18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 36

[cahn]

Starting a couple of comments earlier than usual to mention there are a couple of new salon fics! These probably both need canon knowledge.

felis ficlets on siblings!

Siblings (541 words) by felisnocturna
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: 18th Century CE RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Friedrich II von Preußen | Frederick the Great, Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf, August Wilhelm von Preußen | Augustus William of Prussia (1722-1758), Wilhelmine von Preußen | Wilhelmine of Prussia (1709-1758)
Summary:

Three Fills for the 2022 Three Sentence Ficathon.

Chapter One: Protective Action / Babysitting at Rheinsberg (Frederick/Fredersdorf, William+Henry+Ferdinand)
Chapter Two: Here Be Lions (Wilhelmine)

Unsent Letters fic by me:

Letters for a Dead King (1981 words) by raspberryhunter
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 18th Century CE RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Friedrich II von Preußen | Frederick the Great & Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von Preußen (1726-1802)
Characters: Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von Preußen | Henry of Prussia (1726-1802)
Additional Tags: Epistolary, Love/Hate, Talking To Dead People, Canonical Character Death, Dysfunctional Family
Summary:

Just because one's king and brother is dead doesn't mean one has to stop writing to him.

Comments

Saxon diplomacy: Silesia

[mildred_of_midgard]

miniseries, not movie

Right, yes, thank you for the correction!

it shares with the MT series

I was thinking the same thing! The MT/Fritz AU is now doomed to follow you around and crop up in the most unexpected places in your reading.

Would be curious to learn how Saxony was planning to get Silesia by non-military means pre 1740 - what exactly would they have offered to MT's Dad to hand it over?

Joining the Alliance of Vienna and supplying 12,000 troops for Austrian needs inside the HRE. You may remember that the 1720s diplomatic scene, which I researched a few months ago, was so full of crazy and ever-shifting alliance negotiations that Blanning thinks even the most gifted narrator would struggle to make an accounting of the period either interesting or relevant, but I find the topsy-turviness fascinating!

So as a reminder: In 1725, Austria and Spain joined together in the Alliance of Vienna, directed against France and Great Britain (who are bizarrely allied in this period!). Everyone was trying to sweep up as many European powers to join their respective bloc as they could. Saxony was like, "You want me to join your alliance? You'll have to pay for it! We'll take subsidies or part of Silesia."

Negotations: *drag on*

Charles VI, eventually: "Sorry, Saxony, we ended up with Russia, Trier, Cologne, the Palatine, Bavaria, and sort-of Prussia. Don't need you that badly any more!"

This was also the story of Brühl's attempts to get Silesia and then to form an anti-Prussia bloc: European courts would hear Saxon proposals out, because Saxony was in such a strategically key position, but because they set their demands so high and also waited to make a move until they were absolutely sure they wouldn't be risking an invasion by Austria, Prussia, or Russia, they never ended up getting what they wanted.

In 1741, Saxony offered to help defend MT against Fritz in return for a land bridge through Silesia. MT made a counteroffer of "Austria will still own this land bridge, you'll just have permission to use it during August III's lifetime. And I'm not even sure I want to give you that!"

But what Saxony really wanted was to be on the winning side, because their army and treasury situation meant Brühl didn't feel confident taking risks. So when MT was delaying ratifying the treaty, Brühl was sounding out the French and listening to alliance proposals from Fritz.

Saxony then ended up allied with Prussia and France.

But Fritz was busy pissing off all his allies in 1742, so once it came time for the Second Silesian War in 1744-1745, Saxony switched sides to ally with Austria. By that time, it was clear you couldn't just *take* Silesia from Prussia, you would need all of Europe on your side. So Brühl started trying to make peace between the French and Austrians, get the Russians involved, etc. But he couldn't afford to piss off an invasion-happy Prussia, so he got a reputation for duplicity on all sides.

Also, this time MT wouldn't agree to even think about giving Saxony part of Silesia. She said that if the war against Prussia was successful, they could partition Prussia, and Saxony could have their land bridge through historically Prussian territory. Which was not nearly as geographically favorable for Saxony as Silesia. Also, it was much less likely to happen.

Then this!

1745: Saxony and Austria are all set to invade Brandenburg. Hanke thinks this was their big chance to knock Prussia out of the war. But Russia, meaning Elizaveta, says she's bound by her defensive alliance with Prussia to defend it against any invasion.

MT and Brühl: Does Silesia count as "Prussia"?

Elizaveta: Legally? Yes. You did sign a treaty recognizing that in 1742, MT. For the purposes of "Will I recognize my treaty obligations to protect it?" No, go for it.

Austrian and Saxon troops: *invade Silesia instead of Brandenburg*

Fritz: Why is everyone trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen?!! Nobody respects the Treaty of Breslau, dammit.

November 1745: Prussia invades Saxony.

December 1745: The Old Dessauer kicks Saxon butt at the Battle of Kesseldorf, making Fritz so happy that one of my secondary sources says he hugged the Old Dessauer. (Which is impressive, since as we've seen, he was not a fan!)

December 1745: Prussian army, commanded by Fritz and the Old Dessauer, occupies Dresden.

December 25, 1745: The Treaty of Dresden ends the Second Silesian War, leaving Silesia (and Biche) in Fritz's hands, and Saxony out in the cold again. (Oh, and Saxony has to pay a war indemnity of 1 million thalers for pissing Fritz off.)