believed that 'whoever went to Berlin must be a very unhappy man between the two courts".
So I know that the Prussian report says that Chesterfield wasn't home when Keith showed up, but he returned to Britain in 1732 and married Aunt Melusine's daughter (possible lover of Katte) Petronella in 1733, and Peter was evidently in London around 1734-1736, so...I wonder if Peter thanked him for his staff's role in saving his life, and if they got to know each other, and if Chesterfield, who was busy expressing opinions on the state of Anglo-Prussian diplomacy in 1747, was interested in getting Keith sent to Britain that year. It's tenuous, but it's possible.
In sum, I've been waiting for this write-up, and, as always, selenak you are the very best.
Re: Andrew Mitchell: The Return
in 1755, Fritz hinted he could visit, and G2 was all NO NO NO DO NOT WANT to his ministers, who had to tone it down and massage it into a diplomatic reply
ROTFL
This is how Blanning describes this episode, while recounting Anglo-Prussian relations leading up to the Seven Years' War:
Fortunately, relations with Uncle George (II) had thawed slightly from their normal state of deep freeze. Back in 1751 Frederick had gone out of his way to upset him by sending the Jacobite Earl Marischal George Keith to Versailles as Prussian ambassador. When his foreign minister, Podewils, asked how George might react, Frederick replied coarsely, “I don’t give a fuck!” 86 In late 1754, however, the two kings had cooperated to contain the damage to the Protestant party in the Holy Roman Empire threatened by the conversion of the Crown Prince of Hessen-Kassel to Catholicism. The ice was dissolved further when Frederick traveled across Germany to his territories in the west in May 1755, passing close to George, who was in residence at Herrenhausen. Although the two kings did not meet, amicable messages were exchanged.
Amicable messages thanks to the underappreciated ministers, I see.
Blanning continues:
Frederick also used a visit by the Duchess of Brunswick to the Hanoverian court, on a matrimonial mission of her own, to convey informally the assurance that he would never attack his uncle’s territories.
Fritz: Just in case you had any concerns on that front, or anything.
G2: Thanks, I guess. Your word is as good as gold!
The recall of Jean-Henri D'Andrie, who was Prussian minister in London from 1738 to 1747, left Prussian representation there in the hands of a secretary of legation.
Note: this is when the Brits suggest Peter Keith, and Fritz is all NO NO NO DO NOT WANT about the idea. :P
Mitchell, due to being on the front lines with Fritz, was one of the few who got to know Eichel and get alone with him well - until later 1758, which was when Mitchell went from distructing Heinrich to hanging out with Heinrich more and more, and Eichel (who apparantly was the "loyal only to the monarch and no one else" type - when FW ruled, this was FW, when Fritz ruled, it was Fritz) became distrustful of Mitchell and considered him contaminated by Heinrich's Fritz-critical opinions
Oohh, this is very neat! It's not the least bit surprising of Eichel, but it is new information. Also, Mitchell getting to know him, that *is* a coup!
G2's immediate reaction is not on record
Lol. I still remember Lavisse saying it was a pity that FW's alliance with France never got him into this position vis-a-vis the Emperor.
Mitchell dates:
Woot! This is going in the chronology! This is soooo great, thank you so much.
1730: Andrew resumes his studies, enroles at the law faculty i nLeyden where he spends two semesters (this means he's in the Netherlands when Peter Keith hightails it out of Prussia); (studying in the Netherlands for two terms was also what Boswell did before embarking on his Grand Tour, when I read this bit, I thought, that sounds familiar)
Neat!
In 1747 Lord Chesterfield, speaking from his experience as secretary of state, and ith the friction between Hannover and Prussia in mind, believed that 'whoever went to Berlin must be a very unhappy man between the two courts".
So I know that the Prussian report says that Chesterfield wasn't home when Keith showed up, but he returned to Britain in 1732 and married Aunt Melusine's daughter (possible lover of Katte) Petronella in 1733, and Peter was evidently in London around 1734-1736, so...I wonder if Peter thanked him for his staff's role in saving his life, and if they got to know each other, and if Chesterfield, who was busy expressing opinions on the state of Anglo-Prussian diplomacy in 1747, was interested in getting Keith sent to Britain that year. It's tenuous, but it's possible.
In sum, I've been waiting for this write-up, and, as always,