Maybe I‘m too cynical, but do we know whether all those monarchs (or Republics with Stadtholder, in the case of the Dutch) had a reason to plead for Fritz that‘s not just human compassion?
I've been assuming it's a combination of human compassion, "Please don't start setting Europe-wide precedents for this, for everyone's sakes," and "Maybe King!Fritz will be grateful!" with possibly a combo of "FW is crazy, we've known this for years." :P
Also, a nitpick: the Dutch are currently in the Second Stadtholderless Period. When William III died in 1702, there was a Dutch party that didn't want to give the House of Orange any more power (this back and forth between "Yay House of Orange!" and "Boo House of Orange!" has been a thing and will continue to be a thing). So the Netherlands are ruled by committee until 1747, when the War of the Austrian Succession causes enough of a crisis that opinion swings in favor of William IV of Orange (married to Anne, daughter of G2, potential candidate for Fritz's wife in the endless British marriage negotiations).
Then it will be "Boo House of Orange" again in the 1780s, when the Patriots oppose William V. But because he's married to FW2's sister, FW2 promptly marches in after Fritz's death and imposes order via the Prussian army.
And were there comparable efforts with Alexei and Peter the Great?
I'm not sure! I feel like Charles VI made an effort, but of course he was directly involved. I wouldn't be surprised if Russia was still just a little too alien for a lot of western powers to think anything other than, "Russia, amirite?"
But! The Boy Who Will Live, aka Peter von Keith, escaped via the Netherlands, so maybe there‘s some disgruntlement or was?
That's exactly what I was thinking!
Does Lövenörn mention Peter at all, btw?
As I recall, he mentions him in the very beginning of this episode, when the news of the escape attempt first breaks, and not subsequently. If there had been anything interesting, you know I would have shared it! It's been lots of FW, some Fritz, a little SD, and a little Katte.
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cahn
Re: Løvenørn letters: Oct 4, 1730; Oct 11, 1730
Date: 2024-02-24 06:26 pm (UTC)I've been assuming it's a combination of human compassion, "Please don't start setting Europe-wide precedents for this, for everyone's sakes," and "Maybe King!Fritz will be grateful!" with possibly a combo of "FW is crazy, we've known this for years." :P
Also, a nitpick: the Dutch are currently in the Second Stadtholderless Period. When William III died in 1702, there was a Dutch party that didn't want to give the House of Orange any more power (this back and forth between "Yay House of Orange!" and "Boo House of Orange!" has been a thing and will continue to be a thing). So the Netherlands are ruled by committee until 1747, when the War of the Austrian Succession causes enough of a crisis that opinion swings in favor of William IV of Orange (married to Anne, daughter of G2, potential candidate for Fritz's wife in the endless British marriage negotiations).
Then it will be "Boo House of Orange" again in the 1780s, when the Patriots oppose William V. But because he's married to FW2's sister, FW2 promptly marches in after Fritz's death and imposes order via the Prussian army.
And were there comparable efforts with Alexei and Peter the Great?
I'm not sure! I feel like Charles VI made an effort, but of course he was directly involved. I wouldn't be surprised if Russia was still just a little too alien for a lot of western powers to think anything other than, "Russia, amirite?"
But! The Boy Who Will Live, aka Peter von Keith, escaped via the Netherlands, so maybe there‘s some disgruntlement or was?
That's exactly what I was thinking!
Does Lövenörn mention Peter at all, btw?
As I recall, he mentions him in the very beginning of this episode, when the news of the escape attempt first breaks, and not subsequently. If there had been anything interesting, you know I would have shared it! It's been lots of FW, some Fritz, a little SD, and a little Katte.