#Napoleon threatened

[ofmiceandwomen]

I’m very bad at social media but on the other hand I keep complaining that nobody cares about my creations and it’s like a vicious circle and I don’t know what to do with it.

Also, I have been experiencing a kind of a Tolkien burnout recently, and I feel particularly bad about it.

So, anyway… have my latest passion project - Autumn court waistcoat inspired by ACOTAR series. Maybe it will be a full Eris Vanserra cosplay although I don’t particularly love the series.

I have copied the pattern from 1760s waistcoat and I got inspired in the Napoleonic uniforms for the embroidery.

The waistcoat is made from synthetic silk brocade, embroidered with metal (I love the gold work and the oak leaves make me feel very heroic and empowered, lol).

The shirt is a classical 1700s shirt and my first attempt at historical sewing.

Is anyone interested in these irregular screams into the void?

[dathen]

“Well,” said Lestrade, “I've seen you handle a good many cases, Mr. Holmes, but I don't know that I ever knew a more workmanlike one than that. We're not jealous of you at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are very proud of you, and if you come down to-morrow there's not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable, who wouldn't be glad to shake you by the hand.”

“Thank you!” said Holmes. “Thank you!” and as he turned away it seemed to me that he was more nearly moved by the softer human emotions than I had ever seen him.

Ever since I watched the Jeremy Brett adaption which had Holmes actually tear up at this part, I’ve been musing on what in particular about this compliment had him affected so deeply. He gets praise all the time! He’s always dazzling or confounding those around him!

But I think there’s just something about someone telling him they’re proud of him hit a nerve. I feel it’s very likely that this is the first time he’s ever heard it. What vague hints we get about his family is anything but warm. He sought out a father figure with Victor Trevor’s father, but only frightened him. Mycroft is smarter and more respectable and anything but emotionally effusive.

Watson is full of praise bordering on worship, but I think Holmes was starved for someone being proud of him in a way he’s not even conscious of himself. Oh he loves to dazzle, to be sure, and doesn’t hesitate to fish for it. He’ll blush at applause but cry at ���I’m proud of you.’

[valtsv]

the main premise of temeraire is what if they had dragons in the napoleonic wars. the secondary premise of temeraire is if you're an honourable naval captain with a strong sense of duty and justice that causes you to constantly threaten that honour with your deep-seated psychologically revealing righteous fury everyone will want to fuck you so bad it makes them look stupid including napoleon and the dragon.

[girlactionfigure]

"Two distinct patterns of antisemitism can be identified by the Jewish holidays that celebrate triumphs over them: Purim and Hanukkah. 

In the Purim version of antisemitism, exemplified by the Persian genocidal decrees in the biblical Book of Esther, the goal is openly stated and unambiguous: Kill all the Jews.

In the Hanukkah version of antisemitism, whose appearances range from the Spanish Inquisition to the Soviet regime, the goal is still to eliminate Jewish civilization. This goal could theoretically be accomplished simply by destroying Jewish civilization, while leaving the warm, de-Jewed bodies of its former practitioners intact....[The regime] isn’t antisemitic but merely requires that its Jews publically flush thousands of years of Jewish civilization down the toilet in exchange for the worthy prize of not being treated like dirt, or not being murdered."

Dara Horn, "People Love Dead Jews" 

THE ORIGINS OF THE LEFT AND LEFT-WING ANTISEMITISM

The left-right political spectrum is a rather recent phenomenon of history. In fact, prior to the late 18thcentury, there was no particular set of political viewpoints or values associated with either the “left” or the “right.” The terms came into use during the French Revolution (1789-1799); those loyal to the king were considered “right-wing,” whereas the revolutionaries were considered “left-wing.” Needless to say, antisemitism long predates these designations. 

It was in the midst of the French Revolution that France’s Jews, long subjected to statelessness and limited rights, were first emancipated. On the surface, this was a positive development. For the first time in European history, Jews were granted the opportunity to live as equals. Under one condition. 

Jews could no longer exist as a distinctethnic, cultural, and national minority and were to assimilate into French society as French citizens. Napoleon Bonaparte himself believed that in systematically stripping the Jewishness from the Jew, he could turn Jews into “good citizens.” He also claimed to do this in pursuit of a “universal liberty of conscience.” 

This, unfortunately, remains emblematic of much of the antisemitism we still see on the left today. Many left-wing antisemites may not want to physicallyeradicate Jews, but they sure work hard to eradicate the qualities that make us distinctly Jewish, oftentimes under the banner of "human rights" or "equality."

"The Jews should be denied everything as a nation, but granted everything as individuals."

French revolutionary Count Stanislas de Clermont-Tonnerre, 1789

"[It is necessary to] reduce, if not destroy, the tendency of Jewish people to practice a very great number of activities that are harmful to civilization and to public order in society in all the countries of the world. It is necessary to stop the harm by preventing it; to prevent it, it is necessary to change the Jews…Once part of their youth will take its place in our armies, they will cease to have Jewish interests and sentiments; their interests and sentiments will be French."

Napoleon Bonaparte, 1806

THE SOVIET UNION (PRE-WORLD WAR II) 

The far-left Soviet Union was hostile to non-Russian forms of nationalism that might threaten Soviet hegemony or rule. For this reason, shortly after its establishment, the regime began targeting Zionists. 

In 1918, the Soviet Communist Party established a “Jewish branch,” with the consent of Vladimir Lenin. It was named “Yevsektsiya,” meaning “Jewish Sections of the Communist Party.” The mission of the Yevsektsiya was, quite literally, the “destruction of traditional Jewish life, the Zionist movement, and Hebrew culture.”

From the outset, the Yevsektsiya began harassing Zionist Jews. Initially, the Yevsektsiya legally abolished the “kehillas,” the traditional Jewish community organizations. Sometimes, they even burned their offices down. They shut down everything from Jewish political groups to theaters to sports clubs. They raided all Ukrainian “Zionist” offices and arrested every single one of their leaders. They worked to “de-Hebraize” Yiddish by changing the spellings of all Yiddish words that came from Hebrew.

Until their dissolution in 1929, they imprisoned, tortured, and murdered thousands of Jews. According to historian of Soviet history Richard Pipes, “In time, every Jewish cultural and social organization came under assault.”

THE SOVIET UNION (POST-WORLD WAR II) 

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, the Soviet Union went through great lengths to deny the specifically antisemitic nature of the Holocaust. For example, they erected a memorial for the Babyn Yar Massacre, in which 34,000 Jews were slaughtered over the course of two days, but never mentioned its Jewish victims, instead labelling it a massacre of “the peaceful Soviet people.” 

The Soviet Union also persecuted members of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee who worked to document evidence for the Holocaust. 

As before World War II, the Soviets worked hard to suppress Jewish cultural and spiritual life, stripping many Jewish families of thousands of years’ worth of history. For example, though not officially illegal, Jews were punished for speaking or studying Hebrew or participating in religious traditions. Jews were not allowed to assimilate into Soviet society due to their ethnic background, but they were also criminalized if they tried to hang on to their ancient traditions, ultimately resulting in a catch-22. Oftentimes, Jews were imprisoned under false pretenses, with the Soviet government accusing them of “Zionist crimes.” People with Jewish last names were subject to highly restrictive university quotas or banned from performing certain jobs.

"Hitler wanted to destroy us physically. Stalin wants to do it spiritually."

Peretz Markish, Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, before his 1949 execution

In its Tisha B’Av guide, “Jewish” Voice for Peace encourages participants to pray in Arabic or English, rather than in Hebrew, the language Jews have been praying in for three millennia, because our ancestral language, which predates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by thousands of years, could be “deeply traumatizing for Palestinians.”

Video here. 

At a Rabbis for Ceasefire event, with prominent left-wing activists and politicians in attendance, including Rashida Tlaib, the rabbi drops her voice to a whisper during the section of Parashat Toldot that reads “to you and your descendants I have given these lands [the Land of Israel].”

Parashat Toldot was likely written sometime between the 10th and 5th centuries BCE.

Video here. 

The parts being skipped are “to you and your descendants I have given these lands [the Land of Israel].”

Parashat Toldot was likely written sometime between the 10th and 5th centuries BCE.

SOME (APPARENTLY NECESSARY) DISCLAIMERS

(1) “Hanukkah antisemitism” did not originate with the left. This is not the point I am arguing. After all, the French Revolution took place some 1,956 years after the Maccabean Revolt. 

Other prominent, earlier examples of “Hanukkah antisemitism” include the Spanish Inquisition and the forced conversions to Islam that periodically happened throughout the Muslim and Arab worlds. 

(2) If there’s anything that was made clear after the celebrations following October 7, it’s that “Purim antisemitism” very much exists on the left as well. 

(3) Yes, of course antisemitism – including “Hanukkah antisemitism” – also exists on the right. Again, I am not arguing that antisemitism only exists on one side of the political spectrum, or that it’s only dangerous on one side of the political spectrum. 

(4) Rather, the point of this post is to illustrate that “Hanukkah antisemitism” has long been rampant in left-wing, so-called progressive, and/or liberal circles. Under the guise of “equality” and “human rights,” antisemites have worked to strip us of our distinctly Jewish identities.That is not to say everyone on the left is an antisemite, either. Obviously.

For a full bibliography of my sources, please head over to my Instagram and  Patreon. 

rootsmetals

Please read the disclaimers before you argue with me in the comments about things I never said 😅 

[bonbonrobespierre]

Sexy ratings on all the members of the 3rd Committee?

Let’s see..

Bertrand Barère – I did threaten to have him executed once. That should tell you everything you need to know. Honestly, I should have followed through.. Smirks too much. Tries too hard. 2/10 but only if you’re blind and like being lied to.

Jacques-Nicolas Billaud-Varenne – Might genuinely hiss if you tried to touch him. No. Also: Collot. 1/10.

Lazare Carnot – No. No. Absolutely not, I spit in his direction. Traitor. I’d rather kiss the guillotine. 0/10, and that’s generous.

Jean-Marie Collot d’Herbois – You’d have to pay me. You’d have to pay me and tranquilize me and even then I’d still say no. Also, I hope he stubs his toe every day for the rest of eternity. 0/10

Georges Couthon – Couthon is sweet. He’s cute. He makes little sarcastic remarks and has that soft face. But sexy? Not when I’ve watched him use Maxime’s shoulder as a pillow. 5/10 in a nice way!

André Jeanbon Saint-André – Religious.. Yes.. But, I definitely overheard him being called ‘Father’ once and it did something to me. I’m trying not to think about it. 7/10.

Robert Lindet – Looks like a wet sock (an attractive wet sock?).. I forget he exists sometimes and that should tell you something.. But, eh.. He’s got that quiet, bookish appeal. He’s no Hérault, but there’s a charm. 4/10

Pierre-Louis Prieur – Has that ‘stern schoolmaster’ kind of quality, which I’m not really into unless I’m already in trouble—and I am usually in trouble. He’s fine. 3/10 because he was against us.. but honestly.. if I was docking points for that alone.. We’ll just go with–his hair’s too neat.

Claude-Antoine Prieur-Duvernois – This one’s the engineer, right? A bit too obsessed with logistics to be sexy, unless you're into being out-scheduled. Also, looks like he'd judge how you moaned and then file a report about it. 4/10. Nice(r) hair, though!

Maximilien Robespierre – My brother. Neexxttt!

Louis Antoine de Saint-Just – Angry. Beautiful. Medium length brown hair.. 7/10, However, I already have one of those and his name is Napoleone. I’m not collecting duplicates.

Jean Hérault de Séchelles – Somebody’s going to have to rip me off of him, don’t tell anybody I said that, he’s still an aristocrat. 9/10, no further comment.

[aphroditelovesu]

this is going to end badly, but... Can you do Yandere love letter where the boys found out Reader cheated on them?

The Yandere love letter from Alexander The Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Henry VIII pls

Alexander the Great

My Queen,

May your betrayal be your own curse. If you persist on this path, know that I am capable of things that not even the gods would dare to speak of. My wrath is relentless and uncontrollable when it comes to the woman I once loved.

As for this man you cheated on me with, know that he is playing with death itself. I, who faced entire armies, will pursue him to the end of the earth, and he will find no refuge. If he touches you again, not a stone will be left unturned in his city, and he will be remembered as a traitor until the end of time.

I swear I will destroy his city, put men to the sword and sell their women and children into slavery. And then I will deal with you.

You, (Y/N), have the power to avert this dark fate. Return to my arms, renounce this treachery, and perhaps I will consider showing leniency. If not, know that my vengeance is a storm no mortal can weather. Make no mistake though, because you will be punished and I guarantee you won't like your punishment, my love.

This is your last chance, my Queen. Return to me and hand over your wretched lover and perhaps I will show you mercy.

With fury and despair,

Alexander.

Julius Caesar

My love,

Today, darkness enveloped my heart. The news of her betrayal, my sweet wife, tears me apart in a way that not even the bloodiest battles have been able to do.

For you, I crossed oceans and crossed deserts, shed blood and brought down empires. However, I realize that the hardest battle I face is the one you fought on the sly with another man. I feel betrayed, but also consumed by a sick, and furious love that burns like the fire of Rome.

I will not allow him to breathe the same air as you, to touch your skin as I did, to steal your love from me. I will hunt him down, torture him, and kill him.

(Y/N), my wife, my life and my soul belong to you. If you continue with this traitor, I swear I will make an example of him, a warning for all to see. I'll make an example of you. You are my wife, my reason for living, and I won't let anything or anyone take you away from me.

Reflect on your actions, my beloved, for my passion is stronger than any army, hotter than any fire. I won't forgive you, but I'm willing to compromise.

With angry and love,

Julius Caesar.

Napoleon Bonaparte

My beloved wife,

I write these words with a heavy heart and a mind tormented by the thoughts that have invaded my soul. I found out that you, my beloved wife, betrayed the trust that we once placed in each other.y pain is indescribable, my mind troubled by terrible visions of your betrayal.

You know what I can do when faced with challenges when those I love are threatened. My reputation as a military leader is widely known, but what you may not know is that my love for you is just as fierce.

I know where you've been, who you've been with, and what you've done. Every detail is etched in my mind like a scar, a scar that burns like lava from a volcano. (Y/N), my love, I solemnly warn you that if you persist in this betrayal, the consequences will be dire. The fire that burns in my chest can be directed to protect or to destroy, and you must choose wisely.

Reflect on what we have together, on the lives we've built, and on the price that may be paid for your actions. My love for you runs deep, and I will not hesitate to use every means in my power to keep what's mine. You are mine and I will destroy anyone who gets in my way, especially that damn lover of yours. But don't worry, I've already dealt with it myself.

I pray that reason prevails in your heart, for my passion and my anger are a force that cannot be contained. I hope you make the right choice and maybe I'll be benevolent.

With love and so much jealousy,

Napoleon.

Henry VIII

My sweet wife,

I write these words with a rage that burns hotter than the sun. My trust in you has been unacceptably betrayed, and my rage is untamed. How dare you betray me, a woman who swore allegiance to me and our kingdom?

I, Henry VIII, a mighty and formidable king, will not tolerate such dishonor. You must be aware that by challenging my authority and my love, by violating our marriage, you are playing with your own destiny. With your life.

My spies have reported every detail of your heinous betrayals, (Y/N). There is no escape, no hiding place where you can hide. My anger is like an approaching storm, and the thunder of my vengeance will resound across England.

You, who shared my bed and my trust, now face the wrath of a disgraced monarch. Have no illusions my dear as my love for you has turned into a darkness that will swallow up everything in its path. And it's all your fault.

(Y/N), if you wish to avoid a dark and terrible fate, I suggest you change course immediately. Renounce your betrayals and be my loyal wife again, and I can show you mercy, but not your damned lover. No. He's already dead. Should you decide to disobey me once more, the sword will fall on your head, as it fell on others who dared to defy me.

With unabated fury,

Henry.

[ripstefano]

“At the commencement of our sojourn in Denmark,” Paul de Bourgoing remembered, “we became witnesses to a very grave event. It was in 1801, when the beautiful and peaceful capital of a country that had until then remained a stranger to the wars which had bloodied the whole of Europe was shocked by the sudden appearance of an English fleet that threatened to bombard and burn this royal residence and rich commercial entrepot."

During the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark initially remained neutral but was forced into conflict after Britain bombarded Copenhagen in 1801 and 1807, seizing its navy. In response, Denmark allied with Napoleon, fighting against Britain and Sweden. However, after Napoleon’s defeat, Denmark was forced to cede Norway to Sweden in 1814, weakening its position in Europe.

From "Scandinavian Armies in the Napoleonic Wars"

@hoppityhopster23

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Asawin Suebsaeng at Rolling Stone:

Donald Trump has been back in office for less than one month, and he, Elon Musk, and his senior administration officials have already plunged the nation into an ongoing constitutional crisis and openly performed various brazen acts of lawlessness and gleeful corruption, while threatening to “look at” judges who object to his onslaught against the U.S. Constitution and legal limits on his power. On Saturday afternoon, during Presidents Day weekend, the twice-impeached president and convicted felon was, to his credit, honest about it: He believes he’s allowed to break any law he wants.  “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” Trump posted online — not just once, but twice. The president felt strongly enough about the sentiment (which several observers pointed out appeared to be based on an apparently fake quote from Napoleon) that he blasted it out on his own Truth Social site as well as his account on Musk’s platform X, formerly known as Twitter. A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a message seeking further comment on Saturday. Trump’s statement bears obvious resemblance to disgraced President Richard Nixon’s infamous line about how “when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.” Like Nixon, Trump has now explicitly stated that he believes he is simply above the law, as any Mad King or debauched emperor should be.  If he’s doing or ordering something that he then says is “saving” the nation, as the logic goes, constitutional limits and legal restrictions don’t apply.  It does not hurt his and his party’s cause that the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority agrees with this premise in many ways. Just last year, the court’s conservative justices blessed Trump’s claims to sweeping presidential immunity, ruling that the president is immune from prosecution for any and all official acts committed as president. And it certainly doesn’t hurt Trump that virtually the entire Republican Party and conservative movement elite are on his side, quaint things like laws be damned.

Tyrant 47 posted onto Truth Social this past Saturday a quote that was falsely attributed to Napoléon Bonaparte: "He who saves his Country does not violate any Law."

These are the deranged rantings of a mad tyrant who is hellbent on eroding constitutional rule in the USA.

See Also:

The Guardian: Trump under fire for likening himself to Napoleon amid attacks on judges

[isthenapoleoncute]

It is important to know what you all think your Napoleons are most threatened by

[josefavomjaaga]

I just realized something: After the battle of Valutina Gora, when Napoleon threatened to take command of 8th corps away from Junot and give it to Rapp, and Rapp refused and together with some other folks succeeded in calming Napoleon down, this may only have been for the moment. At the battle of Borodino three weeks later, Junot was apparently under tutelage: Ney in his official report - that was published together with the bulletins - says that Napoleon had put 8th corps under Ney's command. The reports of all commanders are cited after the bulletin - Junot is not among them.

I can see why Junot was disheartened. But also, this must have been a real problem for Laure when she was writing her memoirs. There was no way she could criticise the guy who by the late 1820s had already taken on the role of martyr and THE hero of the Russian campaign. No matter if he had "stolen" her husband's potential laurels.

[yanderepuck]

We are thanking @aquagirl1978 for this.

At the Bronx zoo, they are letting you name a cockroach after someone and you get a little certificate for doing so.

So let's imagine MC doing this for the guys. She prints out the little certificate and gives it to them all cute like.

Napoleon

"You...did what?" Looking at the certificate wondering if he's reading it wrong.

"I named a cockroach after you"

He just looks at you. Very confused. Not sure if it's meant to be endearing or semi threatening.

"...You still love me, right?"

"of course!"

Mozart

"....."

"Do you like it~"

"That..is.. DISGUSTING!"

You laugh as he throws a small tantrum.

"COCKROACHES ARE DISGUSTING. WHY WOULD YOU NAME ONE AFTER ME?"

"Because cockroaches are forever like our love~"

"....."

"I got the matching socks too"

"get those away from me"

Leonardo

"..a cockroach?"

"a hissing cockroach!"

Leonardo is just looking at the certificate. "I've been called worse things" shrugs and hangs it up in his wall

Vincent

"aww. Thanks" he smiles at it and you even got him the cockroach plushie to go with it. You knew he would like it. He's going to go paint the two of you as cockroaches now, and going on a date

Theo

Mildly offended. "Why a cockroach?"

"Why not. It hisses and so do you. It seems fitting"

Still offended and is convinced you could have chosen a different animal/insect but decided on the cockroach for who knows what reason

Arthur

You know he goes all out for Valentine's Day as it is. So when you just hand him the certificate he's a little confused.

"I named a cockroach after you!"

"..is...is that a normal thing in your country?"

"nope!"

He's wondering if this is a warning.

"I got us matching roach socks too!"

Isaac

Boy probably shrieked a little when seeing a cockroach on the paper. "WHY???"

"I thought it was cute"

"WHATS CUTE ABOUT A COCKROACH?"

"They hiss!"

He screams again. But then you made him sit through the virtual encounter and he screams a little when it hisses

Jean

Handles it better than you expected honestly. For a split second you thought he would be confused "so this is how people celebrate Valentine's Day? They name bugs after each other"

"not exactly. I thought it would be a funny gift."

You got him the plush and he's holding it like a baby and he carries it around all day and tells people it's name is also Jean

Dazai

"Aww. I got you the same thing"

You were SHOOK

Dazai also handed you a certificate. Needless to say he enjoyed being named after a cockroach. You're the one a little upset by it

Shakespeare

He's telling you about how he is taking you to this nice restaurant. He even got you a new dress to go out in. And then you hand him a box with the certificate and the plush inside.

"a... cockroach? You named a cockroach after me.."

He's wondering if he's done anything wrong and you did this because you're mad at him.

Comte

He has no clue how to react. He bought you fancy chocolates and nice wine. Probably a new gold necklace. And he got matching roach socks and a certificate. He's probably a little concerned on how you were able to do this and why you wanted to. But he's putting on the socks right now

Sebastian

Probably sees the humor in it and thinks it's funny. He's oddly excited about the virtual encounter. Meanwhile he probably found a site where you can name a worm after your loved one because of the meme "would you still love me if I was a worm"

Vlad

He thought you would pick something more elegant than a cockroach. Maybe something fluffy. Not a cockroach.

"Roaches are forever, like our love, and you"

Vlad now thinking roaches are immortal and is curious about them. This isn't what you planned. But he is very touched by this

Faust

"....you got me a cockroach?"

"no..I named one after you"

"why would you-" so very confused. He definitely hangs it up in his lab. It keeps his ego down tbh. You start calling him your little cockroach since he calls you a guinea pig

Charles

Slightly disturbed at first but is definitely here for the matching socks.

"didn't have to be a cockroach? I think I'm cuter than a cockroach"

"you're the cutest cockroach"

But then you watch the virtual encounter and he screams a little when it hisses. He wasn't expecting that

Drake

"aww you got me a gift?" Sees the certificate. "...a roach."

"because our love will never die~"

This is his first Valentine's with you and you named him after a roach.

"Is this a modern thing people do?"

"not really. Just a funny thing"

He's thinking you are trying to offend him but he's actually enthusiastic about it

Galileo

Didn't even want to do anything for Valentine's but you hand him an envelope and he sees the certificate and he gets very confused.

"happy valentine's day~"

"... I think I'm a little above a roach"

"you both seem to hiss when touched so I see no difference"

That shot his ego down

[skitskatdacat63]

"Arrogant, ruthless, and by all reports (including his own) utterly charming."

(I don't know why I drew this but please take Revolutionary War British officer George, I think it suits him, okay!!!)

+ George Russell the type of guy to t-pose in front of rebels

+ the usual

Okay first of all, process, as always:

I drew this in one day hahaha....Actually really fun! I haven't finished anything in almost a month, and haven't painted for even longer, so I'm kinda dying at the fact that 18th century George Russell got me motivated 😭 Sometimes when painting, I realize I have free will and can actually just start painting over the lineart, and that's the best moment of every drawing process 🙏

Also I'm very proud of his face!!! I've said before, but art progression is such a weird thing. You'll keep repeating to your self "I'm no good at [insert art thing.]" And then randomly realized you can in fact do it. That's me with drawing real people's faces 😭 I'm just so shocked I got his face pretty good in one try!!!

Okay about the pose and quote. God its so fun to misappropriate quotes for my own evil deeds. Both of these are from this one officer from the Revolution: Banastre Tarleton. Idk, I randomly saw his painting in a history video, and it's stuck in my mind ever since. And then yesterday, bcs I spent a lot of time looking at George, I'm like "hey you know what he kinda reminds me of-" and thus we have this.

I just found that quote about him from some historian to be funny, so I put it as a caption, as I would with Napoleon. This won't be an AU by any means but. I think if George was in the Revolution, he'd be the most stereotypical, evil British villain in American media type guy ever. And Tarleton is kinda that guy tbh, to the point where him and others like Arnold Benedict are the poster boys of evil Revolution guys. He even has a mocking nickname! "Bloody Tarleton/Ban", very "Osama bin Russell," no? 😭

Some notable moments from Tarleton's campaign that I think fit George: Apparently killed a bunch of American soldiers after they surrendered, making sure everyone was dead(😭😭), threatened to burn an American general's house down to make him surrender and then took him hostage, went toe to toe with George Washington himself and Washington even taunted him and Tarleton got a shot in, has a helmet named after him(very slayful.)

[porcelainseashore]

Pleasure - Lettow Kaminsky

Commissioned art by @medeaft

Author's Note: Lettow is a character I’ve always wanted to write for, so it was only fitting that the prompt, Guided by Pleasure, inspired me to finally attempt a piece. It might be rough around the edges, but I found meaning in the overall process.

What are the things that bring one pleasure? Lettow reflects on his past life in an effort to find the answer.

Content Warnings: Brief references to violence, depression, suicide by proxy, Aila mention, war.

An Elder. 

That’s what they call us these nights. I haven’t gotten used to it; I don’t think I ever will. It is a word that has connotations. As for what they are, I will let you decide. They say I am a creature of habit, a creature tied to the past, and perhaps they are right.

I remember events of my former life as if it were yesterday. The feeble trappings of youth born into privilege, where the world lay naked before me with so much hope and potential. Pleasure, when my eyes trailed the curls in her hair, the curve of her waist, settling on her shy, bright smile. Her upper lip covered a section of her teeth; she didn’t like the way her gums showed when she pulled it back. A brief pause—before she would place a hand before her mouth in childlike embarrassment.

Our world was filled with clandestine meetings. The velvet night sky covered in a blanket of stars. Sweet whispers of promised love under the shade of a silver birch tree. The smell of wintergreen in the twilight hours, freshly-cut grass and morning dew. Spring. The days grew light and crisp. Early morning rays filtered through veils of gossamer mist that steamed from the ebony earth. There was movement in the forest again. I truly believed I would wed then.

I remember wild horses in the lowland plains. We tracked a herd of them all the way along the winding belt of the lake. Hooves galloping on soft ground like the rhythmic beating of my excited heart. Every once in a while they would greet us with a majestic sign of their rearing. I was still a boy back then, and I thought like one. Ruddy and hot-blooded. Eager for a taste of adventure. We followed them until they grew tired and slow. Presented food and water as peace offerings, moving like statues so they wouldn’t spook.

I went out to find them every day, until they came to find me instead. They knew they would be fed well and groomed. We observed each other with measured steps, like in a period of courtship, and one-by-one they allowed me to inhabit their world. I led them by the halter to the corrals we had built, talked with them as they neighed in response. The others said my methods would take too long, but I wanted to earn their trust. And that I did. The most feral of the lot I named Napoleon.

I remember the first time I flew. I never thought I would live to see the age of aviation, but here I was. The gust in my face and the whir of the engines so loud they drowned out any sound in my surroundings. I was wrapped up in a protective bubble of white noise. The air became thinner the higher I rose in altitude, but no less difficult to breathe. Through my goggles, I could make out endless miles of clouds in the vast horizon, tasting them like icicles on my tongue as I passed by. This was my world now—this beautiful, strange stratosphere that reflected the oceans below.

We trained under the cover of night at one of the civilian schools. Boxed up in small, rudimentary planes that rattled you to the core and threatened to fall apart. It was unorthodox, but we improvised. Nothing that a simple bribe or other machinations couldn’t fix. I was, by that time, what I am at present, which had both its benefits and drawbacks in the war. Perhaps I have retained whatever human that is left inside of me, since from time to time I thirst for battle, just like the appetites of mankind have for centuries, unsated.

I served in the French Air Force during the First World War by choice, flying infant Nieuports before the SPAD S.XIIIs streamed in, their synchronized twin Vickers ripping into rival aircrafts at record-breaking speed. I rode the SPAD like I would with Napoleon, faster than the wind, weaving through jet streams like a paintbrush on canvas, dipping, twisting, and soaring across the sky as though I were a danseur étoile. I can tell you now that it was by far the most glorious feeling I have ever experienced. I learned to fly before I learned to drive, and I have never regretted it.

And then, there was Aila. I remember her so vividly I can feel her very presence in this room, hiding behind one of the doors; I just need to open the right one. An ocean of memories she left behind, scattered among the trinkets and mementos that line the hall. Flying led me to her, and she, in turn, led me out of the desert. The desert where we had walked for miles under the pale moonlight, licking our wounds as we grew mad with hunger. We lived several lifetimes together, wandering across the world like there was no tomorrow, claiming every piece of uncharted territory for ourselves, all because of that fateful night. It was highly irresponsible and romantic. It was our way of staving off the inevitable—what was another couple of decades when we had an eternity to fill?

I remember her rich dark skin, basking in the bronze glow of her almond-shaped eyes, peeking out from beneath the brim of her straw sun hat. They were proud and fearless as they should be. Her flowy linen dress. White on white, matching mine. Yet turquoise is the color that reminds me of her. The cool slab of robin egg blue against my skin quelling the fire. Sky blue. Her happiest moments were in the air, nimble hands on the controls, and she laughed as though she still had a heart. It’s the small details that I remember, these curious, odd specificities. Sometimes, I think she merely entertained me, but it didn’t matter. My world was Aila’s and hers was mine.

But happiness, like spring, is fleeting. The girl I was betrothed to became something other than herself. A sick rot festered from within, permeating between the cracks of her skull. She ate like a bird. Whiled away the hours in bed. I could not rouse her from her listless slumber. The Devil whispered silent words in her ear, had her mind in its pestilent grip, until she could no longer bear it. There was no way out. No other way than to drown a child in the nearby river so as to guarantee her finality. They have a name for it these days, but in that period, austerity and fear were all we had ever known. At her beheading, the local folk threw coins onto the scaffold for a chance to dip their handkerchiefs in her blood. I wept bitterly in the corner. Dead foliage rustled in the breeze. Fall had arrived, and I had failed to prevent it.

I had nothing left to lose in the uprising against the partitioning powers. As I said, I was young and foolish then. I fantasized about the victory of battle, as well as the honor of dying in one. It was the only way I would be willing to go. But even that was robbed from me. Napoleon was my war horse, and together, we became part of the doomed cavalry. The follies of idealism, but perhaps in hindsight, it might have been my subconscious wish to die. As we lay fallen, the smell of gunpowder and sweat hung heavy in the air, with only the sound of our ragged breathing for company. I felt the life drain out of me onto the mud and rubble as my hand made a bloody imprint on Napoleon’s side. It had been sliced open, brutally, without care. I heard him sputtering; he was cold. My fingers were turning to ice. The massacre before me faded into darkness.

I was Embraced around the same time my country died. Since then, I have fought countless wars, each more unlovely than the other. I no longer dreamed of being heralded as its champion. New leaders were ushered into power vacuums, only to be dethroned the next day by their associates. I had seen it all, played out again and again—the drudgery of senseless wars and the stench of death. Among mortals, among Kindred. Even flying could not console me from the fact that we were no better than beasts. I have killed hundreds from my time in the air force alone, shot down children manning machines that were not fitted to size, and I have always regretted it.

The war led me to Aila, and she, in turn, led me into the new world. Perhaps we could finally leave the past behind. I showered myself in turquoise; we made plans to travel, to always be on the move, like the bieguni—the runners, who avoided the Devil by staying in no place for any significant amount of time. I should have known that it would be all the time that we had. Every place that we went to, everything that we loved and cherished, was burned and razed to the ground. We could not escape from the aftermath of the seeds we had planted. Fall returned, and I saw the light from her eyes extinguish. She found no pleasure, no meaning, in anything. I recognized the signs in her as clear as day from my first love, but I had failed to prevent it. 

White on white.

I buried her in the West, under a city built upon another desert. Lake blue stones on her eyes and in her mouth. Yet, even what remained of her was wrested from me—

You see, I have come to realize the cycle we are trapped in. Things change, memories fade, love is fickle, cities crumble, new leaders arise. But it all leads back to the pendulum between pleasure and misery. Being an Elder doesn’t mean being out of touch. Being Elder means you have the foresight to know what will happen next. Because history repeats itself time and time again.

I am Lettow of Bracław and I remember, I remember.

Dividers by @diableriedoll

[newyorkthegoldenage]

The Marx Brothers left vaudeville and stepped up to the legitimate theater in 1924 with a show called I'll Say She Is. Unlike their subsequent shows such as Animal Crackers and The Cocoanuts, it was never turned into a movie, although one historian has said that "Every Marx Brothers film contains material and situations that can be traced back to I'll Say She Is." Groucho called it "probably the funniest show we ever did."

I'll Say She Is toured for a year and a half before arriving on Broadway in May, 1924. No one expected it to succeed; the Broadway engagement was just a sop to the brothers, who had been threatening to leave the show unless it went to New York.

But the critics loved it. "It is a bright-colored and vehement setting for the goings-on of those talented cutups, the Four Marx Brothers," wrote Alexander Woollcott in the New York Sun, who went on to single out Harpo for special praise.

Maybe it was being on Broadway that led the brothers to bill themselves, in the program, as Herbert, Leonard, Julius H., and Arthur Marx. Not that anyone was fooled.

The show ran for 313 performances, which was excellent for the time. The brothers were lionized by New York society, and Harpo was invited to join the Algonquin Round Table.

Above: Harpo, Groucho, Zeppo, and Chico, with Lotta Miles, in the sketch called "Napoleon's First Waterloo," in which Groucho played Boney. Source: illsaysheis.com

Below: a handbill from the performance of November 17, 1924. Source: NYPL

[royalty-nobility]

Muhammad Ali Pasha Viceroy of Egypt

Artist: Auguste Couder (French, 1789–1873)

Date: 1841

Medium: OIl on canvas

Collection: Museum of the History of France, Palace of Versailles, Paris, France

Muhammad Ali of Egypt

Muhammad Ali (4 March 1769 – 2 August 1849) was the Ottoman Albanian viceroy and governor who became the de facto ruler of Egypt from 1805 to 1848, widely considered the founder of modern Egypt. At the height of his rule, he controlled Egypt, Sudan, Hejaz, the Levant, Crete and parts of Greece.

He was a military commander in an Albanian Ottoman force sent to recover Egypt from French occupation under Napoleon. Following Napoleon's withdrawal, Muhammad Ali rose to power through a series of political maneuvers, and in 1805 he was named Wāli (governor) of Egypt and gained the rank of Pasha.

As Wāli, Ali attempted to modernize Egypt by instituting dramatic reforms in the military, economic and cultural spheres. He also initiated a violent purge of the Mamluks, consolidating his rule and permanently ending the Mamluk hold over Egypt.

Militarily, Ali recaptured the Arabian territories for the sultan, and conquered Sudan of his own accord. His attempt at suppressing the Greek rebellion failed decisively, however, following an intervention by the European powers at Navarino. In 1831, Ali waged war against the sultan, capturing Syria, crossing into Anatolia and directly threatening Constantinople, but the European powers forced him to retreat. After a failed Ottoman invasion of Syria in 1839, he launched another invasion of the Ottoman Empire in 1840; he defeated the Ottomans again and opened the way towards a capture of Constantinople. Faced with another European intervention, he accepted a brokered peace in 1842 and withdrew from the Levant; in return, he and his descendants were granted hereditary rule over Egypt and Sudan. His dynasty would rule Egypt for over a century, until the revolution of 1952 when King Farouk was overthrown by the Free Officers Movement led by Mohamed Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser, establishing the Republic of Egypt.

[ask-the-hws-immigrants]

Did Russia ever try to come and take Tolys back ‘home’?

"Someday I know I'll be called back, likely when he finds some reason Alfred can't care for me - or some problem he needs distraction from emerges. As of yet, he places a trust in Alfred that doesn't threaten that... or his national security."

**Historical Note: During this time period the Russian Empire maintained a relatively positive relationship with the United States government. By the 1830s, the relationship between England and Russia, which had once been strong during the Napoleonic Wars, began to deteriorate due to conflicting interests in Eastern Europe and toward the Ottoman Empire. By the 1850s relations had turned outright hostile, as in the Crimean War (1853-1856) and popular British support for Polish uprisings within the Russian Empire. This hostility continued throughout the 19th century, culminating in "The Great Game," where Britain and Russia competed for influence in Central Asia (particularly Afghanistan).

Although Russia had maintained friendly, but distant relations during the 18th and early 19th centuries, the United States' growing power both in the Western Hemisphere and on the world stage positioned it as a potential counterbalance to the power of the British Empire, and therefore a potential ally. By the 1860s, Russia made more explicit overtures of friendship, such as expressing public support for the Union during the Civil War and wintering its navy in American ports. This culminated in the Alaska Purchase in 1867, in which Russia sought to rid itself of Alaska but feared upsetting the balance of power by selling it to Canada (and by extension England). The United States, particularly Secretary of State William Seward, took an interest for the opportunity to expand trade in Asia (though until gold was discovered several jeered the purchase as "Seward's Folly").

Lithuanians began to immigrate to the United States as early as 1861 after serfdom was abolished in the Russian Empire, but 1867-1868 saw a rise in Lithuanian immigration to the United States due to a famine. This steady pace continued until the outbreak of WW1, despite some Russian attempts to stop this. Between 300,000-600,000 Lithuanians emigrated, though we'll likely never know for sure due to errors in immigration records and name notations.

The immigration of Lithuanians and Poles, particularly Lithuanian, Polish, and Russian Jews, as a result of political suppression and violent pogroms began to change popular opinions of Russia in the United States. Many American civilians began to view Russia in a negative light. Despite this, relations between the two governments would remain favorable until the establishment of the Soviet Union after WW1.