cahn | Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 42

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Last post, we had (among other things) Danish kings and their favorites; Louis XIV and Philippe d'Orléans; reviews of a very shippy book about Katte, a bad Jacobite novel, and a great book about clothing; a fic about Émilie du Châtelet and Voltaire; and a review of a set of entertaining Youtube history videos about Frederick the Great.

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From:

selenak

I'm not sure - it's been years, and I have the bloody virus again - but I think that claim is from Poniatowski's memoirs, which goes into great detail about the Fritzian counterfeit Polish coins and does blame Jewish connections, which struck me as a (not just 18th century) standard antisemitic trope though I know Fritz later (in the war) used his two main Jewish bankers as a shield in connection of the debased coin.

From:

mildred_of_midgard

Aha, thank you! That was one of those things that could have gone either way, trufax or propaganda. Given that the author relies on Polish and not German sources, and certainly not archival sources, I'm going to trust them more on the Polish side and less on the German side. (As I've said before, I was somewhat frustrated that our sources on Russia were all German and English, so I was glad to get a Russian perspective from Anisimov, and ditto for Poland, but the reason I want both is to compensate for bias in one direction with bias in the other direction, not that I think either side is bias-free.)

I have the bloody virus again

Oh NOOO! Get well soon!

From:

selenak

Evidently the virus listened, for I no longer have it - two negative tests yesterday - I'm just still somewhat groggy and snuffling.

I was glad to get a Russian perspective from Anisimov, and ditto for Poland, but the reason I want both is to compensate for bias in one direction with bias in the other direction, not that I think either side is bias-free

That is a very sense-making approach. And I'm still grateful Hahn pointed us towards Poniatowski's detailed take on Fritzian economic warfare vis a vis Poland and Saxony.

From:

mildred_of_midgard

Well done, virus! May your total recovery be swift, and your long-term effects nonexistent.

That is a very sense-making approach.

I'm also of the opinion that much detail of the history of Russia will be too obscure to make it into English sources, and ditto Polish, and Danish. (Honestly, you should all be impressed at my self-restraint in not setting out to learn Russian and Polish, but I know my limits. :P) I was reading Norman Davies' intro to his history of Poland yesterday, and he says the same thing: that there's much material that he, as a Brit, is handicapped in writing about Poland.

And I'm still grateful Hahn pointed us towards Poniatowski's detailed take on Fritzian economic warfare vis a vis Poland and Saxony.

As are we, and grateful to you for reading both Hahn (whom Blanning pointed us to in turn), and Poniatowski!

From:

cahn

Ah right, I remember being very excited that Poniatowski talked about the Fritz counterfeiting :D One day I should really read Poniatowski's memoirs to follow up on your hilarious and educational synopsis :D

Also: I'm so sorry! I hope it's mild! <3