Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 47

[cahn]

We haven't had a new post since before December 25, so obligatory Yuletide link to this hilarious story of Frederick the Great babysitting his bratty little brother, with bonus Fritz/Fredersdorf!

Comments

Re: 1764-1772 Foreign policy: Sweden: Lead-up to the coup (1768-1772)

[selenak]

Addendum: this entire volatile situation (and how worried Fritz is about it) is also why Fritz permits Heinrich to go to Sweden to talk to sister Ulrike in the first place. Reminder that outside of the war, this was only Heinrich's second time (after the earlier trip to the Netherlands in the late 1760s) abroad, and that he knew he had to make it count because Fritz wouldn't give him permission to go again otherwise any time soon, hence the secret scheming with Catherine so that she writes to Fritz once Heinrich is in Sweden (but not before).

Re: 1764-1772 Foreign policy: Sweden: Lead-up to the coup (1768-1772)

[mildred_of_midgard]

I meant to add, when Catherine wants Heinrich to be her satrap in Wallachia, part of the reason Fritz says no is that absolutely no one in Europe, himself included, wants her to have Wallachia as a satrapy. Reminder of the map:



It borders Habsburg territory, and while under other circumstances, Fritz would love to have his ally bordering his enemy, at this point, Catherine is such an exceedingly strong ally that he's going, "Whoa, whoa, tone it down, you're going to have to give back some of those Balkan conquests to the Turks." It's all about balance of power.

selenak described this episode as:

In fact, in between negotiations, this had happened: Catherine to Fritz: Mind if I keep your brother as my personal satrap and make him King of Wallachia? Fritz: YES. NO HEINRICH FOR YOU.

And now we also know it was NO WALLACHIA FOR YOU, EITHER.

Re: 1764-1772 Foreign policy: Sweden: Lead-up to the coup (1768-1772)

[cahn]

In fact, in between negotiations, this had happened: Catherine to Fritz: Mind if I keep your brother as my personal satrap and make him King of Wallachia? Fritz: YES. NO HEINRICH FOR YOU.

And now we also know it was NO WALLACHIA FOR YOU, EITHER.

I laughed at this! (Again.)