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cahnMore diaries of our favorite 18th-century Prussian diary-keeper have been unearthed and have been synopsized!
January 18th: Blessed be thou to me! Under your light, my Prince Heinrich was born!
January 18th: Blessed be thou to me! Under your light, my Prince Heinrich was born!
Re: "Empress Elizabeth" and "Five Empresses" by Evgenii Anisimov - II
Date: 2022-08-21 02:24 pm (UTC)The Elizabeth biography does have more detail on all the politics, and a few battles - Kunersdorf and Zorndorf especially. Incidentally, the bibliography "for further reading" given at the end doesn't say, because it's for an English reading audience, but I bet A. used German sources as well and at least can read German, because he actually works in a Schiller quote at one point without listing it as such, to wit: "The Moor has done his duty, the Moor can go." ("Der Mohr hat seine Schuldigkeit getan, der Moor kann gehen." It's from Schiller's second play, "Die Verschwörung des Fiesco zu Genua", and the "Moor" in question is Muley Hassan.)
Something of which there's way more in the biography, for example, is about the Shuvalovs - not just Elizabeth's lover Ivan S. but mainly Peter Shuvalov his cousin, the ruthless brain of the family operation, who actually had some good ideas for economic reforms like a customs reform which put Russia ahead of France (only got rid of old fashioned feudal customs with the French Revolution) and Germany (by which he means the HRE and successive German states - only in the mid 19th century could you travel without having to go through customs and paying at every little fiefdom.
Oh, and something else there's more about is a gruesome case from the last years of Elizabeth's reign which didn't go to trial until Catherine's reign. It reminded me of Delphine Lalaurie, the serial killer from New Orleans who abused and murdered her slaves to a degree that even the pre Civil War South objected. Similarly, in serf-oppressing Russia the following was too much:
In 1756 after the deaht of her husband, Captain of Cavalry Gleb Saltykov, twenty -five-year-old Darya Nikolevna Saltykova inherited all his estates and a house in Moscow. Having greedily gained authority, this 'monster of the human species' as she was termed later in the decree of Catherine II tortured not just dozens of people. Witnesses testified that Saltychikkha personally killed or ordered to be killed no less than 100 persons. The Justice Collegium, after investigating and evaluating all the testimony, concluded that Saltykova was the morderess 'if not of all hundred persons reported by denouncers, then undoubtedly of the 50 persons about whom checking has provided information that positively inclones to her incrimination." The Justice Collegium statedfurther: "Among the number of those murdered were two or three men, the rest were all women. Several of these women were beaten to death by stable hands or other serfs of Saltykova who punished them with excessive cruelty upon the orders of the mistress, but for the most part she killed them herself, punishing with loegs, boards, rolling pins, etc. The women were subjeted to punishments primarily for inept washing of floors and linen."
Perhaps most noteworthy in Saltykova's crimes was not her fantatical, obviously pathological cruelty, but the fact that the murders were committed by a sadistic noblewoman not on some remote godforsaken estate but openly in Moscow on Kurznetskaia Street, and that many including police officials knew about them.
Makes you call for revolution, doesn't it. Oh and I thought you might like this passage:
Frederick II's, policy, which was built on calculation of the inertia of some states and the confusion of others, and which included elements of adventurism, choice, and the lightning-quick changes of allies depending on the demands of the moment, by its very nature was unacceptable to Bestushev-Rinumin and incited his sharp opposition. IN his view, there was no stateman in Europe with such an 'inconstant, aggressive, turbulent and outrageous character and manner' as the King of Prussia.
Pre- later 20th century German historians: Der Einzige!
19th century Prussian historians in particular: The various stupid favourites of the weak woman prevented the Czarina Elizabeth from remaining Fritz' ally. Can't think of another reason than Austrian bribery.
Anisimov: Fritz was undoubtedly the most brilliant monarch of his age, but good lord, that character.
Oh, that is interesting! I like the way you make very convincing connections.
Like I said: these are all sound principles in general, and would that more royals in particular had been raised to follow them, but they are also pretty specific instructions written by a woman who lived for eighteen years with a man raised directly in contrast to them and who may or may have not been cruel to powerless creatures as a result. On a lighter note, it amuses me she made sure to include the princes should be responsible for watering their own plants.
Re: "Empress Elizabeth" and "Five Empresses" by Evgenii Anisimov - II
Date: 2022-08-22 11:57 am (UTC)I actually deleted sentences to that effect, like "what's listed in Russian that may give clues" used to be "I can't say if he's compromised his ideals or gotten more conservative in his old age and is now writing paeans to Putin." Let's hope!
I bet A. used German sources as well and at least can read German, because he actually works in a Schiller quote at one point without listing it as such, to wit
Oh, neat! His webpage only lists English and French, but hey, my LinkedIn doesn't list German either. ;)
Anisimov: Fritz was undoubtedly the most brilliant monarch of his age, but good lord, that character.
LOL, yep! Anisimov's take in a nutshell.
(Me: That's my Fritz. <3 :'D)
On a lighter note, it amuses me she made sure to include the princes should be responsible for watering their own plants.
Yes, that's a nice detail. Good job, Catherine.
Fritz: Princes
the worst of Hohenzollernsshould be responsible for not accidentally hitting dogs with homemade arrows.Seydlitz: Kings should be responsible for not intentionally hitting their horses between the eyes with sticks, FRITZ.
Re: "Empress Elizabeth" and "Five Empresses" by Evgenii Anisimov - II
Date: 2022-08-22 12:57 pm (UTC)It amused me that when listing all the paradoxes, he included "wrote a book called 'The Anti-Machiavel' with a self explanatory title, then spent the rest of his life acting against its beautiful principles". Thus joining the overwhelming majority of historians who did not actually read The Anti-Machiavel.
If I ever get around to writing The Rokoko Babysitting story, I'm so including not just the dog incident but also Fritz starting to write the Anti-Machiavell and little Heinrich mouthing off at him, thus causing some instant rewrites.
Re: "Empress Elizabeth" and "Five Empresses" by Evgenii Anisimov - II
Date: 2022-08-22 05:42 pm (UTC)Wait, what's this? That doesn't seem very in character.
Re: "Empress Elizabeth" and "Five Empresses" by Evgenii Anisimov - II
Date: 2022-08-26 12:29 pm (UTC)Re: "Empress Elizabeth" and "Five Empresses" by Evgenii Anisimov - II
Date: 2022-08-23 04:59 am (UTC)...wow. That's just... yeah.
Pre- later 20th century German historians: Der Einzige!
19th century Prussian historians in particular: The various stupid favourites of the weak woman prevented the Czarina Elizabeth from remaining Fritz' ally. Can't think of another reason than Austrian bribery.
Anisimov: Fritz was undoubtedly the most brilliant monarch of his age, but good lord, that character.
Heeeee!