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rheinsbergI've now read the three Franz Stephan biographies I got from the Stabi, products of vastly different eras. To which:
Fred Hennings: Und sitzet zur linken Hand. Franz Stephan von Lothringen. (1963)
Fred Hennings: I'm an early 1960s guy looking back, stylistically, to 1920s/1930s biographies romancees a la Stefan Zweig, and also reproducing the gender images of my era: expect phrases like "her womanly nature" or "he was lacking the benefit of male education". On the other hand, I never do the weird thing Nancy Goldstone does, i.e. imply MT spent her time trying to make up to FS for the indignity of being the husband of a strong woman. My FS doesn't have a problem with that, which of course I like his contemporaries do think is weird, but blame on his indolent lazy phlegmatic nature.
Georg Schreiber & Renate Zedinger: Which he didn't have. We're different from each other, but we both protest against the the characterisation of FS as lazy, pointing out he was in fact working hard.
Fred Hennings: You'll get your turn. Allow me to finish my book's introduction. I'm spending two thirds of my page time on the days before FS ever makes it to Emperor, strong emphasis on his youth and courting MT days as if I was a novelist. As for the working bit: near the end of my book, I remember he was financially successful so devote a very brief time to saying yeah, he did that. Now, I don't dislike FS! I think he must have been a very likeable fellow, if weirdly accepting of being topped by MT, but agree with Charles Hanbury-Williams that nature intended him to be the Duke of Lorraine and no more. In terms of contributing new stuff to Salon knowledge, I don't offer much, except for several pages of direct transcript of the hilarious (to us) conversation between FS and the then Prussian envoy (not Podewils, the one who had to explain how Fritz is invading Silesia the first time around for just reasons and MT's own benefit) hailing from the guy's report to Fritz. Selena will get around to translating the highlights in the future. Also I have transcriptions of some of the courting letters, but Stollberg-Rillinger had those as well, and examples of FS spelling badly in French and German alike, which, again, already known to us. Otoh, I say there is no primary source document available to tell what kind of relationship FS had with his kids when later biographers all quote from his letters to same and from same, so my research can't have been that extensive. Oh, and unlike my direct contemporary, the editor of the "Fritz and MT in the eyes of their contemporaries" book, I don't buy into Prussian propaganda and thus Fritz is a gangster with good PR in my descriptions, though I'm less harsh on him than Nancy Goldstone. (No running away mocking his own troops, for starters.)
Georg Schreiber: I'll say. My book, "Franz I. Stephan. An der Seite einer großen Frau" is from 1986. As a 1980s publishing author, I'm still writing my biography chronologically, but I'm more prone to question or point out source bias in whoever I'm quoting. Like Podewils, the Prussian ambassador to Vienna post Silesia 2, whose descriptions of MT and FS are in basically every Fritz and MT biography, though the FS descriptions never get quoted as lengthily as the MT descriptions except in our three biographies, where on the contrary we three don't quote the MT descriptions at all, since FS is our subject. Anyway, I point out that Podewils wrote his stuff for Fritz' delectation, and wanted his King to like him. Which means that while Podewils' description is an important counter point to the fawning rosy eyed Austrian court stuff from the same period, it still doesn't mean it's objective. Meaning not that Podewils lies, but that he skewers in a way to make Fritz feel good about himself and superior to FS, hence the description of FS as lazy.
(Derek Beales, Joseph biographer in three volumes: And the description of Joseph as a spoiled kid which you repeat. I mean, have you seen Joseph's teaching schedule?)
Renate Zedinger: Ha. You're still missing the point about Podewils. In my biography, I point out that in the same letter where he provides Fritz with his lengthy and much quoted "MT: Hot or not?" and "FS: Hot or not?" portraits, he also admits that as the envoy of a power seen as hostile, he even a year into his posting couldn't make contact with top courtiers and true intimates of the imperial couple, and only got one audience by both of them so far. All his intel hails from third rate gossip and sources. Basically, he's as knowledgeable about FS and MT at this point as Hanbury-Williams is about Fritz during his stint as Ambassador to Prussia. And that's the guy who keeps getting quoted as this great expert in biographies and is to blame for my guy FS being called lazy!
Georg Schreiber: You wait your turn. Like all three of us, I explain about the House of Lorraine early on at some detail. I'm, however, the only one pointing out what while usually if the the woman marries into a family in much of Western European history, including the 18th century, people consider her and her kids as part of her in-law family. Meanwhle, MT when her brother-in-law died wrote in a letter "this is the end of the House of Lorraine". She regarded herself and her kids as Habsburgs, and ensured there were thus seen by the rest of the world as well, though the official name was "Habsburg-Lothringen". Also when I quote the famous description of teen MT's pining for FS by the British envoy to Vienna which is in all three books, it hit Selena that the phrasing is "The man she believes to be born for her", not "the man she believes herself born for" - and that's not someone writing in hindsight but a guy at the time when she's still a teen. If ever there was someone deserving the description girlboss..
Renate Zedinger: I'm much more MT critical than you, in that I emphasize that for all her love for FS she downplayed the support she was getting from him - basically I'm the reverse Nancy Goldstone here - and also she should have listened to him re: Fritz and spared the world Silesia 2 and the 7 Years War. While I'm at it, Kaunitz and the Diplomatic Revolution suck. The alliance with France was a terrible idea. FS knew France was an untrustworthy arrogant parasite who'd never do anything to actually help Austria. MT should have listened to him!
Georg Schreiber: I'm in the middle here - I do think FS had a point with his repeated arguments for reconciliation with Prussia and trying to get it away from France and teaming up with it against France, but then again I also point out that if MT had given into all of Fritz ' demands in Silesia 1 and stuck to this instead of trying to get Silesia back, he might have asked for Bohemia and Moravia next, and also she would have signalled her weakness to all her other enemies. In fact, I'm the author most snarky about Fritz. Have one example, when talking about how MT's Dad greenlighted heigtening the secret pension/bribery money crown prince Fritz was getting from the Austrian court: "Unlike Prince Eugene, he had delusions about Friedrich's gratitude and general character." Also, unlike you, I don't ruin my impeccable research credentials by claiming Fritz did seriously consider making himself HRE.
Renate Zedinger: Did to. I claim Wilhelmine told someone that should the Wittelsbach guy kick the bucket, Fritz was ready to convert to Catholicism in order to become Holy Roman Emperor in 1743. When Selena looked up the relevant footnote, it said: "Durchardt, Protestantisches Kaisertum, 284-289." Mildred, over to you.
Georg Schreiber: Speaking of claims which are the direct opposite of how events are portrayed elsewhere: the three of us present the Lorraine/Tuscany switch and FS' takeover completely different from the Medici books. Far from plundering out Tuscany, we present FS as a champ laying the groundworks for son Leopold's much beloved reign with first reforms. Also, all three of us point out that as to the bitching about taking over Medici jewelry, FS also took over Medici debts. Which were considerable. That duchy was run down. However, it's clear that from the three of us, only you, Renate Z., read things from the Medici pov and present Anna Luisa, Gian Gastone's sister, as the heroine who kept the art work in Tuscany, by and large, and as an impressive figure. I and my predecessor Fred mention her only as an odd weirdo who was despite her initial distrust of FS charmed by him. Also I'm more into presenting anecdotes like MT duetting with the Castrato singer Sensinino than listing Tuscan complaints. But unlike you, I mention that when FS sent his Lorraine guys into the duchy, part of the clean up operation (my phrasing) of the Palazzo Pitti ("which had been run down during Gian Gastone's long illness") was to kcik out "The Swiss Guard for they had become under their Capitano Giulio Dani a rotten pack which begged every visitor to the palace for money". Selena is wondering whether these were actual Swiss, or are they meant to be the Ruspanti? Anyway, back to my presentation of Medici matters: when I describe Gian Gastone getting the news that FS would be his heir, I do say he wasn't happy, but I also claim Gian Gastone still prefered that to the Spanish getting the duchy for Spanish occupation was worst. Apparantly, I never read something about Gian Gastone favoring the other Don Carlos.
Renate Zedinger: What did you say about impeccable research again?
Georg Schreiber. Fine. Over to you.
Renate Zedinger: I say some nice things about your book in my preface but still make the case the world was waiting for the ultimate FS biography, to wit, mine. I'm publishing "Franz Stephan von Lothringen. Monarch, Manager, Mäzen" in 2008, and thus it's a modern biography structured for different areas of occupation (like politics, family life, business, patronage), and there's some jumping to and thro in the time line, as it's only vaguely chronological. My book is the thoroughest. I even describe all the people from FS' Lorraine entourage with pen portraits, not just his siblings. Unlike your rubbish claim of indolent FS, Fred Hennings, I point out there are protocols proving he did work as co-regent with MT in the early days instead of her just giving him the title but he not doing anything with it. I point out how questionable Podewils is as a source of that claim and point out to other people with actual constant access to FS and MT mentioning his working hours. Like this envoy whom FS could only given an 8:00 am audience because he was otherwise booked out, and not with hunting. Georg Schreiber and I both quote from his "how to be a good husband" letter to Leopold, and Georg quotes from a Joseph letter to MT about how Dad is doing when they're both en route to Frankfurt for Joseph's coronation that demonstrates his affection and care for Dad, and further rubbishes the traditional image Fred Hennings reproduces about Joseph not caring for his Dad which btw is solely based on another Podewils report of Joseph supposedly saying FS had only dukes as ancestors, not kings and Emperors. Which btw is incorrect, too, look at his family tree. I also quote from a letter to one of his daughters and from him to her to boost FS' "good and caring Dad" credentials. (Something I conspiciously leave out, though, is FS' "you will get married a second time NOW because your mother and I say so!" letter to Joseph.)
Going back to the Medici bit: I admit to the bad image of Team Lorraine in Tuscany pre Leopold/Pietro Leopoldo as I call him by his Italian name, but I point out that the Florentine and Tuscan nobility had all bet on the Spanish succeeeding and had laid their eggs in that basket and ingratiated themselves there, and it was all in vain. So they started out frustrated already. And then FS brought in a lot of Lorraine people. Far from presenting this as negative as the Medici books to, I present it as an example of FS' excellent leader qualities - as Duke of Lorraine. See, when the big switcheroo was being negotiated, FS didn't just abandon Lorraine without a care, the way it's presented in older books. He went above and beyond to ensure that any Lorraine noble who didn't want to stick around with new Duke Stanislas Lescynski and any non-noble Lorraine too who wanted to stay with him got a place and a job. And naturally, since his father-in-law was still alive, he could only resettle these guys in Tuscany, though later once MT was in charge and especially once he himself was Emperor, he offered them jobs and places in Vienna as well. However, it wasn't like FS handed over Tuscan revenues to his buddies and Tuscany suffered from it, far from it. He always had an eye for competence. Those Lorraine guys in charge did good stuff! Here's what schools and stone cutting factories and other stuff were founded and so forth by them, and how they tried to revitalize the run-down-by-the-Medici duchy, even before Pietro Leopoldo came along and kicked ass! Dad's entourage laid the good groundworks and Adam W. the later Leopold biographer is my chief witness for this, here are my quotes and sources in the footnotes.
And while I'm talking about FS as a Duke and run down duchies, his Dad, Leopold, was a big spender who left Lorraine in huge debts. FS, otoh, proving his unsual for his class good economic sense, immediately started a saving money and reboosting the economy program when he became Duke and before he had to give up his duchy. To the point where even FW would have been impressed, like with cutting the 50 or so Haushofmeister who only got irregular salaries and did few jobs down to only 3, but those with three time the sallaries, regularly paid. Idle good time fellow, my ass!
Oh, and still on a Lorraine note: If I have a bete noire other than the perfidious French - seriously, the way I present the French in my book is the way the Duc de Broglie and his ancestor the Comte talk about the Austrians - whom FS completely rightly saw through and distrusted and would NEVER have allied with if it was up to him, let alone married Maria Antonia with - , if there's one guy I practically boo and hiss at every time it is mentioned, it is not Fritz, it's Stanislas Lesczynski. That ungrateful asshole. See, when August the Strong kicked him out of Poland the first time with Peter the Great's help, where would he find refuge but in Lorraine with FS' Dad Leopold! And then years later, when the War of the Polish Succession ended with Stanislas tradiing in Poland for Lorraine, he said that if he had to give up Poland for good, Lorraine was barely, just about acceptable. Jerk. I call him the lowest of the low for this, ungrateful to the nth degree, which is a logic Selena can't quite follow. Anyway, I'm not a little gleeful when reporting later that FS organized the transport of all the Lorraine art work and furniture and so forth ouf of Lorraine and either to Tuscany or Vienna before handing over the duchy, and that Stanislas Lescynski wrote an indignant letter to son-in-law Louis XV about how FS didn't even leave him an armchair in the palace and he had to refurbish wholesale. Serves you right, jerk!
Selena: I think all the anti French stuff is how I can see you're an Austrian, not a German author. France/Germany OTP being a post war German credo.
Anyway, I note that you three agree on one thing, and that is that FS was the embodiment of Lorraine's neither-French-nor-German nature, because this happens:
FS' Dad: I'm the son of an Austrian Archduchess myself and seeing as it doesn't really look like my cousins Joseph and Charles the MT Dad are producing anything but daughters, and my wife, daughter of Liselotte and Philippe the Gay, sister of Philippe the Regent, keeps producing sons, I'm going to gamble and try to marry one of my sons with an Austrian Archduchess. The Emperor at this point is Joseph I., so I'm proposing to his kid daughters first.
*first two sons of Lorraine Leopold: die*
*Joseph I: Also dies*
*Charles the future Dad of MT: ascends*
*MT: born*
Lorraine Leopold: Okay, I still have still three sons left. How about your new baby/my kid Leopold Clemons, son 3, now likely sucessor?
*Son 3, after some years, when negotiations are far enough that he's about to move to Vienna for his education: also dies*
Lorraine Leopold: A curse on infant mortality! Still two sons left. Franz Stephan, your turn! Off to Vienna with you!
Teenage FS: moves to Austria, ostensibly for his courtly education, but of course mainly because his father hopes for the big time.
Teenage FS: *endears himself to Uncle Charles, who calles him "herzig" und "lieb", and of course long term wise to kid!MT, but is distrusted as too French by Austrian courtiers and Viennese population*
Teenage FS: *encouraged to become as German as possible; grows up*
MT: *gets 12, and now is seen as de facto marriagable*
Emperor Charles: This is awkward. I really like Franzl, but I also need room to negotiate with Spain and other powers I want to sign on my Pragmatic Sanction, and I can't do that if FS is MT's official fiance. Otoh, he's now grown up, so "here for his education" doesn't work as an excuse anymore. What to do?
Lorraine Leopold: *dies*
Emperor Charles: Phew. Bye, Franzl, though don't give up hope, I'm just trying to make everyone sign the Pragmantic Sanction!
FS: *takes over as Duke of Lorraine, sees the state of court finances, decides on austerity program*
Lorraine nobles initial reaction: Ugh! How German! Why are you so German?
Biographers: And did we mention he'll always write German like a Frenchman and French like a German, with phonetic and excentric spelling in both languages?
Renate Zedinger: Though I will correct both his French and German for greater readability when quoting him, which is the only thing I have in common with MT. Well, that and thinking FS is hot.
FS some years later: *finally married MT after Duchy switchero*
Viennese commoners and Austrian nobility: Ugh, he's so French! And surely is secretly paid by Versailles!
All three biographers: So unfair. He never, ever was pro French during all his years with MT. Au contraire. But the xenophobia didn't lessen until he and MT produced Joseph. Until that point, he was vilified and ridiculed as a French plant set on ruining the Empire from within.
Selena: Somehow, this reminds me of his daughter Marie Antoinette and the attitude of the French towards her. Though MA sadly did not inherit FS' business accumen, while having evidently a good part of his charm and gaity. Now, my three biographers: did FS trade army supplies in the Seventh Years War to the Prussians?
Fred Hennings: For sure, and here is the Fritz quote from that historical masterpiece "The History of the Seven Years War" by Fritz to prove it.
Georg Schreiber: He didn't. That Fritz is the only source of that story ought to tell you something.
Renate Zedinger: What Georg Schreiber said. I add that there's another Fritz quote from actually during the war where he complains that FS buying supplies for the Austrian side got the prices up!
Selena: Mistresses?
Fred Hennings: Well, yeah.
Georg Schreiber: The Countess Auersperg definitely. Not sure how many others. As for illegitimate children, some claimed to be later, but they come across as con women and -men to me, and that's certainly how MT treated them. Not locking them up as Kaunitz suggested but not taking them seriously, either.
Renate Zedinger: I'm not sure whether he had sex with the Countess, either. I mean, she was clearly a favourite, but he'd been friends with her Dad and was thirty years older. Maybe she was like a daughter to him? Did I mention I'm the biggest FS fan of us three?
Selena: You all write about how during his Grand Tour he was a big success in England but don't quote from Lord Hervey or his wife, which is a miss because G2 being nice about FS could have been just official politeness, but Hervey was snarky about basically everyone he wasn't in love with at the time, so for him to be complimentary about FS is a true testimony to his charm.
The three biographers: All three of us provide you and Salon with a great new story re: FS visit chez Hohenzollern just when Fritz and EC got engaged, though!
Selena: That's true. According to you, FW first wanted to make the engagement official before even having proposed officially in the name of his son to EC and her parents. When Seckendorff & Grumbkow told him that ought to come first, he hit on the next idea, which was that FS should to the official proposing - i.e. FS should propose, in Fritz' name, to EC.
FS: I don't think so. I've met Fritz. He made his feelings about the whole engagement clear to all and sundry. However, since I'm a diplomatic guy, here's my official excuse to you, FW: If I were to propose for Fritz to EC, this would insult your brother-in-law and cousin G2, who was my most recent host and really really nice to me. As I understand it, he wanted his own daughter to be married to Fritz.
FW: I don't see the downside of insulting G2, but fine, have it your way.
Seckendorff: A plus diplomacy, your highness. May I suggest that while it's good that you've befriended Junior, you don't write to him more often than you do to FW? FW is madly jealous about this kind of thing. Also, add your letters to Fritz to your letters to FW, so he can see you're not keeping any secrets behind his back.
EC: Nobody ever asked me, but looking back, I think I would have enjoyed having FS propose to me for Fritz.
Selena: Who did official proposing for FS to MT, btw?
Biographers: Glad you asked. Eugene was to do it, because he was the highest regarded guy in Austria, but he was already too old and fragile, so FS suggested doing it himself, and did, with aplomb.
MT: Naturally.
Choice quotes:
FS and MT weren't allowed to correspond directly before becoming officially engaged, or to meet without company, but MT's Aja the Countess Fuchs as well as her mother were unofficially helpful with both, i.e. they engineered meetings with minimum supervision when FS was visiting in Vienna after having become Duke and before the official engagement, and FS wrote to the "Fuchsin" knowing she'd forward news to MT. Once they were allowed to write directly, the engagement letters are a mixture of Rokoko German-French with some Italian sprinkled in and for all that the letter writing rules are observed re: salutations and goodbyes, pretty endearing, with this letter of MT's the one to even melt the determinedly anti-Romantic Stolberg-Rillinger a bit when she quoted it in her MT bio, as does Fred H. in his FS bio:
Caro viso, je vous suits infininement obliges pour votre attention de m'ecrire de vos nouvelles, car j'etois en peine comme une pauvre chienne; aimez moi un peu et me pardonnez si je ne vous respons pas assez, mais c'est 10 heure et herbeville attende pour ma lettre. Adieu Mäusl, je vous embrasse de tout mon coeur, menagez vous bien, adieu caro viso
je suis la votre
sponsia dilectisissima
Schreiber who quotes a German translation of this same letter thinks a nickname like "Mäusl" presumably wasn't newly invented for this correspondence when they finally got officially engaged but presumably was used verbally in those semi secret meetings before. Speaking of nicknames, Schreiber is also bewildered wthat only six years into the marriage, FS and MT use "Alter" (FS writes as Zedinger quotes "Chère Mitz" - I have to say here I was relieved to read this, because I kept wondering where I got the "Mitz" nickname from and wasn't able to find it, and now I have proof again I didn't invent it - and signs himself "Dero Alter", MT writes "Mein Alter", i.e. "my old man". Now neither of them as old yet when they started to use this, so my take is that it's clearly a shared teasing.
Back to Fred Hennings, have some excerpts from the "Invading is how you show true friendship" conversation which Gotter, the Prussian representataive, transcribed for Fritz, complete with stage directions. Now as with his letters, Fritz at this point did of course not address MT, or negotiate with MT. He negotiated with FS, assuming along with most folk in 1740/41 that naturally the husband would be the true power, not the ZOMG WOMAN who'd inherited the Austrian territories. However, it was very clear MT was listening in to the negotiations in the next room since at some point she interrupted ostensibly to remind FS of the time, and when he came back with new arguments the Prussian Representative noted to his displeasure that this made clear who they were really talking to, no matter that Fritz wanted to do this among men etc. So, have some quotes from the second conversation between FS and Prussian Representative Gotter on New Year's Day 1741 (note re: the title - FS is only a Grand Duke (of Tuscany) right then, so no "your Majesty"):
Gotter: The King much regrets that the measures he had to take have found such a bad reception here, despite his intentions being only good ones, and only aim to preserve the House of Austria and the improvement of Your Highness' station.
Grandduke: To invade with 30.000 men, to play Master... are those the proofs of good friendship and means to preserve the House of Austria? Do you really want to dress up such outrageous acts in pretty clothing? Does one win friends by beating them with a stick? Judge for yourself!
Gotter: Your Highness should consider the respectable offerings the King has made. Also your ascension to the Imperial dignity.
(At this point Fritz - in his capacity as Prince Elector of Brandenburg - was still offering to support FS as Emperor as part of FS letting him have Silesia.)
Gotter: When invading Silesia, the King is only taking possession of a country which as he believes is rightfully his and which he also considers his reward for the great services he offers.
Grandduke: Rather say - he wanted to have Silesia and thought this was a great opportunity to get it. Couldn't he have made prepositions before attacking - talk to us instead of surprise us, when we least expected it from him? It would have been my pleasure to negotiate, instead of arms deciding everything now. It was in his hand to play a good and glorious role, but now he has filled the world with distrust and no one knows anymore what to expect of him.
Gotter: I am ordered, kind Sir, despite your earlier refusal to listen to me to assure you once again how much the King wants to come to an agreement with you. There are ways and means for everything except death. The King's friendship for you might move him to lessen his demands. And if the King's behavior is a bit odd, if he has started this game a bit early, you can blame only his eagerness to be of use to you before open or secret enemies of his can execute the coup they have prepared.
Grandduke: The King might think benevolently, but he acts lousily, if I may say so. Sir, if someone would barge into your rooms with a drawn sword in his hand and would gesture wildly with it, would you then endure this and treat him as your friend?
Gotter: I would ask him what he wants here, and if he told me that he only wants a corner of the room in order to defend me against those who want to kill mem, I would leave him there and rejoice in his presence. (...)
Grandduke: That looks like someone slapping someone else in the face and then saying: Don't be angry, I didn't do it out of ill will. No?
Gotter is silent but thinks: omne simile claudicat.
Grandduke: What kind of prepositions to you want to make? In which way do you want to play this affair down and make up for it? You want the whole of Silesia of us, and we don't want to hand it over. There is no gap to bridge between everything and nothng.
Gotter: In order to make this easier for you, the King is ready to accept less than everything and will content himself with the majority of the country. It is now up to you, gracious Lord, to satisfy him.
Grandduke: Oh no, Sir, it isn't up to us. The King wants to enrich himself at our expense, and for us the leading principle is to concede to no one, who ever it may be, something of the Queen's territories. Otherwise everyone would come with similar demands, and we'd never be at rest. Better to go down with the sword in hand than letting yourself torn apart without resisting.
Gotter: But, gracious Lord, is it worth enstranging yourself with your best friend, my King, just because of the little trivial thing he wants to have?
Grandduke: A little trivial thing? Are you calling Silesia a bagatelle? Good lord, we know better.
Gotter: The King doesn't claim the whole of Silesia; what he wants is the teensiest weensiest bit that it will neither make the King of Prussia richer nor the House of Austria poorer. He would be able to live well without it.
Grandduke: So in order to oblige him I'm supposed to tear my waistcoat apart.
Gotter: It's not even a sleeve of your waistcoat but a single button.
And so forth, and so on, until MT interrupts again, "reminding FS of the time". Now, all three biographers think while FS did think the whole protection racket was outrageous and while he wouldn't trust Fritz again, he also would have been ready to compromise if it had been up to him, Schreiber and Zedinger point out he had himself given up Lorraine, so might not have thought the loss of one province as so unacceptable as MT did. But I don't think that comparison really works, because FS gave up Lorraine in exchange for Tuscany and a wife who was the richest heiress on the continent, and in a situation where the French had already occupied the duchy (they invaded the moment the War of the Polish Succession began). The alternative to giving up Lorraine would have been no MT, no Tuscany and still an occupied duchy with French troops calling the shots. Whereas giving up Silesia without a fight, well, Mildred wrote lengthy speculations about possible scenarios.
from February 15th 1747. Quoted in Hennings. See earlier re: Schreiber and Zedinger's objections re: Podewils as an objective source.
The Emperor is below avarage height. He lets his head sink a bit too much which has earned him a slightly crooked back. Otherwise he stands straight and has a good figure. His posture and his walk are neglectful, for he doesn't pay much attention to them. The form of his face is somewhat quadratic, and the same is true of his fronthead. His eyes are quite beautiful and of a dark blue. They are however not sparkling by nature. His nose is somewhat pointed, but not large, his mouth small and his smile agreeable. His facial colouring is even and healthy. All his features result in a beautiful face, which however is thought of as common by many. He makes himself less attractive by the grimaces he has gotten in the habit of making.
His mode of addressing someone is polite, but somewhat cold and serious, especially towards people he doesn't know well, and he comes across as shy to visiting foreigners. He does express himself with ease in conversation. He has a vivid imagination, a good memory, and much common sense. But since he is indolent by nature, he doesn't know how to really work thoroughly. He hates work. He isn't much ambitious and takes care of governing as little as possible. He only wants to enjoy life and spend it pleasantly and thus lets the Empress have the glory and the worries of government. This princess and her ministers are ruling him, especially in the business of the empire, of which he understands little. If his education had been cared for earlier and his indolence fought and his mind had been focused on what truly matters, this prince might have been adept at governing.
His imagination provides him with some pretty ideas. He's a good and agreeable conversationalist. He likes to joke and even tease if there is opportunity, but has begun to abandon the habit lately out of consideration.
His character is extremely kind, and I haven't heard about him being in a fit of anger ever. During the small arguments which happen between him and the Empress, it is usually he who gives in first and offers reconciliation. He hates malicious gossip and wants that all the world should get along well with each other. He is able to feel love and loyalty. But his favour is worthless due to the small influence has regarding the ambitions of those whom he does honor. So he is only courted out of affection or politeness. His power is limited to asking the Empress to favour those private persons whom he likes. But even for this, he has to use a good opportunity. (...)
He isn't addicted to pomp, least of all in his sdress. Often he dresses neglectfully even on holidays, and often he is the least splendidly dressed of all his court. He likes all the pleasures without being passionate about any of them. He seems to be entertained most by hunting and theatre plays. He rarely neglects attending the later and even has the patience to attend a German comedy which is designed to hurt the sensitivities of even a brute from the beginning to the end. He's not an exceptional dancer though he does it decently. He is a good father, loves his children deeply and adores the oldest Archduke (Joseph), as does the Empress. He is a decent man, unable to break his word or to easily promise something to others. He is benevolent and humane and would make everyone happy if it would be up to him. His temper is cheerful by nature and even.
Schreiber points out that the bit about German comedies is clearly written for Fritz who even this early on is known to loathe them; it's one of bits he uses to argue Podewils while not lying is shaping this report to make Fritz feel superior. Meanwhile, Renate Z. as mentioned points out when Podewils writes this, he has met FS exactly once (where of course he was received with cool politeness). As for the whole "he lets MT do all the work" bit:
Count Sylva-Tarouca, who had constant access to court, could judge the daily schedule of the co-regent much more accurately. In a private letter he reports to Count Kaunitz who is in Brussels he writes that Franz Stephan of Lorraine never rests; his daily schedule is dominated by audiences, receiving foreign envoys, attending conferences and the every day business of government with the reception of reports, dictating of instructions and signing od depeches. Additionally, there are inspections and visits outside of Vienna, like the reception of the Polish Royal family at Olmütz, through now, after the negotiations that took place in Warsaw at January 8th 11745, peace should be achieved.
How bad was the situation for Lorraine in the War of the Polish Succession? This relevant because while FS's mother, named Elisabeth Charlotte after her own mother, was heartbroken that he gave up his duchy for marrying MT (both parts of this were bad for her, the loss of Lorraine and the Habsburg marriage, because being the daughter of a gay Bourbon and an ex Protestant Palatinate princess herself, she loathed the Habsburgs and Austria), all biographers make a good case that keeping his duchy and giving up the marriage instead raelly would not have been an alternative at this point:
France has stationed 4000 men in Lorraine. The demands of the occupying forces became ever more impudent. Not only did they demand them to be supported, cared for and supplied with candles, wood for burning, straw and other horse foodder; France also demanded Lorraine formers to do the transports of troop supplies to the Rhine border. After strong rainfalls which had started on July 4th 1734, many parts of the country were under water. The harvest was nearly destroyed. Similar natural disasters occured in 1735. The result were terrible harvests and famine. Then there was the additional cost of the still stationed in Lorraine soldiers which now amounted to more than 500.000, - pounds per year and which thus demanded 18% of the overall state household. Despite this catastrophic situation, the Duke (FS) was resolved to get high a compensation for his country as possible.
This is from Renate Zedinger's biography. For all that it's really hostile to the French, btw, it has a preface by a French historian which, only slightly paraphrased, has this bit:
"So, in traditional French history, FS isn't popular because being from Lorraine, he's seen as a French prince who betrayed his country by voluntarily submitting and enabling the Habsburgs and Team Austria. But now that I've read Renate's biography, I see he had his reasons!"
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
If you think the problem of Julian (still used by the Russians) vs Georgian Calender is making 18th century history even more complicated, here's another issue. When FS takes over Tuscany, he also imports a new calendar AND way to count the hours of the day:
The actual arrival in Florence probably took place not before January 21st 1739. There aren't any detailed documents about these last few hours and in any case the documented dates invite misunderstandings, since the year started in Tuscany on March 23rd and thus the larger part of the (FS and MT) visit took place still in the year 1738 by Tuscan reckoning. The hours, too, were then counted "all'italiana", from the first hour after the evening Ave Maria twenty four hours to the Ave Maria of the next day; since the Ave Maria was, however, prayed differently according to the seasons, misunderstandings were preprogrammed. This changed because starting on March 30th 1739 the counting "alla francese" was introduced, twelve hours starting from noon and twelve hours after midnight. Which is why the only thing certain is that the arrival of the new Grandduke and Grandduchess happened in the afternoon and that they had made a stop at noon in front of the city in the Villa Corsi before that.
Organization of Tuscan administration once FS was Emperor:
In Vienna, the Secret Council for Tuscan affairs constisted of Baron Jaquemin, Baron Pfütschner, Count Stainville and Ferdinand de Bortholomei, in addtion to Toussaint, the leader of the Chancellery, who consisted of Molitoris as secretary and with eight chancelry writers. The administration offices of the Tuscan Chancellery were placed in teh Emperor's private palace in Wallnerstraße 3, close to the Hofburg. The workday was tightly orchestrated and led. .The organisation had been established by the Emperor, every report had to be presented to him personally, his was the final decision. But he also paid attention to establish a harmonious working atmosphere in the office, condemned intrigues and jealous schemes and expected anyone working in his chancellery to be fluent in Latin, Italian, German and French, as he noted down in scribbled remarks on the documents in his own words. He also reserved the right to appoint people to their posts to himself, both in Vienna and in Tuscany, and demanded lists with exact descriptions of the candidates before making his choice.
Zedinger and Schreiber: And that's the guy Podewils calls lazy! Yes, he didn't work as much as Fritz did, but then the Fritzian workload was insane, thanks, FW, 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!
There are also, as mentioned, detailed portraits of the various people from Lorraine doing the work in Tuscany itself, as well as of Lorraine and Flemish scientists and artists FS was a patron to. Some of the artists like Jean-Joseph Charmant worked first in Lorraine, then in Florence, then in Vienna and then when Leopold took over the duchy in Florence again. As proof that the description in Italian booiks of FS just carrying those art works that weren't protected by Anna Luisa away and did nothing for culture in Florence for the people is wrong, Zedinger provides counter examples like:
The collections and libraries were openend for the scholars, researches and students again. In August 1746, (FS) ordered that the libraries Magliabechi and Marucelle were to be separated so they could be made accessible to visitors in different times. Maglicabechi, the Medici's librarian, had bought and collected precious books, handwritings and manuscripts in all of Europe and had thus created one of the largest and most precious libraries. Starting 1747, the Bibliotheca Magliebechiana was open on MOnday, Wednesday and Friday, while the Bibliotheca Marucelliana was accessible to visitors on Tuesday and Thursday. Both are today part of the national library of Florence. Another success was in 1753 the foundatijon of the "Accademia economico-agraria dei Georgofili", form which important economic impulses derived; additionally, the renewal of the Botanic Society in 1739 encouraged scientici interest.
(...) Part of the cultural engagement was the nursing, keeping and preservation of the rich Medici heritage, which demanded constant attention and the according financial supplies. Thus, the art pieces in the Galleria had to be constantly restored. The Capella Medici, the famous tomb section in San Lorenzo, needed a complete and general restoration; when Anna Maria de' Medici had been buried in 1743, its decrepit state had been obvious. THe Reggenza Lorenese, the Lothringian rule of Tuscany was better than the reputation it received by nationalistic Italian historiography in the 19th century.
One individual portrait of the Lorraine artists:
Less mysterious (than that of Vidon) is the career of Gabrielle Bertrand, who had left Lorraine at eight years of age together with her father Francois Bertrand, the later Captain of the Guard at Schönbrunn. Obviously trained in Vienna, she was appointed as drawing mistress to the Arch Duchesses Maria Karoline and Marie Antoinette in 1764. As it had been the custom for centuries, a portrait of the Emperor on his deathbed was made; this was the case in August 1765 for Franz Stephan of Lorrainie, and it was Gabrielle Bertrand who has preserved the scene in the Innsbruck Hofburg for eternity. Gabrielle Bertrand accompagnied Maria Karoline to Naples for her wedding in 1768, where she finished one of her famous paintings. Her depiction of Maria Theresia taking up the business of government again after the death of her husband, she achieved such a good reputation as a portraitist that we as appointed an honorary member of the Academy of Painters in 1771. At this time, she also married the sculptor Wilhelm Beyer. The couple were both especially favored by Maria Theresia and often worked in Schönbrunn
Zedinger is the only biographer who mentions the MT & Wilhelmine lunch.
Wilhelmine might have been curious to meet the female monarch who had had the courage to stand up to her brother. Their meeting was relatively short but happened in a friendly framing, during which the 28th years old Maria Theresia made a charming impression on Wilhelmine. The farewell, too, was cordial, and the Bayreuth bodyguard escorted the Austrians to their borders. Once these events were reported to Berlin, all hell broke loose. Against her brother's accusations, the Margravine defended herself cooly and matter-of-factly: "Regarding my encounter with the Queen of Hungary, it was a simple polite gesture. (...) We have to pay consideration this court, since they're our neighbours on all sides. (...) Their troops are marching through the country constantly. The Imperial election had already taken place. All these reasons seemed to me enough - especially since we are a neutral country - to do this step. Another behaviour would have been regarded as offensive on our part. The Margravine here addreses openly the difficulties of a tiny principality, but she's not completely honest, since the meeting with Maria Theresia had gone beyond exchanging a few polite sentences.
FS takes a leaf from Voltaire's, Fritz' and Heinrich's book and writes, not an anonymous pamphlet, but an anonymous memorandum "by a true German" to explain why he thinks they should just make up with Prussia already in 1748 (Cahn, the two Silesian Wars are over for some years, but MT is just about to wrap up the War of Austrian Succession as far her other opponents are concerned):
Regarding the King of Prussia, one shouldn't just try for some good neighbourhood but try to manage him instead of playing to the public by openly displaying the hate one has for hilm which, granted, has good cause. To accuse people all the time of being Prussian-minded is of no use, au contraire, we should change our speeches and abandon animosity for the time being and do nothing to heighten our prejudice, nor anything which could embitter him even more against us. Now I don't believe he'll ever be well minded towards us, but I do think we shouldn't waste time to contradict him everywhere in all courts, especially in affairs that do not concern us, but should behave with indifference. If it is of no consequence to us, we should even help him, and thus we should get rid of this idea the whole world has of us that we try to whip up hate against him everywhere all the time, an idea which is wrong but of which as I am told the King is convinced. (...) In a word, we should treat the Prussian court in such a manner as if we were in the greatest harmony with them.
At the end of this memo, FS collects his key theories in punctae form:
1.) We should consolidate in interior affairs both in militari and oeconomico
2. We should stay away from any wars or feuds as much as possible
3) We should try to manage our allies diplomatically - we shouldn't try to boss them around, for no one likes that, but treat them as allies and friends
4) We should try to keep all of our friends we already have and try to win new ones
5) We should never trust our natural enemies, France and Prussia
6) But we should always act friendly towards them
7) Trying to divide France and Prussia from each other should be regarded as a chimera since they need each other far too much
8) The sea powers (England and the Netherlands) and Russia should always be regarded as our natural allies
9) In Italy, we should regard the King of Sardinia as our sole ally, but never trust him completely, and we should never, ever trust those principalities ruled by the Bourbons there and should regard them always as our natural enemies, who only look to their enlargement
10. We should try to keep good neighbourhood with the Turks and shouldn't give them an opportunity for complaints
11. All Alliances we make should be explicitly and only defensive in nature.
This is why FS did not get along well with Kaunitz. Now whether or not a peaceful coexistence with Prussia as FS suggests would have been possible had they stuck with the English alliance is up for debate. (The more recent years of alliance with the Brits from the Austrian pov mostly resulted in the Brits not letting them either ditch the Austrian Netherlands or use their trade and ports in useful way, and in being told to give in to everything Fritz wanted all the time - and that was when the Brits hadn't been allied with Prussia yet.) But one thing is undoubtedly true: this memo isn't written by a guy who only wants to have a comfortable life and doesn't have his own opinion on politics.
Moving on to FS' death, Schreiber provides some gruesome details, because since this was August, poor FS was decaying very quickly and they had to use a lot of herbs and perfumes for the burial. Zedinger doesn't have those details, but mentions something I had been curious about, i.e. who provided the original source for the detailed account of FS' death, complete with Joseph catching him in his arms when FS had his stroke and was falling, the servant's bed, calling doctors and confessors but it being essentially all over etc. .It's not the usual court diarist Khevenmüller who wasn't there, it's a guy from the Austrian Netherlands (i.e. Belgium), Corneille lde Neny, who was at this point one of MT's secretaries and with the Imperial family in Innsbruck in that capacity. He had been present during FS' death and he's the one from whom the original description hails.
Fred Hennings and Georg Schreiber both are a bit confused why MT wanted the Leopold marriage to take place in Innsbruck instead of Milan or Vienna. Zedinger, like Stollberg-Rillinger, is confused they're confused, because the reasons seem obvious to her:
1) The House of Lorraine had a deep connection to Innsbruck. This is where FS' grandfather (the one married to an Austrian Archduchess and who beat the Turks at the famous siege in Vienna) had lived in exile for many years.
2) MT's bff Sophie von Erzenberg was the wife of the Imperial Governor and residing in Innsbruck. Letting Leopold's marriage take place there was a sign of special favour. (And then everything went wrong that could go wrong, from Leopold catching diarrhoea to rain pouring down to FS dying, but who could have known?)
Lastly, something on the funny side again, from Schreiber's bio. It's post 7 Years War, and young Vienna Joe is elected as King of the Romans and crowned as same in Frankfurt, with Dad at his side. (This is the ceremony described by Goethe.) It's typical for the state the late HRE was in that of the Princes Elector, only the clerical ones (i.e. the archbishops of Mainz, Trier and Cologne) showed up in person, while the secular Princes Elector all sent representatives to do their job duiring the election and coronation ceremonies. (Okay, the Prince Elector of Hannover happened to be young King G3 who was in England and thus had an excuse for not showing up.) The secular princes are told by the Fritzian representative to not perform the genuflection, the kneeling anymore. FS ignores this, but come the coronation day, he draws a consequence. See, the Prince Elector of Brandenburg was the traditional Reichs-Erbkämmerer. Thus it would have been the job of the Fritz representative, one Erich Christoph Freiherr von Plotho, to carry the imperial scepter ahead of the procession. But instead, FS took it from him and carried it himself through the whole of Joseph's coronation, which was quite the feat since he had to do it on horseback.
As mentioned elsewhere, Joseph was writing detailed descriptions of their Frankfurt journey and how Dad was doing to MT.
On March 14th, when they were still on Austrian soil, he had told her: "His Majesty the Emperor enjoys perfect health except for a cold which causes him to sneeze often and to use his hankerchief a lot. But his appetite is more than well; the fish of Upper Austria and the milk agree with him splendidly. I took the liberty to warn his Majesty, but he replied that this was healthy food."
There are in these letters no traces of a dislike, let alone hatred from Joseph towards his father, which has been occasionally ascribed to him. Now and then he mentiones encounters with friends from Lorraine like the widow of the Prince Beauvau-Craown and with Karl Count Ogara. When ther are repeated often ridiculous complications during the journey, he writes: "An angel would lose his patience at this point, and his Majesty, too, is in a bad mood and exhausted." After their arrival in Frankfurt on March 29th 1764 he praises how the Emperor replied to the opening speech by the Prince Elector of Mainz in very suitable form: "It's impossible to speak better or with more dignity than he did." This is also confirmed by Archduke Leopold in a letter to his Ajo, Franz Count Thurn-Valsassina: "His Majesty the Emperor replied as a true Roman Emperor with fire, dignity and a greatness remarked by all attendants."
Regarding their quarters at Frankfurt, Joseph writes to his mother that they were somewhat modest, even the Emperor had only been given a bed room and two smaller rooms for his servants. The many descriptions of Frankfurt society by Joseph to his mother are amusing to read with their little digs and malices. But important for the relationship between father and son is a passage from a letter by Joseph from April 4th: "Today we had a public dinner. I handed the towel to his Majesty the Emmperor, and I think I did rightly, despite Count Khevenhüller doubting this, but the more respect I show to the Emperor - even if I am treating this only from a political pov - the more I honour myself. Bsides, I believe a son's duties should always have prference to those of a King."
All formalities and the "his Majesty the Emperor" phrasing aside, I'm struck by the domesticity of Joseph reporting on the cold and on exactly what his father has been eating to his mother, because I can just imagine her tasking him with this. Again, I remember the sight of those three coffins in the MT crypt - that beautiful baroque opulent tomb of MT and FS with their statues depicted lying on their bed turned towards each other, and the absolute contract, that zinc coffin Joseph put himself into. But he still wanted to be with his parents in that final resting place. Different as they were from him, and as much as they often had to find each other frustrating, I think he always was aware they loved him.
Fred Hennings: Und sitzet zur linken Hand. Franz Stephan von Lothringen. (1963)
Fred Hennings: I'm an early 1960s guy looking back, stylistically, to 1920s/1930s biographies romancees a la Stefan Zweig, and also reproducing the gender images of my era: expect phrases like "her womanly nature" or "he was lacking the benefit of male education". On the other hand, I never do the weird thing Nancy Goldstone does, i.e. imply MT spent her time trying to make up to FS for the indignity of being the husband of a strong woman. My FS doesn't have a problem with that, which of course I like his contemporaries do think is weird, but blame on his indolent lazy phlegmatic nature.
Georg Schreiber & Renate Zedinger: Which he didn't have. We're different from each other, but we both protest against the the characterisation of FS as lazy, pointing out he was in fact working hard.
Fred Hennings: You'll get your turn. Allow me to finish my book's introduction. I'm spending two thirds of my page time on the days before FS ever makes it to Emperor, strong emphasis on his youth and courting MT days as if I was a novelist. As for the working bit: near the end of my book, I remember he was financially successful so devote a very brief time to saying yeah, he did that. Now, I don't dislike FS! I think he must have been a very likeable fellow, if weirdly accepting of being topped by MT, but agree with Charles Hanbury-Williams that nature intended him to be the Duke of Lorraine and no more. In terms of contributing new stuff to Salon knowledge, I don't offer much, except for several pages of direct transcript of the hilarious (to us) conversation between FS and the then Prussian envoy (not Podewils, the one who had to explain how Fritz is invading Silesia the first time around for just reasons and MT's own benefit) hailing from the guy's report to Fritz. Selena will get around to translating the highlights in the future. Also I have transcriptions of some of the courting letters, but Stollberg-Rillinger had those as well, and examples of FS spelling badly in French and German alike, which, again, already known to us. Otoh, I say there is no primary source document available to tell what kind of relationship FS had with his kids when later biographers all quote from his letters to same and from same, so my research can't have been that extensive. Oh, and unlike my direct contemporary, the editor of the "Fritz and MT in the eyes of their contemporaries" book, I don't buy into Prussian propaganda and thus Fritz is a gangster with good PR in my descriptions, though I'm less harsh on him than Nancy Goldstone. (No running away mocking his own troops, for starters.)
Georg Schreiber: I'll say. My book, "Franz I. Stephan. An der Seite einer großen Frau" is from 1986. As a 1980s publishing author, I'm still writing my biography chronologically, but I'm more prone to question or point out source bias in whoever I'm quoting. Like Podewils, the Prussian ambassador to Vienna post Silesia 2, whose descriptions of MT and FS are in basically every Fritz and MT biography, though the FS descriptions never get quoted as lengthily as the MT descriptions except in our three biographies, where on the contrary we three don't quote the MT descriptions at all, since FS is our subject. Anyway, I point out that Podewils wrote his stuff for Fritz' delectation, and wanted his King to like him. Which means that while Podewils' description is an important counter point to the fawning rosy eyed Austrian court stuff from the same period, it still doesn't mean it's objective. Meaning not that Podewils lies, but that he skewers in a way to make Fritz feel good about himself and superior to FS, hence the description of FS as lazy.
(Derek Beales, Joseph biographer in three volumes: And the description of Joseph as a spoiled kid which you repeat. I mean, have you seen Joseph's teaching schedule?)
Renate Zedinger: Ha. You're still missing the point about Podewils. In my biography, I point out that in the same letter where he provides Fritz with his lengthy and much quoted "MT: Hot or not?" and "FS: Hot or not?" portraits, he also admits that as the envoy of a power seen as hostile, he even a year into his posting couldn't make contact with top courtiers and true intimates of the imperial couple, and only got one audience by both of them so far. All his intel hails from third rate gossip and sources. Basically, he's as knowledgeable about FS and MT at this point as Hanbury-Williams is about Fritz during his stint as Ambassador to Prussia. And that's the guy who keeps getting quoted as this great expert in biographies and is to blame for my guy FS being called lazy!
Georg Schreiber: You wait your turn. Like all three of us, I explain about the House of Lorraine early on at some detail. I'm, however, the only one pointing out what while usually if the the woman marries into a family in much of Western European history, including the 18th century, people consider her and her kids as part of her in-law family. Meanwhle, MT when her brother-in-law died wrote in a letter "this is the end of the House of Lorraine". She regarded herself and her kids as Habsburgs, and ensured there were thus seen by the rest of the world as well, though the official name was "Habsburg-Lothringen". Also when I quote the famous description of teen MT's pining for FS by the British envoy to Vienna which is in all three books, it hit Selena that the phrasing is "The man she believes to be born for her", not "the man she believes herself born for" - and that's not someone writing in hindsight but a guy at the time when she's still a teen. If ever there was someone deserving the description girlboss..
Renate Zedinger: I'm much more MT critical than you, in that I emphasize that for all her love for FS she downplayed the support she was getting from him - basically I'm the reverse Nancy Goldstone here - and also she should have listened to him re: Fritz and spared the world Silesia 2 and the 7 Years War. While I'm at it, Kaunitz and the Diplomatic Revolution suck. The alliance with France was a terrible idea. FS knew France was an untrustworthy arrogant parasite who'd never do anything to actually help Austria. MT should have listened to him!
Georg Schreiber: I'm in the middle here - I do think FS had a point with his repeated arguments for reconciliation with Prussia and trying to get it away from France and teaming up with it against France, but then again I also point out that if MT had given into all of Fritz ' demands in Silesia 1 and stuck to this instead of trying to get Silesia back, he might have asked for Bohemia and Moravia next, and also she would have signalled her weakness to all her other enemies. In fact, I'm the author most snarky about Fritz. Have one example, when talking about how MT's Dad greenlighted heigtening the secret pension/bribery money crown prince Fritz was getting from the Austrian court: "Unlike Prince Eugene, he had delusions about Friedrich's gratitude and general character." Also, unlike you, I don't ruin my impeccable research credentials by claiming Fritz did seriously consider making himself HRE.
Renate Zedinger: Did to. I claim Wilhelmine told someone that should the Wittelsbach guy kick the bucket, Fritz was ready to convert to Catholicism in order to become Holy Roman Emperor in 1743. When Selena looked up the relevant footnote, it said: "Durchardt, Protestantisches Kaisertum, 284-289." Mildred, over to you.
Georg Schreiber: Speaking of claims which are the direct opposite of how events are portrayed elsewhere: the three of us present the Lorraine/Tuscany switch and FS' takeover completely different from the Medici books. Far from plundering out Tuscany, we present FS as a champ laying the groundworks for son Leopold's much beloved reign with first reforms. Also, all three of us point out that as to the bitching about taking over Medici jewelry, FS also took over Medici debts. Which were considerable. That duchy was run down. However, it's clear that from the three of us, only you, Renate Z., read things from the Medici pov and present Anna Luisa, Gian Gastone's sister, as the heroine who kept the art work in Tuscany, by and large, and as an impressive figure. I and my predecessor Fred mention her only as an odd weirdo who was despite her initial distrust of FS charmed by him. Also I'm more into presenting anecdotes like MT duetting with the Castrato singer Sensinino than listing Tuscan complaints. But unlike you, I mention that when FS sent his Lorraine guys into the duchy, part of the clean up operation (my phrasing) of the Palazzo Pitti ("which had been run down during Gian Gastone's long illness") was to kcik out "The Swiss Guard for they had become under their Capitano Giulio Dani a rotten pack which begged every visitor to the palace for money". Selena is wondering whether these were actual Swiss, or are they meant to be the Ruspanti? Anyway, back to my presentation of Medici matters: when I describe Gian Gastone getting the news that FS would be his heir, I do say he wasn't happy, but I also claim Gian Gastone still prefered that to the Spanish getting the duchy for Spanish occupation was worst. Apparantly, I never read something about Gian Gastone favoring the other Don Carlos.
Renate Zedinger: What did you say about impeccable research again?
Georg Schreiber. Fine. Over to you.
Renate Zedinger: I say some nice things about your book in my preface but still make the case the world was waiting for the ultimate FS biography, to wit, mine. I'm publishing "Franz Stephan von Lothringen. Monarch, Manager, Mäzen" in 2008, and thus it's a modern biography structured for different areas of occupation (like politics, family life, business, patronage), and there's some jumping to and thro in the time line, as it's only vaguely chronological. My book is the thoroughest. I even describe all the people from FS' Lorraine entourage with pen portraits, not just his siblings. Unlike your rubbish claim of indolent FS, Fred Hennings, I point out there are protocols proving he did work as co-regent with MT in the early days instead of her just giving him the title but he not doing anything with it. I point out how questionable Podewils is as a source of that claim and point out to other people with actual constant access to FS and MT mentioning his working hours. Like this envoy whom FS could only given an 8:00 am audience because he was otherwise booked out, and not with hunting. Georg Schreiber and I both quote from his "how to be a good husband" letter to Leopold, and Georg quotes from a Joseph letter to MT about how Dad is doing when they're both en route to Frankfurt for Joseph's coronation that demonstrates his affection and care for Dad, and further rubbishes the traditional image Fred Hennings reproduces about Joseph not caring for his Dad which btw is solely based on another Podewils report of Joseph supposedly saying FS had only dukes as ancestors, not kings and Emperors. Which btw is incorrect, too, look at his family tree. I also quote from a letter to one of his daughters and from him to her to boost FS' "good and caring Dad" credentials. (Something I conspiciously leave out, though, is FS' "you will get married a second time NOW because your mother and I say so!" letter to Joseph.)
Going back to the Medici bit: I admit to the bad image of Team Lorraine in Tuscany pre Leopold/Pietro Leopoldo as I call him by his Italian name, but I point out that the Florentine and Tuscan nobility had all bet on the Spanish succeeeding and had laid their eggs in that basket and ingratiated themselves there, and it was all in vain. So they started out frustrated already. And then FS brought in a lot of Lorraine people. Far from presenting this as negative as the Medici books to, I present it as an example of FS' excellent leader qualities - as Duke of Lorraine. See, when the big switcheroo was being negotiated, FS didn't just abandon Lorraine without a care, the way it's presented in older books. He went above and beyond to ensure that any Lorraine noble who didn't want to stick around with new Duke Stanislas Lescynski and any non-noble Lorraine too who wanted to stay with him got a place and a job. And naturally, since his father-in-law was still alive, he could only resettle these guys in Tuscany, though later once MT was in charge and especially once he himself was Emperor, he offered them jobs and places in Vienna as well. However, it wasn't like FS handed over Tuscan revenues to his buddies and Tuscany suffered from it, far from it. He always had an eye for competence. Those Lorraine guys in charge did good stuff! Here's what schools and stone cutting factories and other stuff were founded and so forth by them, and how they tried to revitalize the run-down-by-the-Medici duchy, even before Pietro Leopoldo came along and kicked ass! Dad's entourage laid the good groundworks and Adam W. the later Leopold biographer is my chief witness for this, here are my quotes and sources in the footnotes.
And while I'm talking about FS as a Duke and run down duchies, his Dad, Leopold, was a big spender who left Lorraine in huge debts. FS, otoh, proving his unsual for his class good economic sense, immediately started a saving money and reboosting the economy program when he became Duke and before he had to give up his duchy. To the point where even FW would have been impressed, like with cutting the 50 or so Haushofmeister who only got irregular salaries and did few jobs down to only 3, but those with three time the sallaries, regularly paid. Idle good time fellow, my ass!
Oh, and still on a Lorraine note: If I have a bete noire other than the perfidious French - seriously, the way I present the French in my book is the way the Duc de Broglie and his ancestor the Comte talk about the Austrians - whom FS completely rightly saw through and distrusted and would NEVER have allied with if it was up to him, let alone married Maria Antonia with - , if there's one guy I practically boo and hiss at every time it is mentioned, it is not Fritz, it's Stanislas Lesczynski. That ungrateful asshole. See, when August the Strong kicked him out of Poland the first time with Peter the Great's help, where would he find refuge but in Lorraine with FS' Dad Leopold! And then years later, when the War of the Polish Succession ended with Stanislas tradiing in Poland for Lorraine, he said that if he had to give up Poland for good, Lorraine was barely, just about acceptable. Jerk. I call him the lowest of the low for this, ungrateful to the nth degree, which is a logic Selena can't quite follow. Anyway, I'm not a little gleeful when reporting later that FS organized the transport of all the Lorraine art work and furniture and so forth ouf of Lorraine and either to Tuscany or Vienna before handing over the duchy, and that Stanislas Lescynski wrote an indignant letter to son-in-law Louis XV about how FS didn't even leave him an armchair in the palace and he had to refurbish wholesale. Serves you right, jerk!
Selena: I think all the anti French stuff is how I can see you're an Austrian, not a German author. France/Germany OTP being a post war German credo.
Anyway, I note that you three agree on one thing, and that is that FS was the embodiment of Lorraine's neither-French-nor-German nature, because this happens:
FS' Dad: I'm the son of an Austrian Archduchess myself and seeing as it doesn't really look like my cousins Joseph and Charles the MT Dad are producing anything but daughters, and my wife, daughter of Liselotte and Philippe the Gay, sister of Philippe the Regent, keeps producing sons, I'm going to gamble and try to marry one of my sons with an Austrian Archduchess. The Emperor at this point is Joseph I., so I'm proposing to his kid daughters first.
*first two sons of Lorraine Leopold: die*
*Joseph I: Also dies*
*Charles the future Dad of MT: ascends*
*MT: born*
Lorraine Leopold: Okay, I still have still three sons left. How about your new baby/my kid Leopold Clemons, son 3, now likely sucessor?
*Son 3, after some years, when negotiations are far enough that he's about to move to Vienna for his education: also dies*
Lorraine Leopold: A curse on infant mortality! Still two sons left. Franz Stephan, your turn! Off to Vienna with you!
Teenage FS: moves to Austria, ostensibly for his courtly education, but of course mainly because his father hopes for the big time.
Teenage FS: *endears himself to Uncle Charles, who calles him "herzig" und "lieb", and of course long term wise to kid!MT, but is distrusted as too French by Austrian courtiers and Viennese population*
Teenage FS: *encouraged to become as German as possible; grows up*
MT: *gets 12, and now is seen as de facto marriagable*
Emperor Charles: This is awkward. I really like Franzl, but I also need room to negotiate with Spain and other powers I want to sign on my Pragmatic Sanction, and I can't do that if FS is MT's official fiance. Otoh, he's now grown up, so "here for his education" doesn't work as an excuse anymore. What to do?
Lorraine Leopold: *dies*
Emperor Charles: Phew. Bye, Franzl, though don't give up hope, I'm just trying to make everyone sign the Pragmantic Sanction!
FS: *takes over as Duke of Lorraine, sees the state of court finances, decides on austerity program*
Lorraine nobles initial reaction: Ugh! How German! Why are you so German?
Biographers: And did we mention he'll always write German like a Frenchman and French like a German, with phonetic and excentric spelling in both languages?
Renate Zedinger: Though I will correct both his French and German for greater readability when quoting him, which is the only thing I have in common with MT. Well, that and thinking FS is hot.
FS some years later: *finally married MT after Duchy switchero*
Viennese commoners and Austrian nobility: Ugh, he's so French! And surely is secretly paid by Versailles!
All three biographers: So unfair. He never, ever was pro French during all his years with MT. Au contraire. But the xenophobia didn't lessen until he and MT produced Joseph. Until that point, he was vilified and ridiculed as a French plant set on ruining the Empire from within.
Selena: Somehow, this reminds me of his daughter Marie Antoinette and the attitude of the French towards her. Though MA sadly did not inherit FS' business accumen, while having evidently a good part of his charm and gaity. Now, my three biographers: did FS trade army supplies in the Seventh Years War to the Prussians?
Fred Hennings: For sure, and here is the Fritz quote from that historical masterpiece "The History of the Seven Years War" by Fritz to prove it.
Georg Schreiber: He didn't. That Fritz is the only source of that story ought to tell you something.
Renate Zedinger: What Georg Schreiber said. I add that there's another Fritz quote from actually during the war where he complains that FS buying supplies for the Austrian side got the prices up!
Selena: Mistresses?
Fred Hennings: Well, yeah.
Georg Schreiber: The Countess Auersperg definitely. Not sure how many others. As for illegitimate children, some claimed to be later, but they come across as con women and -men to me, and that's certainly how MT treated them. Not locking them up as Kaunitz suggested but not taking them seriously, either.
Renate Zedinger: I'm not sure whether he had sex with the Countess, either. I mean, she was clearly a favourite, but he'd been friends with her Dad and was thirty years older. Maybe she was like a daughter to him? Did I mention I'm the biggest FS fan of us three?
Selena: You all write about how during his Grand Tour he was a big success in England but don't quote from Lord Hervey or his wife, which is a miss because G2 being nice about FS could have been just official politeness, but Hervey was snarky about basically everyone he wasn't in love with at the time, so for him to be complimentary about FS is a true testimony to his charm.
The three biographers: All three of us provide you and Salon with a great new story re: FS visit chez Hohenzollern just when Fritz and EC got engaged, though!
Selena: That's true. According to you, FW first wanted to make the engagement official before even having proposed officially in the name of his son to EC and her parents. When Seckendorff & Grumbkow told him that ought to come first, he hit on the next idea, which was that FS should to the official proposing - i.e. FS should propose, in Fritz' name, to EC.
FS: I don't think so. I've met Fritz. He made his feelings about the whole engagement clear to all and sundry. However, since I'm a diplomatic guy, here's my official excuse to you, FW: If I were to propose for Fritz to EC, this would insult your brother-in-law and cousin G2, who was my most recent host and really really nice to me. As I understand it, he wanted his own daughter to be married to Fritz.
FW: I don't see the downside of insulting G2, but fine, have it your way.
Seckendorff: A plus diplomacy, your highness. May I suggest that while it's good that you've befriended Junior, you don't write to him more often than you do to FW? FW is madly jealous about this kind of thing. Also, add your letters to Fritz to your letters to FW, so he can see you're not keeping any secrets behind his back.
EC: Nobody ever asked me, but looking back, I think I would have enjoyed having FS propose to me for Fritz.
Selena: Who did official proposing for FS to MT, btw?
Biographers: Glad you asked. Eugene was to do it, because he was the highest regarded guy in Austria, but he was already too old and fragile, so FS suggested doing it himself, and did, with aplomb.
MT: Naturally.
Choice quotes:
FS and MT weren't allowed to correspond directly before becoming officially engaged, or to meet without company, but MT's Aja the Countess Fuchs as well as her mother were unofficially helpful with both, i.e. they engineered meetings with minimum supervision when FS was visiting in Vienna after having become Duke and before the official engagement, and FS wrote to the "Fuchsin" knowing she'd forward news to MT. Once they were allowed to write directly, the engagement letters are a mixture of Rokoko German-French with some Italian sprinkled in and for all that the letter writing rules are observed re: salutations and goodbyes, pretty endearing, with this letter of MT's the one to even melt the determinedly anti-Romantic Stolberg-Rillinger a bit when she quoted it in her MT bio, as does Fred H. in his FS bio:
Caro viso, je vous suits infininement obliges pour votre attention de m'ecrire de vos nouvelles, car j'etois en peine comme une pauvre chienne; aimez moi un peu et me pardonnez si je ne vous respons pas assez, mais c'est 10 heure et herbeville attende pour ma lettre. Adieu Mäusl, je vous embrasse de tout mon coeur, menagez vous bien, adieu caro viso
je suis la votre
sponsia dilectisissima
Schreiber who quotes a German translation of this same letter thinks a nickname like "Mäusl" presumably wasn't newly invented for this correspondence when they finally got officially engaged but presumably was used verbally in those semi secret meetings before. Speaking of nicknames, Schreiber is also bewildered wthat only six years into the marriage, FS and MT use "Alter" (FS writes as Zedinger quotes "Chère Mitz" - I have to say here I was relieved to read this, because I kept wondering where I got the "Mitz" nickname from and wasn't able to find it, and now I have proof again I didn't invent it - and signs himself "Dero Alter", MT writes "Mein Alter", i.e. "my old man". Now neither of them as old yet when they started to use this, so my take is that it's clearly a shared teasing.
Back to Fred Hennings, have some excerpts from the "Invading is how you show true friendship" conversation which Gotter, the Prussian representataive, transcribed for Fritz, complete with stage directions. Now as with his letters, Fritz at this point did of course not address MT, or negotiate with MT. He negotiated with FS, assuming along with most folk in 1740/41 that naturally the husband would be the true power, not the ZOMG WOMAN who'd inherited the Austrian territories. However, it was very clear MT was listening in to the negotiations in the next room since at some point she interrupted ostensibly to remind FS of the time, and when he came back with new arguments the Prussian Representative noted to his displeasure that this made clear who they were really talking to, no matter that Fritz wanted to do this among men etc. So, have some quotes from the second conversation between FS and Prussian Representative Gotter on New Year's Day 1741 (note re: the title - FS is only a Grand Duke (of Tuscany) right then, so no "your Majesty"):
Gotter: The King much regrets that the measures he had to take have found such a bad reception here, despite his intentions being only good ones, and only aim to preserve the House of Austria and the improvement of Your Highness' station.
Grandduke: To invade with 30.000 men, to play Master... are those the proofs of good friendship and means to preserve the House of Austria? Do you really want to dress up such outrageous acts in pretty clothing? Does one win friends by beating them with a stick? Judge for yourself!
Gotter: Your Highness should consider the respectable offerings the King has made. Also your ascension to the Imperial dignity.
(At this point Fritz - in his capacity as Prince Elector of Brandenburg - was still offering to support FS as Emperor as part of FS letting him have Silesia.)
Gotter: When invading Silesia, the King is only taking possession of a country which as he believes is rightfully his and which he also considers his reward for the great services he offers.
Grandduke: Rather say - he wanted to have Silesia and thought this was a great opportunity to get it. Couldn't he have made prepositions before attacking - talk to us instead of surprise us, when we least expected it from him? It would have been my pleasure to negotiate, instead of arms deciding everything now. It was in his hand to play a good and glorious role, but now he has filled the world with distrust and no one knows anymore what to expect of him.
Gotter: I am ordered, kind Sir, despite your earlier refusal to listen to me to assure you once again how much the King wants to come to an agreement with you. There are ways and means for everything except death. The King's friendship for you might move him to lessen his demands. And if the King's behavior is a bit odd, if he has started this game a bit early, you can blame only his eagerness to be of use to you before open or secret enemies of his can execute the coup they have prepared.
Grandduke: The King might think benevolently, but he acts lousily, if I may say so. Sir, if someone would barge into your rooms with a drawn sword in his hand and would gesture wildly with it, would you then endure this and treat him as your friend?
Gotter: I would ask him what he wants here, and if he told me that he only wants a corner of the room in order to defend me against those who want to kill mem, I would leave him there and rejoice in his presence. (...)
Grandduke: That looks like someone slapping someone else in the face and then saying: Don't be angry, I didn't do it out of ill will. No?
Gotter is silent but thinks: omne simile claudicat.
Grandduke: What kind of prepositions to you want to make? In which way do you want to play this affair down and make up for it? You want the whole of Silesia of us, and we don't want to hand it over. There is no gap to bridge between everything and nothng.
Gotter: In order to make this easier for you, the King is ready to accept less than everything and will content himself with the majority of the country. It is now up to you, gracious Lord, to satisfy him.
Grandduke: Oh no, Sir, it isn't up to us. The King wants to enrich himself at our expense, and for us the leading principle is to concede to no one, who ever it may be, something of the Queen's territories. Otherwise everyone would come with similar demands, and we'd never be at rest. Better to go down with the sword in hand than letting yourself torn apart without resisting.
Gotter: But, gracious Lord, is it worth enstranging yourself with your best friend, my King, just because of the little trivial thing he wants to have?
Grandduke: A little trivial thing? Are you calling Silesia a bagatelle? Good lord, we know better.
Gotter: The King doesn't claim the whole of Silesia; what he wants is the teensiest weensiest bit that it will neither make the King of Prussia richer nor the House of Austria poorer. He would be able to live well without it.
Grandduke: So in order to oblige him I'm supposed to tear my waistcoat apart.
Gotter: It's not even a sleeve of your waistcoat but a single button.
And so forth, and so on, until MT interrupts again, "reminding FS of the time". Now, all three biographers think while FS did think the whole protection racket was outrageous and while he wouldn't trust Fritz again, he also would have been ready to compromise if it had been up to him, Schreiber and Zedinger point out he had himself given up Lorraine, so might not have thought the loss of one province as so unacceptable as MT did. But I don't think that comparison really works, because FS gave up Lorraine in exchange for Tuscany and a wife who was the richest heiress on the continent, and in a situation where the French had already occupied the duchy (they invaded the moment the War of the Polish Succession began). The alternative to giving up Lorraine would have been no MT, no Tuscany and still an occupied duchy with French troops calling the shots. Whereas giving up Silesia without a fight, well, Mildred wrote lengthy speculations about possible scenarios.
from February 15th 1747. Quoted in Hennings. See earlier re: Schreiber and Zedinger's objections re: Podewils as an objective source.
The Emperor is below avarage height. He lets his head sink a bit too much which has earned him a slightly crooked back. Otherwise he stands straight and has a good figure. His posture and his walk are neglectful, for he doesn't pay much attention to them. The form of his face is somewhat quadratic, and the same is true of his fronthead. His eyes are quite beautiful and of a dark blue. They are however not sparkling by nature. His nose is somewhat pointed, but not large, his mouth small and his smile agreeable. His facial colouring is even and healthy. All his features result in a beautiful face, which however is thought of as common by many. He makes himself less attractive by the grimaces he has gotten in the habit of making.
His mode of addressing someone is polite, but somewhat cold and serious, especially towards people he doesn't know well, and he comes across as shy to visiting foreigners. He does express himself with ease in conversation. He has a vivid imagination, a good memory, and much common sense. But since he is indolent by nature, he doesn't know how to really work thoroughly. He hates work. He isn't much ambitious and takes care of governing as little as possible. He only wants to enjoy life and spend it pleasantly and thus lets the Empress have the glory and the worries of government. This princess and her ministers are ruling him, especially in the business of the empire, of which he understands little. If his education had been cared for earlier and his indolence fought and his mind had been focused on what truly matters, this prince might have been adept at governing.
His imagination provides him with some pretty ideas. He's a good and agreeable conversationalist. He likes to joke and even tease if there is opportunity, but has begun to abandon the habit lately out of consideration.
His character is extremely kind, and I haven't heard about him being in a fit of anger ever. During the small arguments which happen between him and the Empress, it is usually he who gives in first and offers reconciliation. He hates malicious gossip and wants that all the world should get along well with each other. He is able to feel love and loyalty. But his favour is worthless due to the small influence has regarding the ambitions of those whom he does honor. So he is only courted out of affection or politeness. His power is limited to asking the Empress to favour those private persons whom he likes. But even for this, he has to use a good opportunity. (...)
He isn't addicted to pomp, least of all in his sdress. Often he dresses neglectfully even on holidays, and often he is the least splendidly dressed of all his court. He likes all the pleasures without being passionate about any of them. He seems to be entertained most by hunting and theatre plays. He rarely neglects attending the later and even has the patience to attend a German comedy which is designed to hurt the sensitivities of even a brute from the beginning to the end. He's not an exceptional dancer though he does it decently. He is a good father, loves his children deeply and adores the oldest Archduke (Joseph), as does the Empress. He is a decent man, unable to break his word or to easily promise something to others. He is benevolent and humane and would make everyone happy if it would be up to him. His temper is cheerful by nature and even.
Schreiber points out that the bit about German comedies is clearly written for Fritz who even this early on is known to loathe them; it's one of bits he uses to argue Podewils while not lying is shaping this report to make Fritz feel superior. Meanwhile, Renate Z. as mentioned points out when Podewils writes this, he has met FS exactly once (where of course he was received with cool politeness). As for the whole "he lets MT do all the work" bit:
Count Sylva-Tarouca, who had constant access to court, could judge the daily schedule of the co-regent much more accurately. In a private letter he reports to Count Kaunitz who is in Brussels he writes that Franz Stephan of Lorraine never rests; his daily schedule is dominated by audiences, receiving foreign envoys, attending conferences and the every day business of government with the reception of reports, dictating of instructions and signing od depeches. Additionally, there are inspections and visits outside of Vienna, like the reception of the Polish Royal family at Olmütz, through now, after the negotiations that took place in Warsaw at January 8th 11745, peace should be achieved.
How bad was the situation for Lorraine in the War of the Polish Succession? This relevant because while FS's mother, named Elisabeth Charlotte after her own mother, was heartbroken that he gave up his duchy for marrying MT (both parts of this were bad for her, the loss of Lorraine and the Habsburg marriage, because being the daughter of a gay Bourbon and an ex Protestant Palatinate princess herself, she loathed the Habsburgs and Austria), all biographers make a good case that keeping his duchy and giving up the marriage instead raelly would not have been an alternative at this point:
France has stationed 4000 men in Lorraine. The demands of the occupying forces became ever more impudent. Not only did they demand them to be supported, cared for and supplied with candles, wood for burning, straw and other horse foodder; France also demanded Lorraine formers to do the transports of troop supplies to the Rhine border. After strong rainfalls which had started on July 4th 1734, many parts of the country were under water. The harvest was nearly destroyed. Similar natural disasters occured in 1735. The result were terrible harvests and famine. Then there was the additional cost of the still stationed in Lorraine soldiers which now amounted to more than 500.000, - pounds per year and which thus demanded 18% of the overall state household. Despite this catastrophic situation, the Duke (FS) was resolved to get high a compensation for his country as possible.
This is from Renate Zedinger's biography. For all that it's really hostile to the French, btw, it has a preface by a French historian which, only slightly paraphrased, has this bit:
"So, in traditional French history, FS isn't popular because being from Lorraine, he's seen as a French prince who betrayed his country by voluntarily submitting and enabling the Habsburgs and Team Austria. But now that I've read Renate's biography, I see he had his reasons!"
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
If you think the problem of Julian (still used by the Russians) vs Georgian Calender is making 18th century history even more complicated, here's another issue. When FS takes over Tuscany, he also imports a new calendar AND way to count the hours of the day:
The actual arrival in Florence probably took place not before January 21st 1739. There aren't any detailed documents about these last few hours and in any case the documented dates invite misunderstandings, since the year started in Tuscany on March 23rd and thus the larger part of the (FS and MT) visit took place still in the year 1738 by Tuscan reckoning. The hours, too, were then counted "all'italiana", from the first hour after the evening Ave Maria twenty four hours to the Ave Maria of the next day; since the Ave Maria was, however, prayed differently according to the seasons, misunderstandings were preprogrammed. This changed because starting on March 30th 1739 the counting "alla francese" was introduced, twelve hours starting from noon and twelve hours after midnight. Which is why the only thing certain is that the arrival of the new Grandduke and Grandduchess happened in the afternoon and that they had made a stop at noon in front of the city in the Villa Corsi before that.
Organization of Tuscan administration once FS was Emperor:
In Vienna, the Secret Council for Tuscan affairs constisted of Baron Jaquemin, Baron Pfütschner, Count Stainville and Ferdinand de Bortholomei, in addtion to Toussaint, the leader of the Chancellery, who consisted of Molitoris as secretary and with eight chancelry writers. The administration offices of the Tuscan Chancellery were placed in teh Emperor's private palace in Wallnerstraße 3, close to the Hofburg. The workday was tightly orchestrated and led. .The organisation had been established by the Emperor, every report had to be presented to him personally, his was the final decision. But he also paid attention to establish a harmonious working atmosphere in the office, condemned intrigues and jealous schemes and expected anyone working in his chancellery to be fluent in Latin, Italian, German and French, as he noted down in scribbled remarks on the documents in his own words. He also reserved the right to appoint people to their posts to himself, both in Vienna and in Tuscany, and demanded lists with exact descriptions of the candidates before making his choice.
Zedinger and Schreiber: And that's the guy Podewils calls lazy! Yes, he didn't work as much as Fritz did, but then the Fritzian workload was insane, thanks, FW, 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!
There are also, as mentioned, detailed portraits of the various people from Lorraine doing the work in Tuscany itself, as well as of Lorraine and Flemish scientists and artists FS was a patron to. Some of the artists like Jean-Joseph Charmant worked first in Lorraine, then in Florence, then in Vienna and then when Leopold took over the duchy in Florence again. As proof that the description in Italian booiks of FS just carrying those art works that weren't protected by Anna Luisa away and did nothing for culture in Florence for the people is wrong, Zedinger provides counter examples like:
The collections and libraries were openend for the scholars, researches and students again. In August 1746, (FS) ordered that the libraries Magliabechi and Marucelle were to be separated so they could be made accessible to visitors in different times. Maglicabechi, the Medici's librarian, had bought and collected precious books, handwritings and manuscripts in all of Europe and had thus created one of the largest and most precious libraries. Starting 1747, the Bibliotheca Magliebechiana was open on MOnday, Wednesday and Friday, while the Bibliotheca Marucelliana was accessible to visitors on Tuesday and Thursday. Both are today part of the national library of Florence. Another success was in 1753 the foundatijon of the "Accademia economico-agraria dei Georgofili", form which important economic impulses derived; additionally, the renewal of the Botanic Society in 1739 encouraged scientici interest.
(...) Part of the cultural engagement was the nursing, keeping and preservation of the rich Medici heritage, which demanded constant attention and the according financial supplies. Thus, the art pieces in the Galleria had to be constantly restored. The Capella Medici, the famous tomb section in San Lorenzo, needed a complete and general restoration; when Anna Maria de' Medici had been buried in 1743, its decrepit state had been obvious. THe Reggenza Lorenese, the Lothringian rule of Tuscany was better than the reputation it received by nationalistic Italian historiography in the 19th century.
One individual portrait of the Lorraine artists:
Less mysterious (than that of Vidon) is the career of Gabrielle Bertrand, who had left Lorraine at eight years of age together with her father Francois Bertrand, the later Captain of the Guard at Schönbrunn. Obviously trained in Vienna, she was appointed as drawing mistress to the Arch Duchesses Maria Karoline and Marie Antoinette in 1764. As it had been the custom for centuries, a portrait of the Emperor on his deathbed was made; this was the case in August 1765 for Franz Stephan of Lorrainie, and it was Gabrielle Bertrand who has preserved the scene in the Innsbruck Hofburg for eternity. Gabrielle Bertrand accompagnied Maria Karoline to Naples for her wedding in 1768, where she finished one of her famous paintings. Her depiction of Maria Theresia taking up the business of government again after the death of her husband, she achieved such a good reputation as a portraitist that we as appointed an honorary member of the Academy of Painters in 1771. At this time, she also married the sculptor Wilhelm Beyer. The couple were both especially favored by Maria Theresia and often worked in Schönbrunn
Zedinger is the only biographer who mentions the MT & Wilhelmine lunch.
Wilhelmine might have been curious to meet the female monarch who had had the courage to stand up to her brother. Their meeting was relatively short but happened in a friendly framing, during which the 28th years old Maria Theresia made a charming impression on Wilhelmine. The farewell, too, was cordial, and the Bayreuth bodyguard escorted the Austrians to their borders. Once these events were reported to Berlin, all hell broke loose. Against her brother's accusations, the Margravine defended herself cooly and matter-of-factly: "Regarding my encounter with the Queen of Hungary, it was a simple polite gesture. (...) We have to pay consideration this court, since they're our neighbours on all sides. (...) Their troops are marching through the country constantly. The Imperial election had already taken place. All these reasons seemed to me enough - especially since we are a neutral country - to do this step. Another behaviour would have been regarded as offensive on our part. The Margravine here addreses openly the difficulties of a tiny principality, but she's not completely honest, since the meeting with Maria Theresia had gone beyond exchanging a few polite sentences.
FS takes a leaf from Voltaire's, Fritz' and Heinrich's book and writes, not an anonymous pamphlet, but an anonymous memorandum "by a true German" to explain why he thinks they should just make up with Prussia already in 1748 (Cahn, the two Silesian Wars are over for some years, but MT is just about to wrap up the War of Austrian Succession as far her other opponents are concerned):
Regarding the King of Prussia, one shouldn't just try for some good neighbourhood but try to manage him instead of playing to the public by openly displaying the hate one has for hilm which, granted, has good cause. To accuse people all the time of being Prussian-minded is of no use, au contraire, we should change our speeches and abandon animosity for the time being and do nothing to heighten our prejudice, nor anything which could embitter him even more against us. Now I don't believe he'll ever be well minded towards us, but I do think we shouldn't waste time to contradict him everywhere in all courts, especially in affairs that do not concern us, but should behave with indifference. If it is of no consequence to us, we should even help him, and thus we should get rid of this idea the whole world has of us that we try to whip up hate against him everywhere all the time, an idea which is wrong but of which as I am told the King is convinced. (...) In a word, we should treat the Prussian court in such a manner as if we were in the greatest harmony with them.
At the end of this memo, FS collects his key theories in punctae form:
1.) We should consolidate in interior affairs both in militari and oeconomico
2. We should stay away from any wars or feuds as much as possible
3) We should try to manage our allies diplomatically - we shouldn't try to boss them around, for no one likes that, but treat them as allies and friends
4) We should try to keep all of our friends we already have and try to win new ones
5) We should never trust our natural enemies, France and Prussia
6) But we should always act friendly towards them
7) Trying to divide France and Prussia from each other should be regarded as a chimera since they need each other far too much
8) The sea powers (England and the Netherlands) and Russia should always be regarded as our natural allies
9) In Italy, we should regard the King of Sardinia as our sole ally, but never trust him completely, and we should never, ever trust those principalities ruled by the Bourbons there and should regard them always as our natural enemies, who only look to their enlargement
10. We should try to keep good neighbourhood with the Turks and shouldn't give them an opportunity for complaints
11. All Alliances we make should be explicitly and only defensive in nature.
This is why FS did not get along well with Kaunitz. Now whether or not a peaceful coexistence with Prussia as FS suggests would have been possible had they stuck with the English alliance is up for debate. (The more recent years of alliance with the Brits from the Austrian pov mostly resulted in the Brits not letting them either ditch the Austrian Netherlands or use their trade and ports in useful way, and in being told to give in to everything Fritz wanted all the time - and that was when the Brits hadn't been allied with Prussia yet.) But one thing is undoubtedly true: this memo isn't written by a guy who only wants to have a comfortable life and doesn't have his own opinion on politics.
Moving on to FS' death, Schreiber provides some gruesome details, because since this was August, poor FS was decaying very quickly and they had to use a lot of herbs and perfumes for the burial. Zedinger doesn't have those details, but mentions something I had been curious about, i.e. who provided the original source for the detailed account of FS' death, complete with Joseph catching him in his arms when FS had his stroke and was falling, the servant's bed, calling doctors and confessors but it being essentially all over etc. .It's not the usual court diarist Khevenmüller who wasn't there, it's a guy from the Austrian Netherlands (i.e. Belgium), Corneille lde Neny, who was at this point one of MT's secretaries and with the Imperial family in Innsbruck in that capacity. He had been present during FS' death and he's the one from whom the original description hails.
Fred Hennings and Georg Schreiber both are a bit confused why MT wanted the Leopold marriage to take place in Innsbruck instead of Milan or Vienna. Zedinger, like Stollberg-Rillinger, is confused they're confused, because the reasons seem obvious to her:
1) The House of Lorraine had a deep connection to Innsbruck. This is where FS' grandfather (the one married to an Austrian Archduchess and who beat the Turks at the famous siege in Vienna) had lived in exile for many years.
2) MT's bff Sophie von Erzenberg was the wife of the Imperial Governor and residing in Innsbruck. Letting Leopold's marriage take place there was a sign of special favour. (And then everything went wrong that could go wrong, from Leopold catching diarrhoea to rain pouring down to FS dying, but who could have known?)
Lastly, something on the funny side again, from Schreiber's bio. It's post 7 Years War, and young Vienna Joe is elected as King of the Romans and crowned as same in Frankfurt, with Dad at his side. (This is the ceremony described by Goethe.) It's typical for the state the late HRE was in that of the Princes Elector, only the clerical ones (i.e. the archbishops of Mainz, Trier and Cologne) showed up in person, while the secular Princes Elector all sent representatives to do their job duiring the election and coronation ceremonies. (Okay, the Prince Elector of Hannover happened to be young King G3 who was in England and thus had an excuse for not showing up.) The secular princes are told by the Fritzian representative to not perform the genuflection, the kneeling anymore. FS ignores this, but come the coronation day, he draws a consequence. See, the Prince Elector of Brandenburg was the traditional Reichs-Erbkämmerer. Thus it would have been the job of the Fritz representative, one Erich Christoph Freiherr von Plotho, to carry the imperial scepter ahead of the procession. But instead, FS took it from him and carried it himself through the whole of Joseph's coronation, which was quite the feat since he had to do it on horseback.
As mentioned elsewhere, Joseph was writing detailed descriptions of their Frankfurt journey and how Dad was doing to MT.
On March 14th, when they were still on Austrian soil, he had told her: "His Majesty the Emperor enjoys perfect health except for a cold which causes him to sneeze often and to use his hankerchief a lot. But his appetite is more than well; the fish of Upper Austria and the milk agree with him splendidly. I took the liberty to warn his Majesty, but he replied that this was healthy food."
There are in these letters no traces of a dislike, let alone hatred from Joseph towards his father, which has been occasionally ascribed to him. Now and then he mentiones encounters with friends from Lorraine like the widow of the Prince Beauvau-Craown and with Karl Count Ogara. When ther are repeated often ridiculous complications during the journey, he writes: "An angel would lose his patience at this point, and his Majesty, too, is in a bad mood and exhausted." After their arrival in Frankfurt on March 29th 1764 he praises how the Emperor replied to the opening speech by the Prince Elector of Mainz in very suitable form: "It's impossible to speak better or with more dignity than he did." This is also confirmed by Archduke Leopold in a letter to his Ajo, Franz Count Thurn-Valsassina: "His Majesty the Emperor replied as a true Roman Emperor with fire, dignity and a greatness remarked by all attendants."
Regarding their quarters at Frankfurt, Joseph writes to his mother that they were somewhat modest, even the Emperor had only been given a bed room and two smaller rooms for his servants. The many descriptions of Frankfurt society by Joseph to his mother are amusing to read with their little digs and malices. But important for the relationship between father and son is a passage from a letter by Joseph from April 4th: "Today we had a public dinner. I handed the towel to his Majesty the Emmperor, and I think I did rightly, despite Count Khevenhüller doubting this, but the more respect I show to the Emperor - even if I am treating this only from a political pov - the more I honour myself. Bsides, I believe a son's duties should always have prference to those of a King."
All formalities and the "his Majesty the Emperor" phrasing aside, I'm struck by the domesticity of Joseph reporting on the cold and on exactly what his father has been eating to his mother, because I can just imagine her tasking him with this. Again, I remember the sight of those three coffins in the MT crypt - that beautiful baroque opulent tomb of MT and FS with their statues depicted lying on their bed turned towards each other, and the absolute contract, that zinc coffin Joseph put himself into. But he still wanted to be with his parents in that final resting place. Different as they were from him, and as much as they often had to find each other frustrating, I think he always was aware they loved him.
