(She also thinks that coming after Voltaire's financial shady dealings, it no doubt heightened Fritz' cynicism about humanity to find himself thus let down by yet another friend.)
I just want to say, before I get off the computer, that I'm sure Mr. Polish Coin Dies was just devastated that he didn't get to invent shady financial dealings, but that other people had engaged in them before him. ;)
Ah, but didn’t you know Fritz was… no, I have to quote this directly. It gives you an idea of her narrative tone throughout. “Johann Pfeiffer has not reckoned with Friedrich II being A SOLDIER KING. Officers and commoners have formed a brotherhood of death with him on the battlefield. Now it is Colonel von Ingersleben, from the noble family of the duchy Magdeburg, who reports to the King with a letter dated November 23 1754.” *
And in the “who died when” final section of the opening chapter: “On August 17th 1786, King Friedrich II dies. He has been forced into the military life. A full treasure and a strong army were given to him as a young ruler. He has used both. Through this, he has become old and fragile. Despite his victories, his enemies did not give him peace. As a human being, he had artistic gifts. He always took care of his friends. He remained utterly incorruptible no matter who and of which rank tried. He dies in the arms of his chamber hussar. Friedrich II gets buried in the garnison church at Potsdam.”
*Of course, Pfeiffer was a soldier, too, and even took an active distinguishing-himself part in the battle of Mollwitz (Cahn, reminder, that was the first big Prussian victory against the Austrians won by Schwerin who had sent Fritz from the battlefield to Fritz’ ever lasting chargrin), and Fredersdorf used to be one, and since we’re talking Prussia after decades of FW and Fritz, you can be pretty sure all native males not, like Lehndorff, having physical impediments served as soldiers at some point. And she does write “Soldatenkönig”, Soldier King, as the ultimate accolade of our antihero. I don’t think she’s even heard of the Polish matter. Other than Fontane and the documents from the archives, her sources on Fritz as listed in the bibliography are only two books: “Der König - Lebensdokumente. Wilhelm Langewische-Brandt, München, Leipzig”, no date of publication given, and “Friedrich II - Jugendjahre, Siegried SCwanz, Edition Rieger, Karwe”, again no date of publication given. Our author herself started to go to school in the year 1932, as a quick glance at the rest of the book tells me, meaning she must have been 6 years then, which is presumably where the deep belief in soldierness as making you incorruptble comes from.
...so I blinked at SOLDIER KING, wow, but I was particularly pleased by "brotherhood of death"!!!! (I just feel like she should have used more exclamation points) and I will have to try to come up with reasons to use that phrase more!
Lol though to Pfeiffer also being a soldier! In Mollwitz! (and Fredersdorf of course)
(man, that narrative tone though... all hail, as always, for reading and reporting it all <3 )
Our author herself started to go to school in the year 1932, as a quick glance at the rest of the book tells me, meaning she must have been 6 years then, which is presumably where the deep belief in soldierness as making you incorruptble comes from.
Ahhhh, yes, that'll do it.
“Der König - Lebensdokumente. Wilhelm Langewische-Brandt, München, Leipzig”, no date of publication given
My best guess, based on Google books snippet view, is 1910. So yeah.
Friedrich II - Jugendjahre, Siegried SCwanz, Edition Rieger, Karwe
This one appears to be 1998, again based on snippet view.
Of course, Pfeiffer was a soldier, too, and even took an active distinguishing-himself part in the battle of Mollwitz</cite.
Funnily, I was reading half a dozen biographical dictionaries last night, and nearly every one had "Distinguished himself at the battle of Mollwitz in 1741" near the very beginning of the entry, so I had that pretty well drummed into my head!
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Kiekemal Tale: The Aftermath
Date: 2021-09-04 12:32 am (UTC)I just want to say, before I get off the computer, that I'm sure Mr. Polish Coin Dies was just devastated that he didn't get to invent shady financial dealings, but that other people had engaged in them before him. ;)
Re: The Kiekemal Tale: The Aftermath
Date: 2021-09-04 03:20 am (UTC)“Johann Pfeiffer has not reckoned with Friedrich II being A SOLDIER KING. Officers and commoners have formed a brotherhood of death with him on the battlefield. Now it is Colonel von Ingersleben, from the noble family of the duchy Magdeburg, who reports to the King with a letter dated November 23 1754.” *
And in the “who died when” final section of the opening chapter:
“On August 17th 1786, King Friedrich II dies. He has been forced into the military life. A full treasure and a strong army were given to him as a young ruler. He has used both. Through this, he has become old and fragile. Despite his victories, his enemies did not give him peace. As a human being, he had artistic gifts. He always took care of his friends. He remained utterly incorruptible no matter who and of which rank tried. He dies in the arms of his chamber hussar. Friedrich II gets buried in the garnison church at Potsdam.”
*Of course, Pfeiffer was a soldier, too, and even took an active distinguishing-himself part in the battle of Mollwitz (Cahn, reminder, that was the first big Prussian victory against the Austrians won by Schwerin who had sent Fritz from the battlefield to Fritz’ ever lasting chargrin), and Fredersdorf used to be one, and since we’re talking Prussia after decades of FW and Fritz, you can be pretty sure all native males not, like Lehndorff, having physical impediments served as soldiers at some point. And she does write “Soldatenkönig”, Soldier King, as the ultimate accolade of our antihero. I don’t think she’s even heard of the Polish matter. Other than Fontane and the documents from the archives, her sources on Fritz as listed in the bibliography are only two books: “Der König - Lebensdokumente. Wilhelm Langewische-Brandt, München, Leipzig”, no date of publication given, and “Friedrich II - Jugendjahre, Siegried SCwanz, Edition Rieger, Karwe”, again no date of publication given. Our author herself started to go to school in the year 1932, as a quick glance at the rest of the book tells me, meaning she must have been 6 years then, which is presumably where the deep belief in soldierness as making you incorruptble comes from.
Re: The Kiekemal Tale: The Aftermath
Date: 2021-09-04 05:40 am (UTC)Lol though to Pfeiffer also being a soldier! In Mollwitz! (and Fredersdorf of course)
(man, that narrative tone though... all hail, as always, for reading and reporting it all <3 )
Re: The Kiekemal Tale: The Aftermath
Date: 2021-09-04 02:23 pm (UTC)Ha!
and I will have to try to come up with reasons to use that phrase more!
*spittake* I look forward to you using this phrase more!
(man, that narrative tone though... all hail, as always, for reading and reporting it all <3 )
This. <3 All hail Selena.
Re: The Kiekemal Tale: The Aftermath
Date: 2021-09-04 02:22 pm (UTC)Our author herself started to go to school in the year 1932, as a quick glance at the rest of the book tells me, meaning she must have been 6 years then, which is presumably where the deep belief in soldierness as making you incorruptble comes from.
Ahhhh, yes, that'll do it.
“Der König - Lebensdokumente. Wilhelm Langewische-Brandt, München, Leipzig”, no date of publication given
My best guess, based on Google books snippet view, is 1910. So yeah.
Friedrich II - Jugendjahre, Siegried SCwanz, Edition Rieger, Karwe
This one appears to be 1998, again based on snippet view.
Of course, Pfeiffer was a soldier, too, and even took an active distinguishing-himself part in the battle of Mollwitz</cite. Funnily, I was reading half a dozen biographical dictionaries last night, and nearly every one had "Distinguished himself at the battle of Mollwitz in 1741" near the very beginning of the entry, so I had that pretty well drummed into my head!
Re: The Kiekemal Tale: The Aftermath
Date: 2021-09-04 05:36 am (UTC)