Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 45

[cahn]

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) )

Comments

Re: FS Choice Quotes - Silesia 1 and getting engaged

[selenak]

This whole thing was AMAZING, and I can't believe we hadn't come across it before. How does *every* biographer not cite this, I do not understand.

It is of utmost hilarity. (Well, to us, from centuries distance, my guess is that MT was probably seething behind the door.) I do suspect the reason why it's not quoted more often is that even Fritz-fannish 19th century German historians did feel a sense of him not coming across as the daring young eagle claiming what's his (why does he over with justifications in the best contorted logic ancien regime style anywway, from their pov? He's supposed to be the bold straight talking manly man here!), and Austrian historians weren't that interested because it's not MT doing the responding but FS.

Re: FS Choice Quotes - Silesia 1 and getting engaged

[mildred_of_midgard]

(why does he over with justifications in the best contorted logic ancien regime style anywway, from their pov? He's supposed to be the bold straight talking manly man here!)

Yeah, fair. But come on, Blanning! :P

Austrian historians weren't that interested because it's not MT doing the responding but FS

Good thing we finally read up on FS, then!