Mind you, I add that even after Fritzmania, Macaulay of the "Fritz is my problematic fave" has no problem saying Fritz was 100% wrong when he fought against the British (invasion of Silesia, first 2 Silesian wars), and 100% innocent victim of MT when he fought alongside the British (7 Years' War). And what a coincidence. The British are always right!
...Uh huh.
Naturally. This reminds me of reading a review of the Tory governments of the recent decades changing the more critical takes in school books back again to that image of glorious Britain never having been invaded and conquered since William the Conqueror...:
French who invaded successfully when John was King: *cough* William of Orange and Dutch nation: *major cough*
....never fighting unjust wars:
Everyone else, especially in former colonies: *doesn't stop coughing*
...and winning singlehandedly, see also the way Napoleon's defeat is presented in Britain to how it presented in the rest of Europe (basically: group effort, also the Prussians saved Wellington's butt at Waterloo), not to mention WWII. (Enough said.)
I've also read the theory that the reason why the image of Germans changed from impractical poets and lazy jolly innkeepers (18th century, early 19th century) so super efficient soulless bureacrats and killing machines (later 19th century onwards) wasn't just due to the rise of Prussia to the point where Germany = Prussia in public perception but because the Brits, after the 19th century Franco-Prussian war resulting in France defeated within months, having to explain to themselves why their own wars against the French lasted for (a hundred) years, and hitting on the "the Germans are the most efficient soulless killing machines, that's the only reason!" explanation.
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Re: Johnsonia
Date: 2021-02-28 07:36 am (UTC)...Uh huh.
Naturally. This reminds me of reading a review of the Tory governments of the recent decades changing the more critical takes in school books back again to that image of glorious Britain never having been invaded and conquered since William the Conqueror...:
French who invaded successfully when John was King: *cough*
William of Orange and Dutch nation: *major cough*
....never fighting unjust wars:
Everyone else, especially in former colonies: *doesn't stop coughing*
...and winning singlehandedly, see also the way Napoleon's defeat is presented in Britain to how it presented in the rest of Europe (basically: group effort, also the Prussians saved Wellington's butt at Waterloo), not to mention WWII. (Enough said.)
I've also read the theory that the reason why the image of Germans changed from impractical poets and lazy jolly innkeepers (18th century, early 19th century) so super efficient soulless bureacrats and killing machines (later 19th century onwards) wasn't just due to the rise of Prussia to the point where Germany = Prussia in public perception but because the Brits, after the 19th century Franco-Prussian war resulting in France defeated within months, having to explain to themselves why their own wars against the French lasted for (a hundred) years, and hitting on the "the Germans are the most efficient soulless killing machines, that's the only reason!" explanation.