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napoleonic-sexyman-tournament · 6 months ago

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Hello sillies! I'm back with more fun facts about Bagration (and also an anti-propaganda for his wife Catherine Bagration)

It makes me very sad to see the two in this confrontation! I love them both very much and I think that in another context they would get along well because they are also curly fellas, but let me tell you something curious, Bagration and Murat got to know each other! In a very curious way, let's say that it was a form of flirtation, a flirtation that was done by Bagration himself, who, the very clever one, praised Murat in a meeting before Austerlitz so that he would accept a false armistice (Murat was also easy to influence. through praise, so Bagration knew how to take advantage of the situation).

Unfortunately, I would like to give more information about what happened between the two, but in my book it only mentions that, that Murat, under the influence of Bagration's flirtation, willingly accepted the armistice (did you know that, @joachimnapoleon ? Hehehe)

These are details that I said in my previous blurb, he is also with Lannes, who days ago I found his book written by Margaret that gave me more details of their meeting. Jean was not in a good mood because he did not like being under Murat's command because he considered him mediocre and when the Russian officers were invited to the barracks for dinner, Lannes chose, of all people, Bagration to form a conversation with him and Jean's opinion of Bagration was that he was someone who was an expert at what he did, not like some buffoonish soldiers present.

(Bagration was terrible at speaking and understanding French! I wonder what language they communicated in)

Here i left you a fragment extracted from both topics:

“Prince Bagration was a most agreeable man; he knew so well how to flatter Murat that the latter, taken in in his turn by the Russian general, eagerly accepted the armistice in spite of remarks of Lannes, who wished to fight.” The armistice was concluded on conditions that the Russians would leave Austrian territory, while the French would remain in Moravia. Both sides agreed to give four-hour notice before resuming hostilities. The armistice was to sent to Napoleon and Kutuzov for ratification. In the meantime, the French invited the Russian officers to their headquarters for a dinner. Bagration met Marshal Lannes there and the two spoke for some time. Lannes told him, if he had been commanding the troops, they would have been fighting by now." —The Lion of the Russian army, Alexander Mikaberidze.

«Bagration's rear-guard was not the only weapon in Kutuzov's arsenal. He decided to rum the armistice mse against its original perpetrators. While Bagration's men dug in at Schongrabern, Kutuzov sent General Ferdinand Wintzingerode under a flag of tmce to meet with the French advance-guard. The Austrian told Murat that because negotiations were underway in Vienna, they should both hold their present positions. If the negotiations failed, he added, then whoever broke the tmce would give a six-hour warning before resuming hostilities. Murat agreed, mostly because he mistook Bagration's rear-guard for the leading elements of Kutuzov's main force and knew he and Lannes needed reinforcements before they could engage the Russians. He sent an aide-de-camp to notify Napoleon of the cease-fire and invited Wintzingerode, Bagration, and other Russian officers to his headquarters for wine and polite conversation.

Lannes never believed Wintzingerode for a minute. Instead, he had a pretty good idea where Kutuzov was, thought Bagration was on his own, and knew Napoleon meant to fight the Russians, not negotiate with them. Already annoyed that his corps was at half strength and Murat was still telling him what to do, he stood on the edge of the gathering, holding a glass of wine and glaring at friends and enemies alike. He spoke only to Bagration, whom he recognized as a professional soldier, not a buffoon like some in the present company. "If I was on my own and didn't have to put up with Murat's orders," he told the Russian general, "we'd be fighting, not standing around drinking and talking about the goddamned weather." Bagration probably agreed with him.41 While Kutuzov marched farther away, Bagration returned to Schongrabern.

Napoleon sent an aide to Murat with another blistering reprimand. "It is impossible for me to find words to express my displeasure with you," he wrote.

"Break that truce immediately and attack the enemy. . . . The Austrians allowed themselves to be fooled over the Vienna bridge, but you have been fooled by one of [Alexander I's] aides-de-camp!" A chastened Murat gave orders for an offensive while Lannes, enjoying Murat's humiliation, rode off to tell Bagration they would be fighting after all.» —The emperor's friend: Jean Lannes, Margaret Scott.

Very curious and charming, right? Now let's move on to different points!

★ I know that there is a certain image of Alexander I and people love him, for my part I hate him because he was unfair to Bagration, Alex never trusted and liked the presence of Prince Georgian, he even excluded him from certain inaugurations and it is said that when Catherine, Bagration's wife, had an illegitimate daughter, Alex forced Bagration to acknowledge paternity and perhaps take financial responsibility for her, but there are no details of the latter. The truth is that Alex was visibly hostile to Bagration and Bagration knew it, he knew that the emperor did not want him and he even fantasized about commanding both Russian armies, but due to his strategic lack and tense relationship with Alex, he clearly never achieved it.

"Although Bagration's secret ambition was to command the Russian armies, he was hesitant to go that far. The proud descendant of the Bagration kings, he was a worthy man, too high and noble a figure to condescend to open intrigue and deliberate insubordination.

Bagration rejected all appeals to write to the tsar. He wrote to Yermolov: "I will not write to the tsar asking for command, because this would be attributed to my ambition and vanity, not to my merits and abilities." Perhaps Bagration realized that Alexander would never give him supreme command of the Russian Army. He was well aware of Alexander's feelings towards him, especially in light of his conflict during the 1809 campaign in the Danube Valley, current disagreements over strategy, and his previous relationship with Alexander's sister Catherine. However, Bagration still hoped to be appointed commander-in-chief and often commented in letters to Rostopchin: "if I commanded both armies..."

I really hate Alexander's attitude towards Pyotr because Pyotr never did anything bad to him, he was very good to him and obeyed him. When Pavel "adopted" Pyotr as a trusted general, that also meant that Bagration became closer to the imperial family and on one occasion, in the Palace, a prince along with Alexander saw Bagration approaching, to which the prince says that " Here comes the best general!" or something like that, but Pyotr responds that flattery/attention is more important "I am not worthy of praise, but the sun/star of Russia" referring and pointing to the tsarevich himself, Alexander.

★ This is related to the previous (anti-propaganda and Alexander) and pay attention to what I say, Bagration's wife started this whole nightmare because she was a very beautiful countess, yes, but as a person she was terrible, she was capricious and cruel (I understand that when she found out about Bagration's death, she had no mixed feelings, she simply didn't care about the death of the man she manipulated so much).

And since she was capricious, she was also a flirt, she fell in love with men to satisfy her ego and then abandoned them, the most notable victim of her was Bagration.

She began to pursue him, to attract him with her charms, but since Bagration did not know how to act in the face of coquetry and was very shy with female affection, he was stoic and she even complained to him about it, some time later Pyotr "falls in love" with her. Catherine (I think he was not in love, he was simply attracted by the enormous beauty of the countess to the point of being a toy for her, because I had read in a fragment that he sometimes wanted to burn the mini portrait that he had of her, but when he saw her beauty, his hand retreated and he found himself unable to do so, besides there was no reason to fall in love with someone like Catherine, in this era marriages were a horrible failure!) and when she saw his success, she immediately left him and things could have ended like this, with Bagration "in love" and her with her wasteful life, Pyotr would never have suffered, but here comes Pavel and his unfortunate habit of marrying two people, I know an anecdote that a marriage did not end well thanks to him, and Catherine and Pyotr are another example.

One day, the two are told to go somewhere, dressed formally for something they didn't know about. When they arrived they were going to be consecrated in marriage, I can already imagine the surprise on both their faces.

The wedding was without consent and the family was close to the emperor, but you know, Pavel had a difficult and severe temperament, so telling him anything about it would end very badly.

It was already known that the Union was going to be unhappy, Pyotr tried to win Catherine's affection by satisfying her whims but this never happened and she looked for any excuse to avoid it, so it was a horrible suffering for Pyotr.

Everything was like that, until the Napoleonic wars broke out and she took the opportunity to go to Vienna, they never met again.

She was traveling through Europe, she was known as "the wandering princess" because she had her own carriage for several trips and she explained to Bagration that she could not return to Russia because "I am sick and I need medication." This lie was quite obvious and he The only thing she did was waste money, and when she began to run out of it, she began to ask Bagration, also in a guilty way, that Pyotr should take care of it because it was his duty as her husband (he also said so). ).

And since Bagration loved her very much and was detached with money, he took care of her and sent her all the money she needed, while she was unfaithful with the whore Metternich (excuse the word, but this man also slept with the wife of Murat, so here is another similarity between Murat and Bagration) and from there they had a daughter whom Bagration had to recognize as his own. I repeat, he never met the girl.

Obviously there are gossips everywhere, so the news of Catherine dishonoring Bagration spread like an epidemic, but despite that, he always defended her first and foremost because it was his duty as a husband, he was really too good for her.

Due to his wife's infidelities, his aristocratic position due to being of noble lineage (he was a prince, but a prince of nothing because his family was exiled, so that title was for decoration) and his poor education due to his youthful poverty, Pyotr's life was the object of gossip, ridicule and humiliation that he had to endure. I remember that he had tense relations with the St. Petersburg Court (he had courtier skills but he did not like the Court that much, from what I read in a book of his written by Gribanov) and there were two options there, speak wonders of Bagration or speak miseries of him.

To be specific in a humiliation towards Bagration, it happened when he once publicly announced with another man that he would take care of Catherine's assets while Pyotr would not, which earned him humiliation.

It also happens that Catherine's family hated Bagration because he "ruined" their daughter's life and he was trying to get closer to them but it wasn't working. On one occasion he gave a gift to his mother-in-law in Naples and she abruptly rejected it.

Bagration was faithful to him until Catherine arrived, the tsar's sister who felt great love for him and used to deify him, so they had a special approach both physically and in letters, they walked hand in hand through the parks and Catherine was younger. than him, but she was a very cunning woman, in a source I had read that during the Court balls, she flirted with Bagration saying that she would love to be queen of Georgia, which makes me sad because they didn't end up together.

The imperial family did not agree with that, partly because he was "ugly" (that same portrait you are seeing in the voting publication was from 1812, when Bagration was 47 years old, and he does not look like it!) and also because of Alex's dislike towards Pyotr, so they were immediately separated, Alex sent Bagration elsewhere while Catherine entered into a marriage.

What do you want me to tell you more? Oh, true! Alexander also had an affair with Catherine Bagration, what do you think?

★ Bagration was modest in the way he dressed and wore the same uniform almost all the time, but still he was like a fashion icon because of the popularity of him! Here is a fragment that explains it better.

While in St. Petersburg, Bagration became a symbol of Russian victory for the younger generation. Young women wore Bagration-style hats while young officers idolized him. Paul Grabbe, one of these officers, recalled that “Bagration's heroic deeds at Amstetten [and Schongrabern] were discussed in our spare time and remained the best reminiscences of that period.” Another contemporary, Denis Davidov wrote: “Bagration's soul echoed the bold thoughts of the younger generation, who always thirsted for military adventures and glory.” In late February, the St. Petersburg Vedomosti Decree published Emperor Alexander's decree praising Bagration for “remarkable courage and presence of mind… resisting the attacks of the superior enemy and marching his troops in order from the battlefield to Austerlitz and then covering the withdrawal of the army.”

★ When he recently moved to the capital, an aunt of his helped him have an interview with Potemkin and it was faster than expected, so a carriage went to pick up Pyotr but he didn't have the look/clothes to introduce himself , but a butler helped him by giving him his caftan with which he could attend the interview. Some time later, when Bagration was already a recognized general, he met the butler, whom he hugged and thanked him saying "without him, I would not have been who I am!", thus demonstrating that Bagration was a pleasant person.

★ Bagration didn't even know him at home before, but when he started as a general and was promoted (he was the most popular of all at that time), the Flattery and special invitations to him increased more, many people wanted to meet him and here's another fragment because it best describes the situation:

As his fame spread throughout the Empire, Bagration made public appearances with the Emperor and served as a guest of honor at numerous events. In early February 1806, Prince Peter accompanied Alexander to the Academy of Medical Surgery and then attended the opening of the first Russian Therapy Clinic. At the end of February, he traveled to Moscow, where the English Club, one of the Empire's most prestigious societies, hosted a special dinner “in honor of his last brave conduct with the armies.” He exceeded all expectations. The English traveler Ker Porter recalled: “The suites of splendid halls, and the great marble hall in which dinner was served, were furnished with the most implacable magnificence.”178 One reception housed 350 guests; One participant described: “he searched for and bought all the rarest meat, fish, vegetables, wines and fried foods for dinner; Everyone wanted to participate in this reception.”179 at 2:00 p.m. Bagration appeared and “was immediately surrounded by everyone in the room, eager to express his joy at his presence, and congratulations to his country for having been blessed with the preservation of such a man.”

Soon a splendid dinner was served and the emperor and Bagration “marred with the greatest enthusiasm” were toasted. “As long as we have baggage, the enemies will always be at our feet.”183 Ker Porter was perplexed by the fervor of the guests and noted: “I have never seen such a lively society of Russians; and more than once it reminded me of similar gatherings in honor of our glorious friend and hero Sir Sidney Smith.” In addition, a band of garrison singers sang a specially written song praising Prince Bagration. Hall, where he was declared an honorary member of the English Club.186 During the celebration, Sir Ker Porter was introduced to Bagration, who greatly impressed him. He characterized Prince Pyotr as “not only one of the first military heroes, but in his character as a man, an honor to human nature.”

The celebration in honor of Bagration did not end in the English Club. Over the next two weeks, he was invited to several dinners, dances, or other gatherings. On March 19, Prince Khovansky hosted another lavish dinner for Bagration. One of the witnesses wrote: “I cannot describe this event to you because there are no words for it. The dining room was adorned with various trophies and there was a portrait of Bagration in the middle of the main wall. There were bundles of weapons, flags, and other souvenirs beneath the portrait, and several young women, dressed in the color of his uniform and wearing Bagration-style hats, the latest fashion in the city, surrounded him.” When Bagration entered, the band played the music and the ladies' song the dedications. Then several ladies presented him with a laurel wreath and led him to a curtain-covered wall. While the curtains were drawn, “a theatrical stage was built depicting a forest and an ancient temple of glory with a statue of Suvorov. [Suddenly], a guardian angel [genius] came out of the temple and gave letters to Bagration, who read them aloud and placed a laurel wreath at the feet of the statue of Suvorov. "Then we started the dance."

★ just as Alexander has a nickname which is Sasha, Bagration clearly had too, and that was Petya, very cute indeed.

★ Bagration was easy to embarrass/blush! I'm just reading his historical novel in Russian and on several occasions Bagration blushes and gets embarrassed, imagine if you were flirting with him, he'd be more ahhh cutie patootie. 😭

★ he was not interested in politics, but if he did get involved in Georgian politics, again, I will leave another fragment to explain it better:

In the summer of 1806, Bagration also participated in Georgian politics. The Georgian nobility was dissatisfied with the Russian administration and anti-Russian sentiment spread rapidly among the population. The Russians introduced the Russian legislature and language which were rejected by the Georgians. The harsh Russian occupation had greatly changed the attitude of a people, who once welcomed the Russians as liberators from the Persians and Turks. Considered by their new masters as mere serfs, the Georgian peasantry looked back with nostalgia on the bad old days. The nobility also felt neglected. Under the Georgian kings, they enjoyed privileges and power, ruling according to their traditions and customs. Now they found themselves living in a province of the vast empire, whose rules were foreign to them and seemed to lack sympathy for their nation. In the spring of 1806, the Georgian nobility asked for help from Peter Bagration, who was one of the most influential Georgians in the Russian Empire. Instead, Prince Pyotr sent his brother Roman to Georgia with letters to the Georgian nobles urging them to comply with the Russian government. However, the Russian administration became alarmed by Bagration's involvement in Georgian affairs and made reports of disapproval to St. Petersburg.

★ That's right, Bagration had a sense of humor, he even told jokes in tense/dangerous moments before a battle.

★ there is a mischaracterization of Bagration in the novel War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, he is represented as someone stoic, flat, inexpressive, things like that, but Bagration was very warm, pleasant and sociable with people, typical of expressive people, with Just saying that he blushed easily is enough!

★ Bagration was so sociable and the typical extrovert who adopts an introvert to such a degree that he was a close friend of Arakcheyev, a man with a horrible temperament (like killing kittens and being in favor of corporal punishment, according to what a friend who knows him told me well) that he received disdain and his friendships were almost non-existent, but with Bagration it was different, from what I read in the few letters from Petya to Arakcheyev, he handled both professional and personal things, and one of them is that Bagration was aware of the criticism towards him and told Arakcheyev that it hurt his soul to receive such criticism.

★ As he had said, Bagration was close to Emperor Pavel, who was approaching his peak of paranoid and found it difficult to trust anyone, so he "adopted" Bagration as his trusted general since he was a first-timer at the site and did not He knew nothing about the Court, which gave him an advantage. Pavel appreciated him and got along very well with Pyotr, even recommending him for promotion and Arakcheyev too since he was very devoted to Pavel and all that. I'm going to go to the old reliable, fragments hehehe

Suvorov was already on his way to St. Petersburg, when unexpected news devastated him. Although Paul praised Suvorov and arranged a reception for him, he still regarded him with suspicion and resentment. He knew that Suvorov's return to Russia meant that the field marshal would continue to oppose the new military system established by Paul. The emperor could not allow this to happen. They told him that Suvorov had violated his rules and appointed the generals of the time, 4 and banned the Prussian pigtails, reintroduced by Paul into the army.5 The emperor canceled the reception and sent a brusque letter to Suvorov. “I have learned that while you were in command of my forces abroad you had on your staff a general, known as an orderly, despite my instructions…. Surprised by this, I order you to tell me what prompted you to do it.” 6 Furthermore, Paul forbade Suvorov to come to St. Petersburg during the day;

It was said that he even wanted to deprive the field marshal of his title of “Italiiskii”. The old field marshal was shocked by this misfortune. He was already in poor health and this humiliation further sapped his strength. He arrived in St. Petersburg late at night, unannounced and unwelcome. An imperial courier informed him that he was forbidden to visit the imperial palace.7 Peter Bagration was one of the few who visited the disgraced Suvorov during his illness. On one occasion, several days before Suvorov's death, Paul sent Bagration to inquire after his health.8 Prince Peter described finding [Suvorov] very weak...he fell into a coma. His assistants rubbed spirits on his temples and gave him smelling salts, which brought him back to his senses. He looked at me, but the old fire no longer burned in his eyes.

He continued to look at me as if trying to recognize me and then shouted, “Ah! It's you, Peter. It's good to see you!" He remained silent and then looked at me again and I informed him of my errand from the Emperor. Alexander Vasilievich came to life, but his speech was broken. “Convey my respects… my deepest respects… to the Emperor …please do it…Peter…Ah…so much pain!” He said no more and fell into a delirium.”9 Death was rapidly approaching and, on May 18, 1800, Suvorov whispered his last words. Large crowds followed Suvorov's remains during the funeral. It seemed that the entire population of Suvorov was present. However, Pablo pursued Suvorov even to death. At his insistence, the funeral date was moved one day later; newspapers were not allowed to publish obituaries and the military honors awarded to Suvorov were listed one rank lower. of his rank.10 The emperor did not attend the funeral of his best commander and instead reviewed the Guard regiments.11 Suvorov's death was an important date in Bagration's career. command of Suvorov and rose to his rank and positions thanks to the support of the field marshal.12 Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Bagration became famous and accepted in higher social circles. He was often invited to the palace and met with members of the. Royal family. On one occasion, he was introduced to the future Emperor Alexander and a group of aristocrats. One of them, Prince Eugene of Wuttemberg, greeted him: “Here comes the famous Prince Bagration.” Prince Peter shrewdly replied to the courtier: “My Prince, if you want to see someone distinguished, here is the rising sun of Russia” and pointed to Alexander. (here is what I said a few moments ago, but better)

However, Bagration was also in a dangerous position. His close relationship with Suvorov, whom Paul hated so much, could have led to his disgrace. However, cordial relations existed between the emperor and the young general. Paul met Bagration on many occasions and contacted the sick Suvorov through him. In addition, Bagration had no connections with the court and did not participate in judicial machinations. Paul was already suspicious of the conspiracy against him and with each passing day he became more and more cautious. He needed trustworthy people around him, so he focused on Bagration.

Prince Peter was new at court. He had spent most of his life on the periphery of the empire and had visited St. Petersburg only once in 1782, when he joined the service. For the next eighteen years he fought in the Caucasus, Crimea, Poland, Italy and Switzerland and was unable to travel to the capital. He was not familiar with the imperial court and did not participate in various intrigues. In addition, the emperor was well aware of Bagration's military achievements. Suvorov had periodically reported on Bagration's successes at Brescia, Tidone, Trebbia and Novi. The Swiss campaign brought him new laurels, so Paul appreciated his talent. On March 20, 1800, he was appointed commander of the 6th Jager Regiment, and in April, Paul gave him a large estate in Lithuania to replace the one Bagration received for his actions in Trebbia.14 However, Bagration was not frugal. .

To lead a life befitting his status, he began an extravagant lifestyle in the capital that naturally resulted in increasing debts. Over the years, Bagration sold two properties to cover debts.

With the onset of spring, Bagration was ordered to Pavlovsk, where his Jagers protected the imperial family.15 In May, Bagration attended the launching ceremony of three new ships at the Admiralty. Then, in June, Bagration accompanied the emperor to Peterhof in St. Petersburg, where he attended naval maneuvers and enjoyed the social life of the court. In July 1800, Paul again rewarded young Bagration and appointed him chef of the Jager Lifeguard Battalion.16 This appointment indicated the great respect Paul had for Bagration. The position of chef of the lifeguard regiments was usually filled by the emperor and members of his family.17 Paul created the Prussian-style chefs in August 1798 and this position practically replaced the commanders. The chefs were all-powerful within the regiment, supervising the management of the troops, their training and determining logistical needs.

Unlike other chefs, Peter Bagration was also appointed commander of the Jager Lifeguard Battalion and thus combined both positions.18 However, considering Paul's meticulous attention to the Prussian military organization, this appointment could also compromise Bagration. . Paul held daily parades and reviews in the capital and any poor performance by officers led to disgrace and banishment. 19 In June 1800, Paul reviewed Bagration's battalion on Semeyonovsky Square in the capital. Prince Peter deployed his battalion into three companies of 100 men each and his orderly formation and neat appearance pleased the emperor. Paul asked Bagration to show him several Jagers that he found in perfect order. In 1800 Bagration's life soon became routine. Every morning he attended the Wachtparade, which Paul modeled after the daily exercises of Frederick the Great. Paul personally supervised the deployment of troops and anxiously watched the parade for any imperfections. After the parade was over, Bagration led the troops to the barracks and continued the exercise there. The emperor often made unannounced visits and Prince Peter had to be ready at any time.

At the end of July 1800, Paul moved to Tsarskoe Selo. Bagration with his battalion was in charge of security there. He stayed in the town of Sofia, which the Empress Catherine founded for her entourage. However, Paul did not like staying in Tsarskoe Selo, which reminded him of his mother, so he spent the rest of the summer and early autumn of 1800 in Gatchina, where Bagration continued to protect the imperial family. Paul often ordered Prince Peter to prepare his battalion for maneuvers and exercises.

In one of them, in September 1800, Paul gathered forces from all branches of the army to reenact the battle. The troops were divided into two opposing corps and Bagration “fought” under the command of General Mikhail Kutuzov, who won the battle and earned Paul's praise. Kutuzov, who was later appointed military governor of the capital, had a high opinion of Bagration. In September 1800, when Major General Ivan Ivelich accused Bagration of embezzling regiment funds, Kutuzov personally investigated the matter and determined that Bagration committed no crime.

★ He had a mini portrait of Alexander's wife (she was good to him, as I remember), Catherine (Alexander's sister), Catherine Bagration (his wife) and Suvorov, who was like a father figure to he. There was someone else but I don't remember well.

★ On one occasion he fell from his horse and suffered a concussion that was not serious, but that meant that he had to leave his position to recover, which happened, but he was replaced by a man not so nice and very different from him , that at the time this man announced that he would replace Bagration, he did so arrogantly and praising his own achievements, earning the contempt of the soldiers who preferred Bagration, who had given a very emotional and sweet farewell speech that even Langeron praised the speech.

Here's another extract from the topic:

Bagration then praised his generals and officers for their services in this campaign, concluding: As I leave this army, I consider it my sacred responsibility to express my deep gratitude and respect to the commanders of the corps, detachments, senior and junior officers, as well as the rank and archive, who, serving under my command, had to fulfill his duties for the Emperor and the Fatherland, and trusted me unconditionally in doing so…. I want to thank my generals and the entire army for the love they always showed me and that I enjoyed every moment of the campaign, in the middle of battle or in March. This love will forever be imprinted on my heart and I will always remember it as the greatest and sweetest reward that will comfort me for the rest of my life. I will pray to the Lord to bless my comrades in arms and help them in all their endeavors. I began my command of this army with victories and with victories I say goodbye to you.”154 The army was moved by these words. Langeron declared that “Bagration's farewell order was one of the most moving and well-written speeches he had ever read in Russia. He was very successful in reaching the hearts of the troops, while Kamensky's order only generated discontent among the rank and file.

★ now some descriptions about Bagration:

• In the spring of 1802, Bagration planned to travel to Naples, but was unable to due to financial strain. Denis Davidov recalled: “[Bagration] liked to live luxuriously, he always had a lot of everything, but not for himself, for others. He was satisfied with some necessary things and was always sober. I never saw him drinking vodka or wine, except for two small glasses of Madeira at lunch.”40 However, Catherine Bagration's extravagant spending was out of control and the family's debts increased. Furthermore, Bagration liked his troops and often spent his own money on them. As the chef of the lifeguard battalion, he had to live lavishly to maintain the status of himself and his acquaintances. His new acquaintances in high society only helped him to spend lavishly. A contemporary noted: “The extravagance of his friends…let him forget moderation.”41 His annual salary was an impressive 2,200 rubles, but his debts slowly accumulated. Bagration had to sell his estate and other property that he received from the government to pay the debtors. In early 1802, the state treasurer informed Emperor Alexander that Bagration had to sell his estate to the treasury. “[Bagration] did not determine any price, but he informed me that he had 28,000 rubles in debt to the Treasury, plus another 52,000 rubles in debts, for a total of 80,000 rubles.” In February 1802, Alexander gave his consent for the Treasury to purchase Bagration's.

In general, the Russian army was in better condition than Napoleon's troops. The artillery not only had numerical superiority over the French (640 to 587), but also the advantage in Caliber. Bagration spent September 6 resting his troops and preparing for battle. He demonstrated deep concern for his troops. General Mayevsky recalled: “The next day [after Shevardino] I was asleep in the courtyard. The prince [Bagration], passing me with his retinue, moved as silently and silently as we usually do while approaching the room of a sleeping loved one. Such attention to his troops… only strengthened his sense of loyalty to this commander.”

•Langeron also noted Bagration’s “invaluable talent, as he was admired [obozhaem] by all who served under him. His remarkable but taciturn bravery, his manners, easy conversation, familiarity with the soldiers, sincere joy animated troops and fueled universal admiration [for him]. No other commander of our armies was loved as much as [Bagracion]; Even the generals, whom he outpromoted, served with pleasure under him.” Langeron highlighted Bagration's achievements by referring to his humble beginnings. He observed: “I saw him in St. Petersburg in 1790 dressed in the uniform of a common Cossack, unknown to many and without invitation to any salon.” However, almost two decades later, “[Bagration] was commanding an army!” Furthermore, Langeron stated: “Russia has no better commander of the Advanced Guard, or of the main forces [Glavnikh Sil] than Bagration.”

••The soldiers loved him and believed in his invincibility. But now he was wounded and with him, “the soul [of valor] had departed from the entire left wing.” When he let himself be carried away, his aide-de-camp, Adrianov, ran to the stretcher and said: “Your Excellency, they are taking him away, I am no longer useful to you!” Then, as Witnesses recalled: “Adrianov, in the sight of thousands, moved like an arrow, broke through the blows of the enemies and fell dead.” Total confusion. ”97 General Mayevsky recalled: “The Prince [Bagration] was taken behind the line and his entourage accompanied him. The fight was now fought in such confusion that I did not know who and how I should join.” (It happened in Borodino)

And that's all for today! I know that many love Murat, it is difficult not to get attached to a tremendously beautiful and loving man, but I would like you to please vote for Bagration, his life was not as beautiful as Murat's and it is not unusual for someone to call him ugly when you and I know it's the complete opposite, so I would really appreciate it if you voted for Bagration, I'm going crazy 😭.

Thank you for reading, silly!

(I'm supporting you, @yaggy031910 hehehe)

#long post #long propaganda

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grigori77 · 6 months ago

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Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 95

Ia must admit, I am enjoying Marisha taking up the slack from Sam for the plugs. Oh, a perfume ad spood? Coool ... and it's ASHLEY?!!! Sweet. I mean she does have the SEXY VOICE in the bunch, so ... wow ... really going all out there, ain'tcha Ash? XD

Why is Matt turning into the announcer from The Running Man? That's ... something ...

Saucy? Yes indeed ... LOL

Laura: "Speaking of Bells Hells ... we weren't ..." XD

Yeah ... Aeor ... this is gonna be ... INTERESTING ...

I know! Fucking ASTRID!!! Total shocker! And also we got our boy, too ...

Why is Astrid suddenly FRENCH, Matthew?

A FUGITIVE? How so? I thought Essek was doing alright these days ... Occultus Thalamus? Huh?

"Beautiful purple man"? Dorian knows what's up, definitely ...

His "PARTNER"? Oh Essek ... O.O I mean that's ADORABLE ...way to go, Caleb ... :3

Oh, so there was like a proper OFFICIAL Armistice? That's pretty cool ... I mean I'm not THAT good at keeping track, but still ...

Upgrade? Hmmm ... ah, now then, Astrid, careful there ... you don't wanna mess with THIS piece of business right now ...

Group Persuasion check? Interesting ... Taliesin rolls a 2, but Ashton's "tempted to just threaten physically" ... XD

Good point ... what DID happen in Zadash?

Awww ... KITTY!!! :3

A terrible flaming bird? You mean like a phoenix?

The Genesis Ward?

"Farts are funny" ... okay ... Astrid: "I will treasure it always." Yeah ...

Prudence? Awwwwwww ...

The Gale & the Raven is a bit trite? Hmmm ...

Oh here we go ... yeah, Tusk Love, no surprise there ...

Dorian: "Oh, there's a book that's called Just the Tip right here!" XD

A "picture porn"? FEARNE CALLOWAY!!! O.O

An Exandrian Kama Sutra? Fascinating ... yeah, OF COURSE she takes it ... LOL A Nat20? Yeah, no surprise there ...

So ... she thinks they're like ... A POLYCULE? Intriguing ... in a hilariously saucy way ... whoa, HOW MUCH?!!!

Yeah ... I wonder if Essek's having flashbacks right now ...

Yussa? Really?

Supples? Okay ... OH!!! YES!!! Is Pumat still in town? Go there! GO THERE!!!

The Pentamarket! Cool!

Taliesin wants a shopping episode ... and honestly that sounds like fun ... yes ...

Ashton wants a new jacket? Yes. Definitely. Oh, new wardrobe for EVERYBODY? Double yes. Good idea.

Marisha: "What? I WANT THAT!" XD

The Emerald Curtain ... sounds like it could work ...

Ah, the new clothing smell ...

"Musicians"? Really? Oh ... memorialise FCG? Yes ... cloaks? Definitely ... oh, yes, checking through the stock sounds good ... yes, do that.

"Keith"? Hmmm ... oh yes, they are high-maintenance clients indeed ...

Artsy-fartsy? Yeah ... a slender half-giant? WOOD CARVING?!!! Oh wow ... Chetney is DEFINITELY interested ...

Damid? Oh, I like this guy already. "An audience? It's been a bit." XD Yeah, I love this guy.

Just the dye ... yeah, Laudna's very hands-on ...

"HOT BOI" ... Marisha's fan is sending me ... XD

Matching corsets? Go Imodna! :3

Fur-lined leather coveralls for Chetney ... YEAH. Definitely. Oh ... leather BRIEFS?!!! Hmmm ... so he's expecting to full-on HULK IT, apparently ...

235 gold pieces overall ... Laura INSTANTLY reacts, much as expected ... "I'm just Imogen here, I don't know what things cost."

Yeah, they don't HAVE TO roleplay all of it ... LOL

Magic shop? Oh please ... PLEASE ...

FOOD!!! Yes, FOOD!!! God idea ...

Oooh, noodles, yay! Now I'm getting hungry ...

The Invulnerable Vagrant ... OH YEAH ... here we go ...

O.O This is gonna be so much fun ...

PUMAT SOL!!! PUMAT SOL!!! PUMAT SOL!!!

Oh I have missed that voice ... Matt just slips RIGHT BACK INTO IT like he never went away ... Robbie's reaction to gettting to see this first hand is PRICELESS ... I love it ...

Yeah, the clones ... Fearne: "What is happening?" I KNOW!!! XD Ashton: "This is what the inside of my head is like all the time right now."

Oh, so they're EXACTLY like the Ludinus clone they fought before ... crazy ... I love how they're incapable of being sent into an existential crisis regarding their autonomy and originality ... it's kind of cute ...

Ah! Potions! Here we go ... and other goodies! Cool ...

A harp? That sounds very Yasha ... is it a BONE harp?

Robe of the Midnight Rune? Interesting ... oh yes, that is DEFINITELY exactly what Imogen's been looking for. GET THAT!!! Whoa ... 9500 gold pieces? Are you KIDDING ME?!!!

3500 for the armour ... ALSO ridiculously expensive ...

The harp fires arrows. Ye gods ... BOOMY arrows, too ... oh, that is a SWEET item. The arrows do THUNDER DAMAGE!!! That is SO CHOICE. Oh wow ... that whole thing just keeps getting MORE AND MORE impressive ... 8000 gold pieces? Fuck ...

Healing potions, yesh ... and a SPEEDY potion? Wow ... a potion of INVULNERABILITY?!!! Double wow ...

Dorian gives Orym ALL OF HIS MONEY to buy the armour. OH MY GOD!!! That's just adorable ... he might as well just put a ring on it right now! Seriousl O.O

Oh yeah! Sell some of the Ruidian shit! Smart!

They must have souls, surely ... they way they are, they MUST HAVE ...

NO!!! Orym, don't sell you new sword!

How to blow Pumat Sol's mind - tell them you've been to the Moon! XD ... and now Imogen's talking into his head ... oh, appealing to the unity for the greater good? Persuasion check! Oh NICE ROLL, Laura!

The Bank of Chetney ... XD

These ARE very unique down here right now ... roll good for Persuasion, Marisha ... 23? Oh yes ...

Fearne will have 69 gold left ... OF COURSE she will ... XD

Chetney COULD do with a ranged attack, yes. That is the smark move, give HIM the harp ...

So robe to Imogen, the armour to Orym and the harp to Chetney. Plus the potions, that's a SWEET haul ...

Oh yes, that's right ... the moon not being in the sky WOULD have been proof to FCG that the world is ROUND ... awww ...

Holy fuck ... the world really is just GOING TO SHIT right now, clearly ...

Awwww ... seriously, Orym, he only did it because he LOVES YOU. You could totally tap that if you want to. Which we KNOW you do.

Ashton: "Do you know Stairway to the Astral Realm?"

Oh, so that's it for the night? Okay. And time for a break ...

Oh my gods that Beason advert was complete genius ...

The Lodge of the Eclipse. Oh, it's a jazz club? Cool ...

Rooms for the night? Good. Oh, Essek has WAYS, does he? Interesting ... wow, THAT is a very good deal indeed ...

Essek does squats, apparently ... XD

Come on, Esxsek, be FUN for once. Surely it's been a while since you've done this kind of thing ...

A BURLESQUE SHOW?!!! Really? O.O

A sexy buxom half-orc? Nice ... that's definitely my style ...

Laudna, chill! Dear fucking gods ...

Yoink! Ashton grabs some of Fearne's lacy stuff ... and she lets him ... :3

Yeah, Dorian and Chetney are clearly having a blast ...

Madame Feathered-Face? Oooooh ... a sexy dwarven fan-dance? Nice ... a feathery beard? Cool ... oh WOW that is AWESOME, she can FLY with it! O.O

Ashton is showing Essek his head ... oh, this should be interesting. He knows A LOT about this particularly kind of stuff, if I remember ... oh, NOW what the fuck is he doing? Seriously? This feels ... rash ...

Dunamis ... yeah, I thought so ... needless to say he is concerned but also DEEPLY impressed ...

Ashton does the rainbow sparkle thing ... Essek: "Now you're just showing off.

Chetney's heart is lost once again ... XD

Orym is checking out Otohan's sabre ... okay ...

Ah, the Luxon Beacons ... yeah ... oh, so it looks like Ludinus and co have one or more at their disposal, then ... great ...

Ashton: "When you jump out of a window, you try not to blame the quality of the glass ..." Oof ...

Oh wow ... so they could actually use their own dunamancy to MESS THE KEY UP?!!! Yes, that sounds REALLY good ...

Awwwwwwww ... Fearne gets him talking about Caleb ... :3

Awesome ... hover, boy, HOVER ...

Much floaty foolishness ensues ... XD

The story of how Ashton first found Letters ... awwww ... oh, I am NOT alright now ...

Arts and crafts is fun ...

What is Orym going to do with this thing? Oh ... he's TRAINING with it? Whoa ... oh, he's CLAIMING IT? That is ... INTENSE ...

The Wildmother? Oh ... man ...

Marisha: "The night before San Diego ComicCon ..." XD

Matt: "Tim Burton's Island of Misfit Toys ..."

Oh shit ... this is the first time Dorian's seen LIVING Pate ... "Oooooooh ... is it too late to back out of this now?" Yeah ... oh, he is THOROUGHLY disturbed ... I am NOT surpised ... this is a TRULY SURREAL scene ... in a truly CREEPY way ...

Awww .. alone time for Orym and Fearne ... and here's Dorian ... the original trio back together ... :3

Finally Fearne leaves them alone to catch up ... oh my gods ... is THIS what we've been waiting for for so long? O.O

Time for a much-earned rest, yeah ...

Laudna does NOT like Orym with Otohan's blade ... oh fuck ... not NOW ... FUCK OFF, Delilah!

Fuck ... she KNEW Ludinus? Great ...

Seriously Laudna, DO NOT listen to this evil bitch ... oh no ... I mean it, this is SO STUPID ...

Oh shit ... is Otohan's sword SENTIENT? Is this gonna be another Grog situation?

Yeah, Orym's ridiculously aware EVEN WHEN HE'S ASLEEP ...

Darkness? REALLY?!!! Oh my gods ...

No ... sriously, Laudna, DO NOT Wither the vines ... oh fuck, she's doing it ... Wither & Bloom ... oof ... and she has to be PRECISE doing it ... oh fuck ... O.O

Yeah, of course this wakes him up ... and he's in total darkness while he's QUITE CLEARLY being fucking ATTACKED ... oh yeah, he's IMMEDIATELY ready to fight regardless of the conditions ... NOW what?

A contested Dexterity roll? Oh fuck ...

Dear fucking gods this is going SO BAD SO QUICKLY ... and now everybody else is waking up too ... perfect ...

Mage Hand? Really? Okay ... this is ALL bad decisions at this point ... and now she has the fucking sword ...

Seriously Laudna, I'm saying it AGAIN, DO NOT trust this evil c£$%!

And now they can all see ... great ... oh this looks SO BAD ...

Fuck ... is this REALLY starting to turn into a genuine conscious fight between these two right now? Oh no ... she's going to FLEE?!!! This could get even worse so quickly ...

Well that's it then ... the sword is OUT of her grasp ... now what?

Just STOP!!! Right now, please just STOP before this gets so much worse ...

Both of them are making VERY GOOD POINTS right now and I don't like where either of them are going with this ...

Ashton is doing something SO FUCKING SMART right now and I'm here for it ...

Fearne can Identify the sword? Okay, yeah, totally do that, that's really smart ...

Imogen casts Detect Thoughts on Laudna ... there is a collective intake of breath around the table and I don't blame them ...

Whispers? Oh, here we go ...

Chetney's been asleep this whole time? Wow ...

Be VERY CAREFUL Fearne ... Ishta the Summit Blade ... of NOW we get the little card? Matthew fucking Mercer!

Wake up, Chet! We need you ...

"Geometry and stuff" XD ... I love how rudimentary Fearne's understanding of Chetney's abilities is ...

Grim Psychometry ... here we go ...

Oh this is some TRULY UGLY SHIT ... this blade is HORRIBLE ... oh fuck, Zephrah? No, I don't want this ... don't do this, Matt ... seriously this thing should not be used again ...

Chetney VOMITS. Of course he does ...

Wait ... nobody else knows about his deal with Morri ... did he just OUT his deal with Morri? SERIOUSLY Orym?

Can Dorian finally break this standoff?

Oh for fuck's sake ... now it's Laudna against Imogen ... this won't end well ...

Imogen: "Let it go." Laudna: "Why?" Imogen: "Because I don't think it's YOU that wants this."

She just LEAVES? What?

And now Fearne tries to stop her ... oh boy ... now Imogen's going out after her ...

Oh fuck ... Delilah? Seriously? Tell me she's now being full-on fucking TAKEN OVER right now ... Laudna's ABSORBING the knife ... bloody hell ... this is HORRIFYING ...

Fuck! It IS her! Not good! Not fucking good! A "Delilah CAGE"? Fuck ... great ... now it's BOTH OF THEM TOGETHER ... I hate this ... seriously, did they come up with this in advance? It feels like they did and I HATE IT ...

Holy ... I LOVE you and it made that all go away? CAN their love really be strong enough for this? Suddenly I'm SO WORRIED that it's not going to be enough ...

THAT'S where he ending it? Fuck ... oh this is SO MUCH right now ... that was INTENSE ...

I'm SO SCARED for them right now ...

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dreamsofalife · 14 days ago

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((Fun mun fact; one of my main special interests/hyperfixations is the first world war. It's also a topic that makes me cry like an absolute little bitch. It's Veterans day today, originally Armistice Day, created to honor those who fought in the war and survived. The reason poppies are the official flower used to mark the armistice is because of a poem written in the aftermath of the Second Battle of Ypres, by John McRae, In Flanders Fields. It was, to quote his commanding officer, an almost perfect capture of the scene surrounding them.

Gandalf's famous line, "you shall not pass", was the French's battle cry during the battle of Verdun, the war's longest continuous battle that went on nearly a full year's time. 9 villages were lost in that battle, AND TO THIS DAY, 7 are still uninhabitable mud pits. Most of the LoTR series is born from Tolkien's trauma serving in that war. Ww1 saw the invention of the tank, the first use of planes in combat, first modern use of chemical warfare...and it was all used on a bunch of terrified children who thought that they would help to bring world peace. In the end, it did nothing but change borders, shift power balances in some areas, and set the stage for a more brutal war later. The men who returned from it, called the Lost Generation, would never be the same. They faced mental and physical illness all the rest of their lives.

So...why do we talk about it? Why talk about something that to this day, we don't understand the cause of and reason for? Why talk about bleakness and despair and death?

Because at the end of the day, history isn't made by heroes or monsters. It's made by people just like us. People whose lives are worth remembering, not as a mass tragedy, but because they were a person whose life mattered. In Flanders Fields wasn't written to commemorate a battle; it was the true recollection of a man who just lost his best friend.

Tragedy and misery are everywhere right now, and we're currently facing a similar climate to what the people over 100 years ago had to deal with. So we have to deal with it a similar way; by making the misery mundane and buckling down until we can create a better world. Cling to the people who matter, mourn those who don't make it, and never stop fighting to survive. We will live to see a kinder world.))

#out of the grave (ooc)#cryptie shut up (mun speaks)

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todaysjewishholiday · 3 months ago

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26 Menachem Av 5784 (29-30 August 2024)

The 26th of Av is the yahrzeit of the Polish-French Jewish communist Szmul Cecel Tyszelman (Shmuel Cecil Tischelman) known to his friends as “Titi”, whose execution set off a cycle of militant Resistance actions and violent Nazi reprisals that raised the brutal repression of the Nazi occupation of France to new levels.

Szmul was a Jewish refugee in France who had, at the outset of the German occupation, joined several Resistance groups, including the Youth Battalion of the French Communist Party. While communists generally eschewed national emblems in favor of internationalism, France’s communists viewed the legacy of the French Revolution as fruitful material for organizing, and even immigrants like Tyszelman saw themselves as fierce patriots. Since the Nazi invasion and armistice between the Vichy government and the Nazi occupiers in 5700, display of French national emblems in the occupied zone was especially charged.

On the 23rd of Av 5701, Szmul Tyszelman helped to lead a peaceful demonstration with approximately a hundred other members of the Communist Youth Battalion. They marched under the tricolore of the revolution and French republics, and sang La Marseillaise, Frances’s revolutionary national anthem. Members of the crowd also shouted “Down with Hitler” and “Long Live France”. German soldiers treated the marching youth, mostly in their teens or early twenties, unarmed and nonviolent, as a direct threat, and opened fire on the crowd. Tyszelman was shot in the leg. The demonstration ended in chaos with most of the youth outrunning the German soldiers and French police who attempted to round them up. Szmul Tyszelman and another demonstrator, Henri Gautherot, were among those arrested.

The next day the commander of the German Occupation banned the French Communist Party entirely and declared that anybody caught participating in communist demonstrations would be charged with aiding the enemy— a capital offense under the Nazi occupation. Despite the proclamation having occurred after their arrests, Tyszelman and Gautherot were tried by a Nazi military tribunal, and then executed by firing squad on the 26th of Av. Tyszelman was only twenty years old. Posters announcing their execution were plastered across the city of Paris.

The executions were a shock to the young communists, who had up until that point emphasized peaceful demonstrations and the distribution of leaflets against the occupation. Friends of the murdered men called for a militant stand, and many in the movement concluded that if even marching was to be punished with death, fighting was needed. Several days later one of Szmul’s friends shot a German soldier in the Metro, declaring that this was revenge for Titi. When Hitler was informed of the incident, he demanded that a hundred French prisoners be executed in retaliation. The Nazi commander in France, hesitant to lose the support of the Vichy government with too much brutality, asked for ten hostages who would be shot in response to any further Resistance militancy, and then executed eight communists included five more of those arrested at the demonstration led by Tyszelman. De Gaulle, leader of France’s government in exile, heard of Tyszelman’s execution and its aftermath and declared in a radio broadcast to the French people “French killings of the German occupiers are absolutely justified. If the Germans don’t want to be killed, they should have stayed home and not gone to war with us.”

The next four months saw an additional 243 executions by the Nazi occupation, with sometimes as many as fifty at a time, in response to any militant act by Resistance forces. Communists and Jewish prisoners in particular were targeted because the Nazi regime claimed that they were fundamentally guilty regardless of what they’d been arrested for. 154 gentile communists and 56 Jews were among those murdered. The executions were intended to cow the French populace into compliance with the occupation— instead, the killings had the opposite effect, uniting a majority of those under the occupation, many of whom had been skeptical of the value of militant action, with the Resistance as horror of the Nazi’s brutality increased. The Vichy government’s cooperation and complicity with the reprisal massacres also soured much of the public on the Vichy government’s stance that they were simply protecting France by cooperating with the Nazi occupiers. Szmul Tyszelman had burned with righteous indignation, determined to stand against the slaughterers of his people and occupiers of his chosen home. He was unjustly arrested and unjustly killed. His death ignited a conflagration of resistance which his murderers were unable to quench with any amount of bloodshed.

Today is also Erev Shabbat. Prepare to welcome the Shabbos Queen tonight with candles and song. May the peace of the holiest day in all Jewish tradition settle upon your heart and bring you rest.

#jewish calendar #hebrew calendar #jewish #judaism #jumblr #cw nazis #cw shoah #cw military occupation #state sanctioned murder #yahrzeit #Szmul Cecel Tyszelman #resistance fighters #jewish resistance #Jewish communists #political martyrdom #protest #Menachem Av #26 Menachem Av

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witchy-rook · 1 year ago

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Okay I’m a few days late but I keep seeing posts about the Glorious 25th of May and I need to go on a ramble about it and Night Watch as a whole, because I only recently read it and I’m a historian of revolutionary politics and this kind of shit is my jam so hard. So! Major spoilers for Night Watch (and some of the other Guards’ Discworld books) under the cut - be warned...!

I love love love the Glorious 25th of May and the events of the Revolution in Night Watch. My area of expertise in my real life is late-eighteenth century and nineteenth century Revolutionary European politics, so everything from the French Revolution up to and beyond the Springtime of the Peoples and the Revolutions of 1848. I loved what was written of revolutionary politics in previous Guards books, like what we hear of Stoneface Vimes in the anti-monarchial Revolution in Feet of Clay. Night Watch is especially exicting to me as it captures exquisitely how revolutions actually progress, and I love that about it.

Because all historical revolutions are, well, historical, we have a tendency to view them with a certain fixed course - after all, they did go a certain way. However, it’s important to remember that, for the people on the ground, they didn’t know where they were going, and so often it was just ad hoc reaction and improvisation. I don’t think many of the people who stormed the Bastille in 1789 would have known that in 1793 they’d execute the King. And that’s the thing: we tend to look at Revolutions like single instances of radical expression, but they’re usually long term, continuous events. They change and shift, becoming more or less extreme as events unfold.

And that’s why I love the Glorious 25th of May and the Treacle Mine Road Republic. The time travel aspect is especially poignant here because Vimes knows how things went because he was there once, but this is a new timeline, and he’s constantly aware that things could go differently if he’s not careful. Through his narration, we are also constantly reminded that no one really intended for things to turn out how they did - most of the events that led to the big revolution in the Shades were only accidentally influential. Everything from the Particulars to the Morpork Street Conspiracy even to the barricades was just people reacting to chance and circumstances. Sure, people like Reg Shoe, Rosie Palm, Madame and the various conspirators dreamed of a better city, a city without Lord Winder, but most of the people manning the barricades on the Glorious 25th were just people who lived there, people who were swept up in the fervour - people who, when the armistice is announced, go back to being normal people, taking their furniture home.

The expansion of the barricades really captures this. It often seems to me that Revolutions are a kind of living social organism that spread. In Europe, the French Revolution (both the one in 1789 and the other one in 1848) inspired other Revolutions. They spread. In Ankh-Morpork, the barricades were just meant to protect Treacle Mine Road, but they get physically pushed out by enthusiastic revolutionaries, caught up in the tide - people who are suddenly energised to push the Revolution further than it was ever originally intended. And, of course, in the real world as in Ankh-Morpork, sometimes this pushing has bad outcomes: people die, revolutionary hopes are betrayed, battles are fought and maybe things don’t change as much as was desired.

I said to my girlfriend once that, I think if magic is real, there’s a kind of magic in the Crowd or the Mob. There’s a way that, when lots and lots of people get together for a common cause, the Crowd becomes its own, emergent entity. If you’ve made it through my ramble this far and would like to read more, I’d highly recommend looking for scholarly articles about the Crowd or the Mob in the 18th or 19th century. ‘Hibernian Sans-Culottes? Dublin's Artisans and Radical Politics, 1790-1798‘ by Timothy Murtagh in La Révolution française might not be a bad place to start, if I may be so bold.

But anyway, that’s besides the point. The point is, the Glorious 25th of May might be a fake revolution in a fake city, but it’s the perfect analogue for real revolutions that happened in real cities. If you were ever wondering why X Revolution went the way it did, maybe you can look to the things Vimes sees, thinks and does in Night Watch, and maybe it will help make it a little clearer.

And if you’ve made it this far, congrats! Please do send me asks about my thoughts on this as a historian if you want, I’d love the opportunity to ramble some more.

#discworld #night watch #the glorious 25th of may #treacle mine road republic #I hope this is in any way coherent

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rabbitcruiser · 1 month ago

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English Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, was shot and killed during his final victory at the Battle of Trafalgar near the port city of Cádiz on October 21, 1805.

Trafalgar Day

Commemorating a historic maritime clash and the valorous individuals who shaped the course of a nation's destiny.

A British commemoration of the victory of the Royal Navy over the French and Spanish fleets, Trafalgar Day seeks to pay honor to this important occasion that was a pivotal point in history. History buffs, navy fans, and just average people can all find ways to learn more and enjoy marking this momentous event!

History of Trafalgar Day

The Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21, 1805, when the Royal Navy, under the command of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, was able to triumph during the Napoleonic Wars, even though the British side had six fewer ships. This is considered the most important event on the calendar of the famous HMS Victory, which is the oldest commissioned warship in the world.

The cost of the Battle of Trafalgar was high, with approximately 1600 British seamen either wounded or killed in the battle, including Admiral Nelson who was mortally wounded. Even so, these tallies are small compared to the losses on the other side, where around 20,000 men from the Spanish and French navies were taken as prisoners of war, and almost 7,000 more were killed or wounded. Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve, the leader for the opposing side, was one of those who was captured.

Historians put the British win down to having a more well-trained group of seamen in the Royal Navy. After having been at sea together for at least two years, they knew exactly how to function as a team. In addition, the British sailors were well-trained in how to use their weapons, practicing firing their guns several days a week for many years in preparation.

While the Battle of Trafalgar was certainly an important victory, establishing the supremacy of the British Royal Navy for over a century, it wasn’t until 1896 that the legacy left behind by Admiral Nelson was duly recognized. The motivation behind the first celebration of Trafalgar Day more than 90 years later was brought on by the formation of the Navy League in 1894.

That first celebration in 1896 was commemorated all throughout the British Empire, with various festivities such as special dinners, parades and more. For more than 100 years, Trafalgar Day was a huge celebration for Britain, however it waned after the end of World War I in 1918, with the recognition of the devastating effects of war.

Although Trafalgar Day is still marked as a public day each year in Britain, it has been somewhat overshadowed by Armistice Day that is scheduled just ten days earlier on October 11, also known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth or Veteran’s Day in the United States.

In 2005, on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, a special celebration took place, named Trafalgar 200. The celebration of the navy that year, including the International Fleet Review, was larger and more vibrant than usual.

In smaller circles, particularly those related to the navy, the evening of Trafalgar Day is still a time when the celebration of this important battle continues annually. The Royal Navy has the tradition of holding a Trafalgar Night dinner in the Officer’s Mess, with speeches, toasts and other activities to pay honor to the event.

While it is important to remember that every battle and war is always tragic, the protection the Royal Navy had for the British Empire in 1805 is also worth remembering on Trafalgar Day. After all, had the battle turned out differently, the history of Europe might have been very different as well!

How to Celebrate Trafalgar Day

Show some appreciation and honor for the Battle of Trafalgar by joining in on some observances with a few of these ideas:

Visit Trafalgar Square

Make a big deal out of Trafalgar Day by going to the place where the battle is memorialized – Trafalgar Square in London. This square was established in the early 19th century in the central part of the city, around the area called Charing Cross. The name was given in 1835 and, of course, it was named after the battle where Admiral Nelson led the navy to victory.

Since the 12th century, this area of land in London has been used for various public gatherings as well as political demonstrations. Today, Trafalgar Square still acts in those ways, and it also houses some important features of London, including The National Gallery, Nelson’s Column and the curious Trafalgar Square fourth plinth.

Learn More About the Battle of Trafalgar

Get to know about the battle that Trafalgar Day celebrates by learning a bit more about. Check out some of these interesting facts about the battle to get started with:

Though the Battle of Trafalgar was an important one in establishing the British navy’s control of the seas, it was another ten years until Napoleon was finally defeated at Waterloo, in 1815.

While the British fleet had only 27 ships and the French and Spanish fleet combined to a total of 33, they still won the victory. And the British also lost no ships in the battle.

This famous signal from Admiral Nelson was sent just before the Battle of Trafalgar: “England expects every man to do his duty.”

Visit a Royal Navy Museum

One excellent way to get involved with celebrating Trafalgar Day might be to learn more about British naval history up close and personal, by visiting one of the six locations of the National Museums of the Royal Navy. In addition to seeing galleries, looking at displays and learning from exhibitions, this museum is also all about the experience that allows visitors to get up close and personal.

The main museum is located in Portsmouth at the historic dockyard, while there is also a museum at Hartlepool. The Royal Navy Submarine Museum and the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower can be found in Gosport, near Portsmouth. The retired HMS Caroline warship from World War I can also be visited in Belfast, Northern Ireland, while the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum is located on an airfield near Yeovilton.

Trafalgar Day FAQs

Where is Trafalgar?

Cape Trafalgar is a coastal headland that is located in the southwestern portion of Spain, on the Atlantic Ocean.

Where is Trafalgar Square?

Trafalgar Square is a public square located in Central London, in the city of Westminster, United Kingdom.

Who won the Battle of Trafalgar?

Britain won the Battle of Trafalgar against the French and Spanish naval fleets.

How did Admiral Nelson win the Battle of Trafalgar?

The battle against Napoleon was won for a number of reasons, but much of it due to superior training as well as better weapons.

Who are on the plinths in Trafalgar Square?

Three plinths have statues of King George IV, General Sir Charles James Napier, and Sir Henry Havelock. The fourth plinth was meant for William IV, but it was left empty due to lack of funding. Since 1998, it has had changing artwork.

Source

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psalm22-6 · 1 month ago

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The Washington D.C Evening Star, 28 September 1919 For reference the definition of "Doughboy": a US infantryman, especially one in World War I.

The man who lately made "Les Miserables" a best seller in Paris returned to the United States a few days ago on a converted cattle ship. He is Frank D. Lewis, an attorney of Everett, Wash., and probably the best press agent that Victor Hugo ever had.

Only an American would think this. Everyone knows Victor Hugo was the best press agent Victor Hugo ever had. Anyways...

His enthusiasm over the famous novel led some 4,000 doughboys on pleasure bent to make one afternoon of their three-day leave in Paris literary pilgrimage to the places mentioned in Jean Valjean's adventures, and 4,000 doughboys besieged the Parisian booksellers and libraries for copies of "Les Miserables" to re-read. The result was inevitable. The supply of English copies of the work soon was exhausted. The American Library Association sent out S.O.S. calls to London for "Les Miserables." London did its best, but it was not enough. Finally, New York had to be appealed to, and, although it would ordinarily be like carrying coals to Newcastle, America supplied France with the needed copies of the most popular novel of her greatest novelist. Mr. Lewis, before taking up law, was a teacher for twenty years, presiding over every sort of pedagogic institution from a one-room district school to a city school system, so it was natural, when he found himself in Paris as a Y. M. C. A. worker immediately after the signing of the armistice, that the educational opportunity Paris offered to the thousands of American boys should appeal to him. He organized the first Y. M. C. A. sightseeing trips to places of historic interest, trips that became so popular that transportation facilities were taxed to the utmost, steamboats were chartered, special trains operated and Army trucks pressed into service when the crowds became so great that the "rubber-neck" wagons of the French capital could no longer accommodate them. It was while visiting the tomb of Lafayette that Mr. Lewis felt he was treading well known ground. The convent in which he stood was strangely familiar. He has never been there before and at first could not account for the feeling. Suddenly he remembered that the building fitted the description of the convent in the Rue Petit Picpus where Little Cosette had been. He verified the location by reference to the story.

More like he confused the name of Picpus Cemetery with the Petit-Picpus convent as the two locations couldn't be confused with one another otherwise. Lots of Americans tourists have made the same mistake though.

"From that time on I found more and more places that Hugo had mentioned," said Mr. Lewis, "and I persuaded the Y. M. C. A. to let me have a bus for a trial trip to about twenty-five of these points. The nine men who took the trip with me were so enthusiastic that the "Y" made the tour a regular feature of its sight seeing program. It proved so popular that instead of making the trip twice a week we had to make it daily and to requisition additional busses for it." For the boy who had read the wonderful story, it was a rare treat to be guided by such an enthusiast as Mr. Lewis through the very places that the master novelist had described so vividly; to stop on the quail which looks across the Cours la Reine to the Port du Gros Cailou and the Seine just as it did on the June evening in 1832 when Jean Valjean emerged at the mouth of the sewer only to find his passage barred by the heavy iron grating of the gate; and to visit the house in the Rue Plumet where Jean Valjean took Cosette after she left the convent in the Little Picpus. Near the church is the Palace of the Luxembourg, in whose gardens Jean Valjean and Cosette were customed to walk during the long summer evenings. The statue of the Gladiator, under which Marius and Cosette used to meet, still stands in the garden, but the bench at its base has been moved away. The gardens even now afford a happy rendezvous for lovers, however, and the imaginative soldier had little difficulty in finding the needed characters to rebuild the scenes of the story among the many couples who wandered there. Not far from the gardens runs the Roman road, known as St. Jacques. It was to the Church of Haut Pas, in this street, that Jean took Cosette to attend mass, because it was far from home and less likely to attract the attention of the police. Here Eponine found Jean and delivered to him the note which enticed him to the Gerbeau [sic] tenement. In front of this church, too, Javert, disguised as a beggar, was recognized by Valjean. The trip ended with a visit to the home of Victor Hugo, No. 6 Place des Vosges, where the first chapters of "Les Miserables" were written and where Charles Dickens, who had written the story of the poor and oppressed of England, visited the man who was doing the same for France.

#although I nit-pick I think this must be one of the gems of my digging around #les miserables #fans through the ages #paris

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josefavomjaaga · 2 years ago

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Foreign languages: Eugène says something in German

In 1809, when Eugène marched his Italian army from Italy to Austria during the Fifth Coalition War in support of Napoleon, vice-queen Auguste, from the safety of Milan, tried to help as best as she could by providing her darling with German phrases he might find useful in conversing with the local population. We know that because at some point Eugène wrote back he appreciated the thought and was very grateful, yet still could not memorize any of it (plus they were now moving into Hungary where people don’t speak German – hooray!).

Yet it seems Eugène managed to remember at least some of Auguste’s lessons at a later occasion during summer and falls of 1813, when he – in vain – tried to defend French possessions against Austrian attacks after Austria had switched sides and joined the Allies. At least according to a footnote in "Handbuch der Geschichte des Herzogthumes Kärnthen", Volume 2, Part 3, about a fight at Feistritz an der Drau:

Welden, a Lieutenant Colonel at General Headquarters, who hurried to the battlefield with Hiller in order to assemble the grenadiers, gives a very brief account of the entire affair [...], but he does provide us with an episode from the events of that fateful day, which he had been told by the Viceroy himself, when he had the honour of being invited to his table after the armistice had been concluded.

Which is just so very Eugène in the first place. "So we don’t shoot each other today? Cool. Do you already have plans for dinner tonight?" But let’s hear lieutenant colonel Welden:

"Early in the morning of 6 September, Eugene Beauharnais set off from Assling with the two battalions of his Guard chasseurs mentioned above, and, guided by a farmer who knew the area, made his way through the Bärenthal to the pass where they descended into the Feistritzthal. Thick fog covered the area and the canyon was so narrow that only one man could walk behind the other. They had been mistaken about the distance from Feistritz, and thought it was still several hours away. The Prince walked at the head of the column. It was 7 o'clock in the morning when he, still walking through the fog and turning around a boulder, found the opening of a rifle pointed at him from only a few steps away. A " Halt wer da!" [Stop! Who’s there?] informed him who he was dealing with. The Viceroy frankly confessed to me how his blood froze in his heart until, from the small stock of German words he owed to the lessons of his spouse, he managed to utter a "Gut Freund" [good friend].

The vedette on the other side thereupon withdrew his rifle, and with a swift leap Eugen Beauharnois seized the man by the neck, the Frenchmen rushed up, made the vedette, a recruit of the 8th (9th?) Jäger Battalion, a prisoner, and after they had brought him to safety, the Italian chasseurs set themselves up in ambush. Soon an Austrian patrol arrived; this, too, was captured, and after due orientation, the nearest enemy post was attacked, thrown back towards Feistritz, which lay quite close, and thus the connection with the posts of the Campi brigade established. United with the latter, Feistritz was bypassed, but only taken after the bravest resistance and setting fire to the castle, not without great losses." - "What turn would the affair of Feistritz have taken," exclaims Welden, "if, instead of a mere recruit, a soldier of experience in war had stood at the outpost?"

Yes. Or if Auguste had not insisted on drilling some German words into this linguistically challenged husband of hers? Though, considering that later in Bavaria Eugène’s pronounciation was so very bad he barely could make himself understood, how could this Austrian sentry ever fall for it?

Austrian: Halt! Wer da?

Eugène [staring right into the muzzle of the Austrian’s rifle]: What? Oh, that’s German, right? Just a second, I’m sure I know the answer to that one… [takes a handwritten phrasebook out of his pocket and starts flipping through the pages]

Austrian: Look, Frenchman, I don’t have all day, okay?

Eugène [proudly]: Got it: Gut Freund. - Right?

Austrian [withdraws rifle]: Horrible pronounciation but I’ll let it go. Now take me captive already.

#napoleon's family #eugene de beauharnais #austria 1813 #another case of language mishmash

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aneurinallday · 5 months ago

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Gibson and the Shivering Soldier

Chapter 5: Armistice

It was the evening of Saturday, June 22 1940 - eighteen days since Dunkirk - when Gibson’s world ended. The music on the radio was interrupted by the breaking news that they had all feared: France had fallen. At a few minutes past half-six, an armistice had been signed, indicating the nation’s surrender. It was over.

Until then, Gibson had held onto a sliver of hope that his people might endure - that the tides might turn against the invaders, and France might emerge from the chaos victorious. But now, that hope was gone.

Gibson didn’t sleep that night - William could tell by the dark bags under his eyes the next morning. William tried his best to carry on as normal - hoping that by projecting an air of serenity, he might soothe Gibson. It didn’t work.

The cosy little flat they shared together had been their refuge. Now it had become terribly claustrophobic - so much so that William took any opportunity to go outside. He went for walks, went to the park, went browsing the shops with no intention of buying anything - simply to get away from Gibson and his stifling aura of sadness.

Gibson showed no interest in accompanying him, preferring to spend his hours sitting by the radio, listening to words he didn’t understand, jumping from channel to channel as if searching for some hidden message. He didn’t speak, didn’t wash, and picked at his food with no appetite.

His frustration and resentment were palpable. He couldn’t understand the people around him, nor could he make himself understood. He was a literate man - he could read and write perfectly well in his own language - but here, he had nobody to talk to, nobody to share his thoughts with, nobody to answer his many questions. He was alone in a country he’d never been to before, stranded among people he could not communicate with.

He was desperately lonely, but his loneliness was rapidly turning into bitterness. He hated the situation he was trapped in. He hated the unintelligible voices and the unfamiliar food. He was homesick for a home that no longer existed - a home he would never return to. As far as he knew, he would never set foot on French soil again. Everyone and everything he’d ever known and loved was gone forever.

Early in the morning on Tuesday, June 25 - just past midnight, in fact - the armistice officially came into effect, marking the end of the hostilities and the beginning of a military occupation. Gibson couldn’t read the headlines, but he could see the pictures in the newspapers and the expression on William’s face. He could feel the atmosphere of stress and anxiety that had descended over the city, and his own mood darkened with it. William could see him drifting further and further away, sinking deeper and deeper into himself.

Supper that night was William’s favourite: bangers and mash. He ate hungrily, savouring the slightly caramelised taste of pork-and-apple sausages, gravy-covered mashed potatoes, and fried onions. Gibson simply sat and stared at his plate.

“Eat,” William said, miming the act of putting food in his mouth. “Eat before it gets cold.”

Reluctantly, Gibson took a sip of water, but still didn’t touch his meal.

“Something wrong with the food? You don’t like it?”

Gibson glared at him.

“Va te faire foutre,” he muttered under his breath.

“Alright then,” William sighed. “Would you prefer to eat by yourself? One of us can sit on the sofa.”

“Ma patrie…ma maison…ma famille. Tous partis.”

“Listen.” William set down his knife and fork. “I don’t know what you’re saying, but I gather you’re having a bad day. I wish I could make you feel better. I really do. But don’t take your anger out on me. I certainly don’t deserve it.”

Gibson didn’t understand the words, but he understood William’s tone, which - to his ears - was patronising and hostile. Moving with sudden speed, the Frenchman snatched his glass of water and hurled it full-force at the wall, where it shattered.

“Fils de pute!” he spat.

“My God. Just calm down, will you?” William’s own exasperation finally bubbled to the surface. “You’re serving nobody by lashing out - and especially not by lashing out at me. All I’ve done is help you.”

Gibson's face flushed with anger. Grabbing his plate of food, he threw it on the kitchen floor, the ceramic breaking with a loud smash. Leaping up, he summoned what little knowledge of English he had at his disposal.

“Fuck you!” he shouted. “Fuck you!”

“Oh, so you can understand my language now? Fine. Understand this: you’re acting like a child. Act like a damn man instead! I let you live under my roof, I take care of you, I share my clothes with you, I feed you. I show you nothing but kindness, and you repay me by breaking my things!”

“Fuck you,” Gibson repeated, and lunged for him.

William saw his fist coming and managed to dodge, his chair clattering to the floor as he jumped to his feet. Gibson let out a rapid-fire string of what sounded like obscenities, and swung again. William grabbed his arm and tried to restrain it. He was surprised to find that Gibson was stronger than him.

Broken glass crunched under their shoes as they wrestled across the kitchen. It was a clumsy, embarrassing struggle - two angry men, neither one stronger than the other, trying to avoid stepping in the mess on the floor while exchanging blows.

“Stop!” William commanded. “Stop! Don’t you fucking dare act this way!”

He shoved Gibson against the counter and attempted to pin him there. Gibson reached for the dish-drainer, seeking another plate to smash over William’s head, but it was out of reach. William grabbed a fistful of Gibson’s short, dark curls and wrenched his head back.

“I said stop!”

For a second, Gibson hesitated. He looked into the Englishman’s blue eyes as if seeking something - some signal, some confirmation. Then he pressed his lips hard against William’s. The kiss was brief, more of a suggestion than an overture.

It took a moment for William’s brain to catch up with the unfolding events. Gibson was scanning his face for a reaction, trying to gauge if they were about to fight or fuck.

“Oh, we’re doing this, are we?” said William. He spun Gibson around and bent him over the counter-top, their bodies pressing together. Cursing, he yanked down Gibson’s trousers. “Is this what you want?”

Gibson squirmed around to face him, and kissed him frantically. His fingers fumbled at William’s shirt, trying to undo the buttons, then gave up and ripped them open instead. William tried unsuccessfully to remove his belt, struggling with the buckle. He broke off the kiss to look down, but Gibson pulled him back in with a jerk. A sharp pain shot through his mouth as Gibson bit his lip.

“Ah, fuck!” William recoiled, pushing Gibson away, checking his lip for blood. As he did so, the ridiculous reality of what they were doing finally struck. “What is wrong with you?”

Anger returned to Gibson’s face, but this time, it was mixed with hurt. He pulled his trousers back up in embarrassment.

“Va te faire foutre!” he snapped, and stormed out of the kitchen.

William was left alone by the sink, dishevelled, his heart pounding painfully in his chest.

He realised the mess they’d made - the mess Gibson had made - and dealt with it as best he could, sweeping away the broken shards, mopping up the stains, collecting the fallen shirt-buttons. As he threw the spilled food in the bin, he seethed at the waste of precious rations. By the time he’d finished cleaning, his own food had grown cold.

He slumped down in his chair and put his head in his hands.

“This was a mistake,” he muttered. “I should never have let him come with me. Let alone brought him into my damn home.”

The last three days had been unbearable - he’d felt like he was walking on eggshells in his own home. Now a line had been crossed which couldn’t be uncrossed. They couldn’t continue like this.

Something had to change. Gibson had to go.

Sighing, William rose to his feet.

“Gibson!” he said wearily, “Or whoever the hell you are. We need to talk, and you need to listen.”

He walked into the living room, and found it deserted. The sofa was empty, and Gibson’s stolen green jacket - which he kept hung on the wall next to William’s - was missing. Gibson was gone.

Chapter 6: Respirer

#dunkirk #dunkirk fanfic #gibson #the shivering soldier #aneurin barnard #cillian murphy #christopher nolan #whump fic #gay fic #TW drowning #TW ptsd #TW xenophobia

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