Leineweber is a good doctoral thesis writer and compares it with the FW biographies which had appeared until Morgenstern's death, like Mauvillons, but suspects he might not have read them, as the political-biographical backstory on FW's youth is either Fritz-derived (F1) or just plain wrong (FW learning the art of war directly from Wlliam of Orange, who was dead by the time FW could have done so). Morgenstern also has some evidently wrong conclusions about what he observes. So, the fact that FW while making a point of speaking German was in fact fluent in French (when La Chetardie introduced his successor Valory to him, FW talked to them entirely in French for an hour) made Morgenstern assume he must have learned his good French as a young man when campaigning in Brabant. This was nonsense; FW learned it as a child mainly from his governess Madame de Roucoulles, it was in fact his first language; he made himself adopt German as a primary language later, but, says Leineweber, you can tell from some phrases even in the 1730s cabinet orders that he must have been thinking in French because the expressions and word orders he uses are direct literal translations, not how you'd naturally phrase it in German.
Speaking of Madame de Roucoulles; Leineweber points out that the fact FW appointed his own governess as Fritz' governess demonstrates that his opinion of the education he received can't have been as negative as Morgenstern claims it was. As for SC not interfering in Tiny Terror FW's terrorism: one of her few surviving letters to her confidant Fräulein von Pöllnitiz is all about that. And of course, that is why F1 appointed the strict Calvinist teacher who gave FW such a lasting impression of hellfire and predestination. Far from hating his Dad, says Leineweber, aside from his own affectionate letters (and those of F1 to him) we have the written at the time testiomony of other observers showing him being incredibly supportive through F1's final illness, crying about him, and beating up (naturally) an officer who dared to suggest that hey, at least soon FW will be able to make all those changes he wants to make.
Caroline: Morgenstern is the sole biographer to report that story. Leineweber also can't imagine that either Pöllnitz or Wilhelmine would have left it out of their respective memoirs if if the tale of FW's youthful and lasting love had been making the court gossip round. (Then again: it's always possible FW told Morgenstern after deciding to trust him and hadn't told anyone else.)
F1 to blame for baby Friedrich Ludwig dying and baby Friedrich Wilhelm dying as well (the former due to loud canon salutes, the later due to being treated by F1's bad doctor: Leineweber points out that the supposedly bad doctor was in fact one of the very very few F1 officials to not only survive into FW's era but to actually get a PAY RAISE from FW. This definitely argues against FW holding him responsible for the death of his baby son.
FW illegitimate? Nonsense, says Leineweber for pretty much my reasons. Firstly, SC would not have said this to her son, and secondly, FW, even drunk, would not have said it to his generals. This was really an incredibly touchy issue for 18th century royals. (Which is why the story of Heinrich and Ferdinand saying they wouldn't handwave their claim on the succession for a bastard is at least plausible, and why Catherine's son Paul was so majorly invested into demonstrating he was, in fact, (P)Russian Pete's son.)
F1 marrying unnessarily for a third time (as per Fritz and Morgenstern): not true, says Leineweber, since at the time of F1's last marriage the two baby boys had died, FW was without male issue, and F1 definitely did NOT want his Schwedt half brothers, sons of poisoning stepmom, to inherit his new kingdom.
Contradiction between on the one hand claiming FW was the best, and on the other hand including anecdotes in which he's the worst: Leineweber, as mentioned, thinks this was entirely intentional on Morgenstern's part. He's sitting in his Potsdam rooms, being lonely and bitter, but also aware that Fritz' official position on his father is to honor and praise him. So he writes a biography which ostensibly does just that but also delivers plenty of digs and anti-FW material, just like he'd been ordered to talk about scholars being idiots and ended up talking about everyone being fools. And course he was a practiced double talker and spy.
So: FW hagiography or FW critiqute? Both, says Leineweber.
Leineweber's critique on Morgenstern's FW biography:
Speaking of Madame de Roucoulles; Leineweber points out that the fact FW appointed his own governess as Fritz' governess demonstrates that his opinion of the education he received can't have been as negative as Morgenstern claims it was. As for SC not interfering in Tiny Terror FW's terrorism: one of her few surviving letters to her confidant Fräulein von Pöllnitiz is all about that. And of course, that is why F1 appointed the strict Calvinist teacher who gave FW such a lasting impression of hellfire and predestination. Far from hating his Dad, says Leineweber, aside from his own affectionate letters (and those of F1 to him) we have the written at the time testiomony of other observers showing him being incredibly supportive through F1's final illness, crying about him, and beating up (naturally) an officer who dared to suggest that hey, at least soon FW will be able to make all those changes he wants to make.
Caroline: Morgenstern is the sole biographer to report that story. Leineweber also can't imagine that either Pöllnitz or Wilhelmine would have left it out of their respective memoirs if if the tale of FW's youthful and lasting love had been making the court gossip round. (Then again: it's always possible FW told Morgenstern after deciding to trust him and hadn't told anyone else.)
F1 to blame for baby Friedrich Ludwig dying and baby Friedrich Wilhelm dying as well (the former due to loud canon salutes, the later due to being treated by F1's bad doctor: Leineweber points out that the supposedly bad doctor was in fact one of the very very few F1 officials to not only survive into FW's era but to actually get a PAY RAISE from FW. This definitely argues against FW holding him responsible for the death of his baby son.
FW illegitimate? Nonsense, says Leineweber for pretty much my reasons. Firstly, SC would not have said this to her son, and secondly, FW, even drunk, would not have said it to his generals. This was really an incredibly touchy issue for 18th century royals. (Which is why the story of Heinrich and Ferdinand saying they wouldn't handwave their claim on the succession for a bastard is at least plausible, and why Catherine's son Paul was so majorly invested into demonstrating he was, in fact, (P)Russian Pete's son.)
F1 marrying unnessarily for a third time (as per Fritz and Morgenstern): not true, says Leineweber, since at the time of F1's last marriage the two baby boys had died, FW was without male issue, and F1 definitely did NOT want his Schwedt half brothers, sons of poisoning stepmom, to inherit his new kingdom.
Contradiction between on the one hand claiming FW was the best, and on the other hand including anecdotes in which he's the worst: Leineweber, as mentioned, thinks this was entirely intentional on Morgenstern's part. He's sitting in his Potsdam rooms, being lonely and bitter, but also aware that Fritz' official position on his father is to honor and praise him. So he writes a biography which ostensibly does just that but also delivers plenty of digs and anti-FW material, just like he'd been ordered to talk about scholars being idiots and ended up talking about everyone being fools. And course he was a practiced double talker and spy.
So: FW hagiography or FW critiqute? Both, says Leineweber.