cahn | Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 45

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Unfortunately, there was then at Berlin a King who pursued one policy only, who deceived his enemies, but not his servants, and who lied without scruple, but never without necessity.

(from The King's Secret - by Duke de Broglie, grand-nephew of the subject of the book, Comte de Broglie, and grandfather of the physicist) )

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From:

cahn

R.Z., inwardly: ALSO HE WAS NOT A FRENCH PRINCE!

Dirk from "History of the Germans": France/Lorraine/Germany = it's complicated as permanent relationship status

LOL!

and MT probably did work more than FS, not least because she had far more territory to administrate, but FS worked - no Louis XV he!

Go FS! *waves pom-poms*

I also enjoyed the cultural bits, thank you! (Yay libraries!!)

From:

selenak

Another explanation for the "he didn't work" when his financial, cultural and government-commentary activities show he did might simply be that it was unmissable his wife worked. And the only explanation to the majority of contemporaries as to why a female monarch would work when there was a man at her side to do it for her was that he then did not. Also, clearly hers was the final say (hence Diplomatic Revolution, not Raprochement with Prussia and keeping of the English Alliance), which, again, to an 18th century man could only be if FS was incapable of working.

Another way he was different and better from contemporary Louis XV. is that he didn't play the contradictory instructions to your diplomats and officers game. Clearly he disagreed with MT on a couple of issues, and offered alternative ideas, but also clearly (as evidenced by Gotter's transcripts of their New Year's day 1741 conversations) he stuck to her party line instead of trying to sabotage her or secretly do this own thing. In Star Trek terms, basically, he was a good First Officer - offering alternatives to the Captain in the Ready Room away from the public, but once the Captain had decided. doing his best to follow her vision.

From:

cahn

Clearly he disagreed with MT on a couple of issues, and offered alternative ideas, but also clearly (as evidenced by Gotter's transcripts of their New Year's day 1741 conversations) he stuck to her party line instead of trying to sabotage her or secretly do this own thing.

FS is the best!

In Star Trek terms, basically, he was a good First Officer - offering alternatives to the Captain in the Ready Room away from the public, but once the Captain had decided. doing his best to follow her vision.

Okay, I kind of love this analogy. Now I'm imagining a Star Trek-esque SF AU where MT really is the captain of a starship... aaaand I liked FS a lot before, but now I'm having "loyal subordinate" trope-love feelings about him too :PP

(Mildred, just pointing out, his business acumen means he had a different skill set than MT! :P )

From:

mildred_of_midgard

(Mildred, just pointing out, his business acumen means he had a different skill set than MT! :P )

Heee! I can get behind this "MT in space!!" AU. :D It's been a long time since I wrote anything and a longer time since I wrote sci fi, but I will keep this in mind for future fic exchanges. :D