Author: "Given Catherine’s close personal and diplomatic ties to Frederick of Prussia, Diderot's vow of candor bordered on the suicidal."
Mildred: Well, I don't think she was *that* close personally as in a huge fangirl, but yeah, they were kind of allied, which is what the French are trying to change.]
Hang on, if it's 1773, hadn't they just partitioned Poland together, and wasn't it time for Heinrich's second trip to Russia where he plays Yenta to about-to-get-widowed Grand Duke Paul, and finds out out future FW2's wife can't stand him? And hangs out with Lehndorff at Königsberg on his return? This is really not good timing for an attempt to make Catherine break up with Prussia. Though if you want to talk with someone about how Fritz is the worst, Heinrich isn't a bad candidate, I guess. (Though possibly not when he's representing Prussia on a diplomatic mission.)
[Author: "While Catherine knew this claim was dubious—after all, didn't her good friend Voltaire, despite his difficult moments with the Prussian ruler, still praise Frederick?—she allowed Diderot to continue."
Mildred: Well, I can't blame Diderot for being confused by Fritz/Voltaire! Everyone was confused!]
No kidding. :) Which is how Fritz and Voltaire liked it, no doubt. :) Somewhat closer at home, Diderot's pal D'Alembert was at least pro-Fritz enough to correspond with him and visit a few times, and of course there's the Marquis D'Argens - would Diderot have counted him as a philosophe?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Re: Diderot, Catherine, and Fritz
Date: 2021-12-12 05:45 pm (UTC)Author: "Given Catherine’s close personal and diplomatic ties to Frederick of Prussia, Diderot's vow of candor bordered on the suicidal."
Mildred: Well, I don't think she was *that* close personally as in a huge fangirl, but yeah, they were kind of allied, which is what the French are trying to change.]
Hang on, if it's 1773, hadn't they just partitioned Poland together, and wasn't it time for Heinrich's second trip to Russia where he plays Yenta to about-to-get-widowed Grand Duke Paul, and finds out out future FW2's wife can't stand him? And hangs out with Lehndorff at Königsberg on his return? This is really not good timing for an attempt to make Catherine break up with Prussia. Though if you want to talk with someone about how Fritz is the worst, Heinrich isn't a bad candidate, I guess. (Though possibly not when he's representing Prussia on a diplomatic mission.)
[Author: "While Catherine knew this claim was dubious—after all, didn't her good friend Voltaire, despite his difficult moments with the Prussian ruler, still praise Frederick?—she allowed Diderot to continue."
Mildred: Well, I can't blame Diderot for being confused by Fritz/Voltaire! Everyone was confused!]
No kidding. :) Which is how Fritz and Voltaire liked it, no doubt. :) Somewhat closer at home, Diderot's pal D'Alembert was at least pro-Fritz enough to correspond with him and visit a few times, and of course there's the Marquis D'Argens - would Diderot have counted him as a philosophe?