I feel like this particular bit wasn't Fritz' problem exactly.
No. I just checked, and late 1742 is covered by AW getting appointed as Commander of the Spandau-stationed regiment Derschau at the end of November and getting gifted Oranienburg in December.
Okay. Hm. Fritz at the end of January '43: I wish I could be useful to you. [Now there's a turn-around, that's usually AW's line.] I'm not as vengeful as you think and know to distinguish indiscretion from malice. The only consequence is that one has to beware of people who can't keep their mouth shut and only tell them things everybody already knows. But let's not talk about the past anymore. And then the next letter from May: It was natural that given my honest love for you, I suffered some displeasure this winter, which came from a direction I least expected. But I assure you, everything is forgotten, and you shall never notice any resentment from me towards you as long as you live. Feel free to come here whenever you want. Which kind of sounds to me like someone in AW's circle (I hope not AW himself) might have talked about things they shouldn't have? AW's letters seem to be lost, since Volz doesn't know more either, but I wanted to put it out there in case anyone comes across something in the future. Mysteries in letters are intriguing. (And frustrating.)
AW thinks that if the King insists on leading his armies himself, then he should appoint a prince of the royal family as regent to govern in his absence in war time. HINT. HINT.
Heee.
Also, interesting, because he was so determined to join Fritz in the previous war and not particularly impressed with the "I want to protect you as the heir, so stay in Berlin" argument, but this suggests that he'd be fine with staying at home and not earning military honours as long as he feels like he gets to do something else that's useful. I know you said before that he became rather disenchanted with the whole idea of going to war and this fits right in. (Also fits my impression from his 1756/57 Mina letters that he was very torn - maybe without being quite aware of it - because he really seemed to hate war and like he wanted to be anywhere else, but also felt like he desperately needed to gain honour and usefulness as a commander.)
"Religion" is also interesting because it shows that AW in the mid 1740s is still influenced by Dad in this regard more than by Fritz
Yeah, also an impression I got, even with Volz' explicitely editing the topic (but largely on the Fritz side I suspect). There are repeated mentions of AW attending religious events, especially around Lent/Easter, and one time where Fritz point blank tells him that AW can do what he wants, but he, Fritz, is NOT going to attend anything, thank you, because he doesn't believe and doesn't want to be a hypocrite.
You know, "The Adventures of Biche" would actually make a good topic for a children's book,
True. I like that idea!
recalling that Fritz' (and Heinrich's) laundry was stolen on that occasion as well
One reason why I want to know if AW commented on Fritz' choice of example at all. (But as we've established, he hardly would have teased him about it, which is too bad.)
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Re: Fritz/AW Correspondence
Date: 2021-04-25 06:59 pm (UTC)I feel like this particular bit wasn't Fritz' problem exactly.
No. I just checked, and late 1742 is covered by AW getting appointed as Commander of the Spandau-stationed regiment Derschau at the end of November and getting gifted Oranienburg in December.
Okay. Hm. Fritz at the end of January '43: I wish I could be useful to you. [Now there's a turn-around, that's usually AW's line.] I'm not as vengeful as you think and know to distinguish indiscretion from malice. The only consequence is that one has to beware of people who can't keep their mouth shut and only tell them things everybody already knows. But let's not talk about the past anymore. And then the next letter from May: It was natural that given my honest love for you, I suffered some displeasure this winter, which came from a direction I least expected. But I assure you, everything is forgotten, and you shall never notice any resentment from me towards you as long as you live. Feel free to come here whenever you want.
Which kind of sounds to me like someone in AW's circle (I hope not AW himself) might have talked about things they shouldn't have? AW's letters seem to be lost, since Volz doesn't know more either, but I wanted to put it out there in case anyone comes across something in the future. Mysteries in letters are intriguing. (And frustrating.)
AW thinks that if the King insists on leading his armies himself, then he should appoint a prince of the royal family as regent to govern in his absence in war time. HINT. HINT.
Heee.
Also, interesting, because he was so determined to join Fritz in the previous war and not particularly impressed with the "I want to protect you as the heir, so stay in Berlin" argument, but this suggests that he'd be fine with staying at home and not earning military honours as long as he feels like he gets to do something else that's useful. I know you said before that he became rather disenchanted with the whole idea of going to war and this fits right in. (Also fits my impression from his 1756/57 Mina letters that he was very torn - maybe without being quite aware of it - because he really seemed to hate war and like he wanted to be anywhere else, but also felt like he desperately needed to gain honour and usefulness as a commander.)
"Religion" is also interesting because it shows that AW in the mid 1740s is still influenced by Dad in this regard more than by Fritz
Yeah, also an impression I got, even with Volz' explicitely editing the topic (but largely on the Fritz side I suspect). There are repeated mentions of AW attending religious events, especially around Lent/Easter, and one time where Fritz point blank tells him that AW can do what he wants, but he, Fritz, is NOT going to attend anything, thank you, because he doesn't believe and doesn't want to be a hypocrite.
You know, "The Adventures of Biche" would actually make a good topic for a children's book,
True. I like that idea!
recalling that Fritz' (and Heinrich's) laundry was stolen on that occasion as well
One reason why I want to know if AW commented on Fritz' choice of example at all. (But as we've established, he hardly would have teased him about it, which is too bad.)