Thea von Seydewitz' Manteuffel biography filled in those gaps about Manteuffel's political career, for the first explained to me where the weird "that time Grumbkow was in a scheme to assassinate FW" story from Wilhelmine's memoirs hails from, actually mentions Suhm a couple of times, and does a good job presenting a picture of its subject based on the sources available at the time (which include Other Seckendorff's diary, since this was published in 1926).
On the downside, there's that early 20th century... everything. She's not as nationalistic as, say, Richter, and thankfully there isn't an anti semitic remark in sight, but between describing the German nobility's habit of raising their kids bilingual, with French as the dominating language, which is described as "unfortunate" at the beginning and in her final "Manteuffel: Pros and Cons" summary listing as a pro that he tried to wrest Fritz out of the arms of the perfidious French (that's one way of putting it...), you definitely get the impression she didn't care for our neighbour across the Rhine. (Not withstanding presenting all the longer quotes in French and translating only the shorter ones in to German, which means I still haven't worked my way through the longer quotes.) She also while noting Manteuffel had a pretty good idea of the genius that was Fritz regrets he didn't quite realize the genius that was misunderstood FW, allowing the Tall Guys fetish and some of the "rougher" attitudes to blind Manteuffel for his true greatness.
Oh, and then there's this bit which made me go ????.
Seydewitz: Wilhelmine says Manteuffel and Frau von Blaspiel were lovers, but her memoirs aren't always reliable, and also Wilhelmine is a malicious gossip.
Self: Okay?
Seydewitz: Though Manteuffel was totally in love with Blaspiel. In fact, she may have been the only woman he truly loved, as evidenced in this lengthy French passage from a letter of his to Flemming which I'll now quote. All his other relationships with women were shallow or, like his marriage, for money and continuation of the family, but he was really into this one.
Self: So what is the malicious gossip part of Wilhelmine's take on the relationship again?
(Probable reason, though I'm speculating here in letting our author reply: Seydewitz: Sex. Just because he loved her and she loved him, there's no proof they ever had it. They were both married, after all. Wilhelmine says they were lovers, thus insinuating they had sex.=
With this advance warning and with an emphasis on the parts of Manteuffel's life not already covered by Bronisch (i.e. no Wolff saga, he had that investigated much more thoroughly than Seydewitz does here), let's have a look and the life and times of Le Diable: the political side.
So, here were go again. Born a Pomeranian noble with thirteen siblings, most of which died as babies, and none of whom actually played a role in his life. His last sibling, a sister, dies when he's the Saxon envoy in Berlin, and Flemming basically congratulates him that he now gets all his father's money in the "condolence" letter. (Fritz: no longer the worst condolence letter writer of the 18th century!) Manteuffel forms a couple of long lasting relationships through his life and proves to be a good friend capable of loyalty and strong affections, and also while being a lousy husband he'll be a good father to his daughters, but as far as his parents and the siblings were concerned, there seems to have been just polite respect.
(Seydewitz: Also, let me generalize here about Pomeranians, who are down to earth, honest folk incapable of deception as a rule. Manteuffel traded on that reputation when winning FW around despite being not a military guy (he never, not even for a hot second, served in any army) and being very much into culture. FW bought that "honest Pomeranian" image, too, but look, most Pomeranians are like that!
Self: Hang on. Even leaving aside that assigning characteristics to provinces is nonsense, let's have a look at some 18th century examples. Wasn't Grumbkow from Pomerania, too? Also, of course, Fredersdorf. I'll give you "down to earth", possibly, though there's the alchemy interest, but look, the guy did lead Fritz' spy ring.)
Young Manteuffel studies and gets his degree in Leipzig. This leaves him with a lasting fondness for the academic life and sciences far beyond the fashionable interest of his era. When he moves back to Leipzig for his final years, he'll celebrate his 50 years degree anniversary at his alma mater by re-enrolling and attending lectures. Then he goes on the Grand Tour, which in his case means the Netherlands, including a term at Utrecht, Belgium and France. He stays in Paris in a year, perfecting his French to Parisian levels. Like Fritz, his life long love for the French language and for (some) French literature won't mean he doesn't see France the political entity as an enemy. Unlike Fritz, it also won't mean he won't read and befriend German writing Germans authors, notably Wolff and both Gottscheds.
Once he's back in Prussia, Dad gets him a job at F1's court as Kammerjunker. Alas young Manteuffel blows this by unwise satire on the Countess Wartenberg, wife of one of the three Ws and mistress to F1 (because a King has to have one). The Wartenbergs sue, and the ongoing trial - which lasts until Count Wartenberg is toppled from favour by Crown Prince FW - has one very inconvenient condition - Dad Manteuffel promises he won't support cheeky son Manteuffel financially until it's over. This means young Diable shows up in Saxony basically broke. However, in a stroke of luck, he meets and impresses the current most powerful minister in August the Strong's cabinet, Flemming, who takes him on as a protegé. Manteuffel learns all about politics from him, including the unsavoury parts, but as opposed to to many a mentor/protegé relationship in politics which ends up with the protegé turning against the mentor or even replacing him, Manteuffel will remain loyal to Flemming for the rest of Flemming's life, even when he doesn't need him anymore. Not Seydewitz but yours truly is tempted to speculate that Flemming is the actual father figure in Manteuffel's life.)
Flemming gets Manteuffel his first diplomatic appointment, at the Danish court.
(Seydewitz: Let me make here a style critique. Manteuffel's reports and letters are informative and contain good anecdotes, but the manly to the point brevity of a Suhm is beyond him, and he even admits in a letter he tends to ramble. This is the first mention of Suhm in this book, but not the last.)
Rambling aside, Manteuffel has other problems. Because after some brief splendid years as King of Poland, August the Strong is currently reduced to being just Prince Elector of Saxony again courtesy of the double whammy of the French backing Stanislas Lecysnski (not for the last time) and Charles of Sweden invading and treating Saxony as his backyard. Being the young envoy of a defeated prince isn't fun, not to mention Manteuffel doesn't get his salary for the longest time. In a very 18th century noble way, he complains about his money woes in his report home by painting a picture of his creditors now wanting to pawn his underwear from his laundress, his wardrobe from his tailor and his carriage from his table. After he has to sell the kitchen silver, money finally arrives. And he goes on to prove he's worth it; he manages to talk the Danish King around to a neutrality treaty with Saxony, with the long term goal of making this neutrality treaty a friendship and alliance treaty, which since Denmark is next door to Sweden has obvious implications. This achievement is celebrated in Dresden, and Manteuffel's literal and metaphorical credit both in Saxony and in Denmark rises.
Seydewitz: A word about bribery here. To us, accepting any money sounds skeevy, but in terms of the 18th century, Manteuffel actually shows ethics when writing to Flemming he's decided that taking money from foreign governments is cool, as long as you never fleece and rob your own, not least because he'll stick to that.
Alas, Manteuffel's second stint as envoy in Denmark is not as successful, not least because his greater confidence means he makes the mistake of lecturing the Danish King ("Denmark is a truly Christian country, since the Danish administration seems to believe God will do all the necessary work"), who basically kicks him out.
Seydewitz: Just before that, he writes another untranslated lengthy French passage to Flemming which makes him sound like a French revolutionary about how absolute monarchy sucks. I could not believe my eyes the first time I read that, both because Manteuffel wrote it and because whom he wrote it to - Flemming, a life long career courtier and enabler of an absolute monarch, who doesn't seem to disagree much. Guys, if you thought that way, why didn't you say so out loud? Okay, I understand, it would have been career suicide, but still. It would have been manly and noble.
Flemming and August don't blame Manteuffel for this, though, not least because what he lectured King Christian on was the truth, and since the three Ws are out of power by now (with Grandpa Wartensleben the sole one not disgraced), Manteuffel gets a really plum asiggnment as envoy next: Berlin! F1 is still King, and he and Manteuffel now hit it off famously. Then he dies, much to Manteuffel's initial regret, FW becomes King, and Manteuffel for the first time proves how good he really can be when challenged: despite not being into FW for a whole variety of reasons - the cheapness, the military fetish, the tall guys, the drinking - Manteuffel actually isn't a natural born drinker, but both FW and August are, so whenever he's with them, he has to fake it - , the rudeness - and despite being an unpromising candidate aside from being tall (not a soldier, never has been! Into culture and hedonism!), he manages to win FW over not just to himself as Saxon envoy, but to himself. He does this partly through altering his public persona somewhat - as mentioned earlier, he suddenly plays up his Pomeranian origins, and retunes his conversation to less culture, more jokes, and partly by becoming buddies with Grumbkow.
Seydewitz: Let me observe here that in his reports to Flemming, he was honestly impressed with some of FW's traits, the workoholism and some of the reforms, though regretably he did not recognize FW's true greatness. Also, as an example of how our standards for Kings have altered, look no further than Manteuffel never getting over his dislike for FW's cheapness, err, thriftiness, while never once complaining about August's gigantic waste of money.
Self: August was his boss, complaining about that to Flemming who enabled the expenses would have been counterproductive, but I still see your point. Baroque and Rokoko folk expected Kings to be generous and throw money around, and one reason why FW was regarded as such a freak was that he didn't.
Manteuffel also won over Frau von Baspiel, SD's lady-in-waiting, wife to FW's pre Grumbkow minister of war, Baspiel, for the Saxon cause, not just to his own personal charms. From this point onwards, she'll correspond not just with him but with Flemming, which becomes a pot point. As mentioned, he confesses to Flemming of being actually in love with her. She's beautiful, she's smart, cultured, and when SD is made regent by FW during his first lengthy absence, she, acting on Manteuffel's suggestion, talks SD into demanding protocols for every council session, protocols which Frau von Baspiel then shares with her lover and Flemming, so they really know exactly what's going on.
(Seydewitz: Though the claim that they were lovers, just because they were in love, is malicious gossip on Wilhelmine's part.)
Needless to say, this all makes Flemming & August very happy with Manteuffel indeed, and Manteuffel gets a promotion, from envoy to minister of the interior in August's cabinet. About the last thing he has to do as Saxony's envoy in Berlin, though, is carrying out Flemming's instructions to have FW arrest Countess Cosel in exchange for some tall deserters (which will end up in Cosel being imprisoned for the rest of her life).
Manteuffel to Flemming: I know she's your arch enemy and thus also mine, and she sure as hell didn't do anything for me while she was still in favour, but nonetheless, this seems a bit harsh, no?
Seydewitz: Look, I'm not uncritically fond of you, but waxing on sentimentally about something you participate in is cheap.
Self: I'm with you on that one.
Hanging out with August directly means more drinking, so it's a good thing Manteuffel is FW-trained by now. It also means not handing over a note from one of August's many one night stands to August when he's in the company of the current Maitresse en titre, Countess Dönhoff. And it means working towards an ever closer Saxony-Prussia-Austria alliance within the HRE, a long term goal which sufferes a temporary heavy blow when the Clement Affair happens in 1719. Which is when I get my explanation as to where Wilhelmine got her story about a near FW assassination from. Not, as I guessed, from Mom, or not only; most likely, she got it from Dad. How so? Well, brace yourself. It's going to be wild ride...
Le Diable: The Political Biography - A
On the downside, there's that early 20th century... everything. She's not as nationalistic as, say, Richter, and thankfully there isn't an anti semitic remark in sight, but between describing the German nobility's habit of raising their kids bilingual, with French as the dominating language, which is described as "unfortunate" at the beginning and in her final "Manteuffel: Pros and Cons" summary listing as a pro that he tried to wrest Fritz out of the arms of the perfidious French (that's one way of putting it...), you definitely get the impression she didn't care for our neighbour across the Rhine. (Not withstanding presenting all the longer quotes in French and translating only the shorter ones in to German, which means I still haven't worked my way through the longer quotes.) She also while noting Manteuffel had a pretty good idea of the genius that was Fritz regrets he didn't quite realize the genius that was misunderstood FW, allowing the Tall Guys fetish and some of the "rougher" attitudes to blind Manteuffel for his true greatness.
Oh, and then there's this bit which made me go ????.
Seydewitz: Wilhelmine says Manteuffel and Frau von Blaspiel were lovers, but her memoirs aren't always reliable, and also Wilhelmine is a malicious gossip.
Self: Okay?
Seydewitz: Though Manteuffel was totally in love with Blaspiel. In fact, she may have been the only woman he truly loved, as evidenced in this lengthy French passage from a letter of his to Flemming which I'll now quote. All his other relationships with women were shallow or, like his marriage, for money and continuation of the family, but he was really into this one.
Self: So what is the malicious gossip part of Wilhelmine's take on the relationship again?
(Probable reason, though I'm speculating here in letting our author reply: Seydewitz: Sex. Just because he loved her and she loved him, there's no proof they ever had it. They were both married, after all. Wilhelmine says they were lovers, thus insinuating they had sex.=
With this advance warning and with an emphasis on the parts of Manteuffel's life not already covered by Bronisch (i.e. no Wolff saga, he had that investigated much more thoroughly than Seydewitz does here), let's have a look and the life and times of Le Diable: the political side.
So, here were go again. Born a Pomeranian noble with thirteen siblings, most of which died as babies, and none of whom actually played a role in his life. His last sibling, a sister, dies when he's the Saxon envoy in Berlin, and Flemming basically congratulates him that he now gets all his father's money in the "condolence" letter. (Fritz: no longer the worst condolence letter writer of the 18th century!) Manteuffel forms a couple of long lasting relationships through his life and proves to be a good friend capable of loyalty and strong affections, and also while being a lousy husband he'll be a good father to his daughters, but as far as his parents and the siblings were concerned, there seems to have been just polite respect.
(Seydewitz: Also, let me generalize here about Pomeranians, who are down to earth, honest folk incapable of deception as a rule. Manteuffel traded on that reputation when winning FW around despite being not a military guy (he never, not even for a hot second, served in any army) and being very much into culture. FW bought that "honest Pomeranian" image, too, but look, most Pomeranians are like that!
Self: Hang on. Even leaving aside that assigning characteristics to provinces is nonsense, let's have a look at some 18th century examples. Wasn't Grumbkow from Pomerania, too? Also, of course, Fredersdorf. I'll give you "down to earth", possibly, though there's the alchemy interest, but look, the guy did lead Fritz' spy ring.)
Young Manteuffel studies and gets his degree in Leipzig. This leaves him with a lasting fondness for the academic life and sciences far beyond the fashionable interest of his era. When he moves back to Leipzig for his final years, he'll celebrate his 50 years degree anniversary at his alma mater by re-enrolling and attending lectures. Then he goes on the Grand Tour, which in his case means the Netherlands, including a term at Utrecht, Belgium and France. He stays in Paris in a year, perfecting his French to Parisian levels. Like Fritz, his life long love for the French language and for (some) French literature won't mean he doesn't see France the political entity as an enemy. Unlike Fritz, it also won't mean he won't read and befriend German writing Germans authors, notably Wolff and both Gottscheds.
Once he's back in Prussia, Dad gets him a job at F1's court as Kammerjunker. Alas young Manteuffel blows this by unwise satire on the Countess Wartenberg, wife of one of the three Ws and mistress to F1 (because a King has to have one). The Wartenbergs sue, and the ongoing trial - which lasts until Count Wartenberg is toppled from favour by Crown Prince FW - has one very inconvenient condition - Dad Manteuffel promises he won't support cheeky son Manteuffel financially until it's over. This means young Diable shows up in Saxony basically broke. However, in a stroke of luck, he meets and impresses the current most powerful minister in August the Strong's cabinet, Flemming, who takes him on as a protegé. Manteuffel learns all about politics from him, including the unsavoury parts, but as opposed to to many a mentor/protegé relationship in politics which ends up with the protegé turning against the mentor or even replacing him, Manteuffel will remain loyal to Flemming for the rest of Flemming's life, even when he doesn't need him anymore. Not Seydewitz but yours truly is tempted to speculate that Flemming is the actual father figure in Manteuffel's life.)
Flemming gets Manteuffel his first diplomatic appointment, at the Danish court.
(Seydewitz: Let me make here a style critique. Manteuffel's reports and letters are informative and contain good anecdotes, but the manly to the point brevity of a Suhm is beyond him, and he even admits in a letter he tends to ramble. This is the first mention of Suhm in this book, but not the last.)
Rambling aside, Manteuffel has other problems. Because after some brief splendid years as King of Poland, August the Strong is currently reduced to being just Prince Elector of Saxony again courtesy of the double whammy of the French backing Stanislas Lecysnski (not for the last time) and Charles of Sweden invading and treating Saxony as his backyard. Being the young envoy of a defeated prince isn't fun, not to mention Manteuffel doesn't get his salary for the longest time. In a very 18th century noble way, he complains about his money woes in his report home by painting a picture of his creditors now wanting to pawn his underwear from his laundress, his wardrobe from his tailor and his carriage from his table. After he has to sell the kitchen silver, money finally arrives. And he goes on to prove he's worth it; he manages to talk the Danish King around to a neutrality treaty with Saxony, with the long term goal of making this neutrality treaty a friendship and alliance treaty, which since Denmark is next door to Sweden has obvious implications. This achievement is celebrated in Dresden, and Manteuffel's literal and metaphorical credit both in Saxony and in Denmark rises.
Seydewitz: A word about bribery here. To us, accepting any money sounds skeevy, but in terms of the 18th century, Manteuffel actually shows ethics when writing to Flemming he's decided that taking money from foreign governments is cool, as long as you never fleece and rob your own, not least because he'll stick to that.
Alas, Manteuffel's second stint as envoy in Denmark is not as successful, not least because his greater confidence means he makes the mistake of lecturing the Danish King ("Denmark is a truly Christian country, since the Danish administration seems to believe God will do all the necessary work"), who basically kicks him out.
Seydewitz: Just before that, he writes another untranslated lengthy French passage to Flemming which makes him sound like a French revolutionary about how absolute monarchy sucks. I could not believe my eyes the first time I read that, both because Manteuffel wrote it and because whom he wrote it to - Flemming, a life long career courtier and enabler of an absolute monarch, who doesn't seem to disagree much. Guys, if you thought that way, why didn't you say so out loud? Okay, I understand, it would have been career suicide, but still. It would have been manly and noble.
Flemming and August don't blame Manteuffel for this, though, not least because what he lectured King Christian on was the truth, and since the three Ws are out of power by now (with Grandpa Wartensleben the sole one not disgraced), Manteuffel gets a really plum asiggnment as envoy next: Berlin! F1 is still King, and he and Manteuffel now hit it off famously. Then he dies, much to Manteuffel's initial regret, FW becomes King, and Manteuffel for the first time proves how good he really can be when challenged: despite not being into FW for a whole variety of reasons - the cheapness, the military fetish, the tall guys, the drinking - Manteuffel actually isn't a natural born drinker, but both FW and August are, so whenever he's with them, he has to fake it - , the rudeness - and despite being an unpromising candidate aside from being tall (not a soldier, never has been! Into culture and hedonism!), he manages to win FW over not just to himself as Saxon envoy, but to himself. He does this partly through altering his public persona somewhat - as mentioned earlier, he suddenly plays up his Pomeranian origins, and retunes his conversation to less culture, more jokes, and partly by becoming buddies with Grumbkow.
Seydewitz: Let me observe here that in his reports to Flemming, he was honestly impressed with some of FW's traits, the workoholism and some of the reforms, though regretably he did not recognize FW's true greatness. Also, as an example of how our standards for Kings have altered, look no further than Manteuffel never getting over his dislike for FW's cheapness, err, thriftiness, while never once complaining about August's gigantic waste of money.
Self: August was his boss, complaining about that to Flemming who enabled the expenses would have been counterproductive, but I still see your point. Baroque and Rokoko folk expected Kings to be generous and throw money around, and one reason why FW was regarded as such a freak was that he didn't.
Manteuffel also won over Frau von Baspiel, SD's lady-in-waiting, wife to FW's pre Grumbkow minister of war, Baspiel, for the Saxon cause, not just to his own personal charms. From this point onwards, she'll correspond not just with him but with Flemming, which becomes a pot point. As mentioned, he confesses to Flemming of being actually in love with her. She's beautiful, she's smart, cultured, and when SD is made regent by FW during his first lengthy absence, she, acting on Manteuffel's suggestion, talks SD into demanding protocols for every council session, protocols which Frau von Baspiel then shares with her lover and Flemming, so they really know exactly what's going on.
(Seydewitz: Though the claim that they were lovers, just because they were in love, is malicious gossip on Wilhelmine's part.)
Needless to say, this all makes Flemming & August very happy with Manteuffel indeed, and Manteuffel gets a promotion, from envoy to minister of the interior in August's cabinet. About the last thing he has to do as Saxony's envoy in Berlin, though, is carrying out Flemming's instructions to have FW arrest Countess Cosel in exchange for some tall deserters (which will end up in Cosel being imprisoned for the rest of her life).
Manteuffel to Flemming: I know she's your arch enemy and thus also mine, and she sure as hell didn't do anything for me while she was still in favour, but nonetheless, this seems a bit harsh, no?
Seydewitz: Look, I'm not uncritically fond of you, but waxing on sentimentally about something you participate in is cheap.
Self: I'm with you on that one.
Hanging out with August directly means more drinking, so it's a good thing Manteuffel is FW-trained by now. It also means not handing over a note from one of August's many one night stands to August when he's in the company of the current Maitresse en titre, Countess Dönhoff. And it means working towards an ever closer Saxony-Prussia-Austria alliance within the HRE, a long term goal which sufferes a temporary heavy blow when the Clement Affair happens in 1719. Which is when I get my explanation as to where Wilhelmine got her story about a near FW assassination from. Not, as I guessed, from Mom, or not only; most likely, she got it from Dad. How so? Well, brace yourself. It's going to be wild ride...