Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 28

[cahn]

That is a lot of posts! :D <3

Comments

Re: From Pyrmont With Love? Waters, Spies, and Dogs

[mildred_of_midgard]

This is great! Speaks the dog-lover and Fredersdorf-defender.

Generally, Fritz was rather secluded and busy in 1744 (which was shortly before the Second Silesian War, not to mention that he acquired Ostfriesland during this period)

And Ulrike's marriage, as we saw! Also, the chronology (which I just updated with Bad Pyrmont dates, thank you), reminds me that June 1744 is also when AW is officially named Prince of Prussia.

Re Ostfriesland, I see from the article that "the Prussians" were raising questions about whether they actually had to pay the debts of the previous royal house (haha), and also that the Dutch were rather uncomfortable with their new neighbor. I bet!

Again, this is happening two months before the Second Silesian War and you know what? Me thinks that Fredersdorf outplayed Unger there!

Hee. Go Fredersdorf!

Okay, checking Duffy's military bio of Fritz, I see June 5 is when Fritz concludes an alliance with France, but reserves the right to go to war only when he saw fit. Apparently he saw fit by the end of June, when the Austrians crossed the Rhine and threatened to invade Alsace.

Since Unger's letter is dated June 14, it's possible Fredersdorf was telling the truth: Fritz was still planning to bide his time when he was in Pyrmont. In Duffy's words, "but he was very soon overtaken by events." The real action seems to have come end of June to July 12, which was when he made a commitment to the French to go to war.

As you can see, lots of comings and goings but not much in terms of actual political intel.

I am reminded of Fritz writing to d'Argens, "In order to know my secrets, you have to corrupt me personally, and that is not easy."

since they only got a very small tip not just from Fritz but also from Heinrich, I'm inclined to think they weren't all that great.

Hahaha. I'm inclined to agree with you.

This sounds like the exact same, printed, "godfather-letter" that AW got (in addition to the hand-written one) a couple years later. (Fritz reusing things? I'm shocked.)

Thrifty in more than one way, our antihero!

But still, fascinating that Fredersdorf got one, too, and first. Also, that it's somewhat semi-public - do we have another instance of Fritz talking about Fredersdorf directly?

I don't want to say we don't, as I may be forgetting one/some, but certainly few enough that it's definitely been on my radar as a thing that doesn't seem to happen much if at all.

This dog was always in the King's bedchamber and when she gave birth, he came and went repeatedly. [Since he had to leave three days later], he left a hunter to take care of her and gave her a pillow from his bed, with the order that as soon as she and her pups could be transported without harming them, they should be carried over the mountains, accompanied by the hunter, and should be treated very carefully.

Aw.

AWWWWW times one million. Thanks for sharing this!

Re: From Pyrmont With Love? Waters, Spies, and Dogs

[felis]

It's a nice little vignette, isn't it? I was rather intrigued by the level of day-to-day detail from a different than usual source.

Okay, checking Duffy's military bio of Fritz, I see June 5 is when Fritz concludes an alliance with France, but reserves the right to go to war only when he saw fit. ...
Since Unger's letter is dated June 14, it's possible Fredersdorf was telling the truth

Ah, okay. I knew that the alliance happened while he was there (and of course the France connection is the main reason for G2 to send a spy in the first place), but not the other details.
Still thinking Fredersdorf was being deliberately cagey (to possibly misleading) while taking care to appear totally cordial and friendly.

(In the 18th century spy movie I was envisioning, he'd figured out Unger's motives for suddenly visiting his father-in-law very quickly of course, so the fever would be faked and he'd hatched the plan - together with Fritz? - to mislead G2's spy. ;))

I don't want to say we don't, as I may be forgetting one/some, but certainly few enough that it's definitely been on my radar as a thing that doesn't seem to happen much if at all.

Yep. And in letters I only recall the List of the Six really.

ETA: that June 1744 is also when AW is officially named Prince of Prussia
I just looked that up, and according to Rödenbeck/Droysen, it's June 30th, and Heinrich gets Rheinsberg two days earlier. Now I'm thinking that both things might have happened because he knew he was going back to war and was a bit more level-headed re: the possible dangers to himself.

Re: From Pyrmont With Love? Waters, Spies, and Dogs

[mildred_of_midgard]

(In the 18th century spy movie I was envisioning, he'd figured out Unger's motives for suddenly visiting his father-in-law very quickly of course, so the fever would be faked and he'd hatched the plan - together with Fritz? - to mislead G2's spy. ;))

Heee, that is a great spy movie! I approve. And the head of Fritz's spy ring should absolutely be able to deceive other spies.

And in letters I only recall the List of the Six really.

Oh, right, the List of the Six! Yeah, there's not much out there. Much like talking about Katte after his death: we've found at least one example, but it's notable by its rarity.

I just looked that up, and according to Rödenbeck/Droysen, it's June 30th, and Heinrich gets Rheinsberg two days earlier. Now I'm thinking that both things might have happened because he knew he was going back to war and was a bit more level-headed re: the possible dangers to himself.

Ooh, good catch, good catch! Heinrich went to war with him, as I recall, so that must have been an interesting "Here's my favorite palace, you might die before you ever get to see it," moment. And Luise gave birth to FW2 in September, so on June 30 they would have known she was pregnant, but not that there would be a male heir.

I've updated the chronology with these dates, thank you! (We're getting closer to a day-by-day account of the 18th century, lol.)