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: It's Personal

[mildred_of_midgard]

Also, I'm still fond of my headcanon that since young Brühl was involved in organizing the Zeithain camp and Fritz not only was publically humiliated there but in vain tried to approach Manteuffel's arch nemesis who would later be toppled by Brühl via Katte for support, there was some long term grudge because of that as well.

I remember we talked about this before, but I had misremembered it as canon! But during my Brühl research, I turned up an article by Luh for the 300th Fritzversary in 2012 in which Luh makes the case that things were SO VERY PERSONAL between Fritz and Brühl because Brühl told FW about Fritz's escape plans at Zeithain.

Luh's arguments:

- At Zeithain, FW awarded Brühl with the Order of the Black Eagle, the highest order of chivalry in Prussia.

- That award has been attributed by historians to Brühl's role in organizing the camp, but that's a bit much, especially since August the Strong had the idea for Zeithain and took the lead in making it happen.

- Up-and-coming young Brühl might be someone it made sense for someone like Manteuffel to attach himself to, but why would the King of Prussia be noticing this young fellow?

- Sure, Brühl witnessed or at least heard about the big public humiliation, but so did a lot of people. Fritz didn't hate them all.

- Sure, Brühl conspired to partition Prussia, but so did a lot of people. It was never that personal with any of Fritz's other political enemies.

- *Someone* told FW about Fritz's plans at Zeithain. Who? Not Katte. Not Guy Dickens. And Fritz always said nice things about Hoym.

- Brühl is known to have had contact with both Hoym and Guy Dickens at the time, so he could totally have found out.

Conclusion: we'll never know for sure, but Brühl betraying Fritz's escape plans to FW in 1730 is a very logical explanation for the sheer intensity and duration of Fritz's deep, personal, embittered hatred for the man.

Re: Saxon Diplomacy: It's Personal

[cahn]

whaaaaaaat! I guess that would definitely lead to a long-term grudge!

How would Fritz have found out? Or would he have known all along?

Re: Saxon Diplomacy: It's Personal

[mildred_of_midgard]

My guess? Well, as long as we're speculating based on psychology: FW told him. One way abusers control their victims is by isolating them, telling them that everyone will side with the abuser and that the victim won't be believed or helped. We know FW did this when Fritz was in Küstrin, he gave orders that Fritz was to be told that no one in Berlin had asked about him or cared about him, his mother was angry at him, etc.

I think it was in FW's best interests as well as in character for him to tell Fritz exactly who had sided with FW in this.

If not, well, Fritz did review the relevant archival material in 1740, and possibly destroyed some materials before closing up the archives again. There might have been evidence of Brühl's involvement there that hasn't survived.

Ugh.

Re: Saxon Diplomacy: It's Personal

[cahn]

ahhhhh OF COURSE he did. I mean, I realize we have no evidence but that would be exactly the kind of thing FW would do, wouldn't it. BAH. :(

Re: Saxon Diplomacy: It's Personal

[mildred_of_midgard]

Every time you think you know how bad FW was... ;)

We may have no evidence, but the fact that we know it was in character tells you something!

Also, it occurs to me that if Luh is right, not only did Fritz have to endure a public humiliation at Zeithain, but he had to endure someone getting publicly awarded by his abuser with the highest order of chivalry precisely for his role in condemning Fritz to more such abuse. That might have rankled inside as much as the actual escape plan betrayal.

UGH.