wasn't there already a canal between the Main-Danube in Bavaria from the 1820s though?
Frankie Goes to the Hofburg, or Napoléon II, Regent of Austria?
I admit I think Austria's choices are slightly limited short term besides generally limited short term, besides Prussia taking actions that seriously offend the other states and or leading confrontation early.
However Austria's currently at this time got a realm far larger plus better position than Prussia so economic approach idea could work.
en.wikipedia.org
That said yeah Austria's not in the best position to try and pull the union closer as their are two poles in the German confederation and states will try to play and pull to the other as they get pushed.
One short term idea could betraying to pull a Crimean and getting a state near Prussia to be armed neutral and thus force Prussia to split their attention and not able to fully mobilize their forces against Austria in a potential war like how Austria made sure Russia could never get force superiority despite not fighting in the war. Austria has to only win once in theory to make Prussia prestige low enough they have hegemony.
However Austria's currently at this time got a realm far larger plus better position than Prussia so economic approach idea could work.
Yep it's called the Ludwig Canal, it's got some issues that eventfully left to be abandoned for the modern version of it's that more efficient, so could be upgraded more.
Rhine–Main–Danube Canal - Wikipedia
That said yeah Austria's not in the best position to try and pull the union closer as their are two poles in the German confederation and states will try to play and pull to the other as they get pushed.
One short term idea could betraying to pull a Crimean and getting a state near Prussia to be armed neutral and thus force Prussia to split their attention and not able to fully mobilize their forces against Austria in a potential war like how Austria made sure Russia could never get force superiority despite not fighting in the war. Austria has to only win once in theory to make Prussia prestige low enough they have hegemony.
sincerely Frankie the solutions to keep Prussia down just enough not to try again for long the ones already used (1 has an ally in France (which OTL doesn't), 2 Prussia is now dismembered into several minor states (whoever has the Rhineland doesn't do I remember now ?, because that can be fundamental as industrial capital ) and finally strengthened the other German states, we know almost with certainty that if the Hohenzollerns try again they will have the help of the Russians, (Prussia was their minor partner ( well as door to influence in germany )
It was considered is more "reliable" ally in St.Pietroburgo .... see Crimea, so co-opting the Poles wouldn't be bad ) I don't know, rather how many members are there in the confederation at the moment ?, maybe we do another mediatization (after all it's a napoleon to play with maps and people should have it in their DNA) as credit to pro-Austrian princes (see in Thuringia ( for a minor son of Albert and Victoria for esample ) and lower saxony) after a failed peasant revolt (similar to those of the 1520s, bho I don't know) instigated from the outside.
even unifying the confederation from an economic point of view would not be a bad idea, a kind of zollverein in Habsburg sauce
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The Ludwig Canal was built between 1836 and 1846. It was narrow, had water supply problems, and had way too many locks.
Maybe developments of TTL led to the project stalling compared to OTL's construction pace. That could allow Austria to join the project and make it more grandiose.
The Bavarians not starting the project at all ITTL could also be an option.
The Rhineland has been broken up. Prussia is still there, but it's less of the suped-up Rhineland it was OTL, and more like a return to 179e presence. The rest has been split among Nassau, Hesse, Bavaria and others. Baden was the only one who got zilch (but this was part of Frankie's plan). Baden got zip so the other states couldn't object to Frankie nominating Baden as his proxy präsident of the Bund (nor does Prussia feel sore about it). The other states can band together but Prussia isn't going to be chummy with any of them because they all took a kick when she was down. Frankie made them all equally complicit. They can't join with Prussia without losing face (for now, at least)
Sadly, the Coburg were on the wrong/Prussian side in this, and Frankie made it VERY clear to Léopold that the only reason he "spared" Belgium/Coburg rather than hand the one back to the Dutch and the other to Weimar was because he's friends with Albert. That said, Léopold is now, effectively Frankie's bitch.
I like that idea
Makes sense to me. Ludwig I had so many building products and only so much money
Also, would Frankie have the power to decide for this Canal unilaterally (as actual head of the Bund, everyone knows Leopold of Baden is a figleaf*)? Or would he need Ludwig of Bavaria's consent?
*Leopold might be a token appointment, but since Frankie despises micromanaging people (his dad, Metternich, etc) Leo's probably genuinely running the show rather than that he asks how high when Vienna says jump anx likely runs the day-to-day with little/minimal interference
ah, by the way, how is Habsburg Italy putting its railways and infrastructure to an end?,
Francesco Giuseppe in 1851 reformed OTl the monetary circulation together with the tax authorities in the Lombardo-Veneto (we will see it applied before ? )
we will see the Milan-Genoa-Turin industrial triangle set in motion and also expanded ?
and the popular insurrections in Papal Romagna ( Rimini for precision ) are taking place or not ?
la giovine italia that ended up as an organization, following the same end of the carbonari (sent to fight in Spain) or did I miss something ,
we are in 45, right, so the conclave is about to begin, who will we see as pope ?, Frankie will use the veto on the nomination of eligible candidates ?, and Henry and Spainish who will support, an Italian or try the improbable foreign charter (technically it shouldn't be so unthinkable) eventually just make an agreement with the next pope to increase the number of foreign cardinals with the right to vote (always if they arrive in time to vote, one problems during the various conclaves, which is why I asked for transport)
what happened to Garibaldi? since OTL ended up in exile because of the Savoy, perhaps here he can be recalled and serve the Habsburgs
will the Italian diaspora be directed to texas and another colonies of Austrian allies ?
Francesco Giuseppe in 1851 reformed OTl the monetary circulation together with the tax authorities in the Lombardo-Veneto (we will see it applied before ? )
we will see the Milan-Genoa-Turin industrial triangle set in motion and also expanded ?
and the popular insurrections in Papal Romagna ( Rimini for precision ) are taking place or not ?
la giovine italia that ended up as an organization, following the same end of the carbonari (sent to fight in Spain) or did I miss something ,
we are in 45, right, so the conclave is about to begin, who will we see as pope ?, Frankie will use the veto on the nomination of eligible candidates ?, and Henry and Spainish who will support, an Italian or try the improbable foreign charter (technically it shouldn't be so unthinkable) eventually just make an agreement with the next pope to increase the number of foreign cardinals with the right to vote (always if they arrive in time to vote, one problems during the various conclaves, which is why I asked for transport)
what happened to Garibaldi? since OTL ended up in exile because of the Savoy, perhaps here he can be recalled and serve the Habsburgs
will the Italian diaspora be directed to texas and another colonies of Austrian allies ?
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I think Bavarian consent would be needed, but fortunately there would be little reason for them to oppose the project. After the Austrians, they would benefit the most from this, after all.
we already have a Venice-Vienna and a Venice-Milan railway (or at least part of it), and it stands to reason that since the Treaty of Milan gave Genoa to the Austrians, that they will be extending the line (@Fehérvári has asked that Franz Joseph be a train nerd TTL). Turin - since the house of Savoy has been exiled to Sardinia- will sadly likely become a provincial backwater.
these would be the ones in 1848?
The papal states has a start of a rail network, courtesy of Ferdinando II of Sicily supplying the capital (IIRC sulphur is needed for gunpowder, so he's probably been making a killing in the war) and Spain supplying (some) of the iron.
Garibaldi - last we saw him - was fighting for the Carlists in Spain. This is a bit of a strange idea but one that seems plausible to my mind. What happened was that when Frankie whent down into Italy to visit his dying grandmother, he took his time and visited the prisons in Italy. A lot of the Carbonari who were in prison and would've been made into martyrs on the scaffold...he offered them a choice: freedom, and you go fight in Spain with this little band of misfits I'm putting together...or you can stay here and be forgotten about by everyone. I didn't go much into it, but Frankie wasn't offering them clemency (he had no right to do so), he was acting as the Habsburgs' publicity officer. He channels his dad who said "it's not the death that makes the martyr, it's the cause they died for" (Frankie's dismissal of his father isn't teenage rebelliousness, it's that he's looked at it from every angle, spoken to people/marshals who were there, and drawn the conclusion that his dad was "wanting"). So, if they must die, let them go die doing something useful (not causing trouble for us), and we don't swing the axe (that would be the Spaniards or the Turks or someone else).
This has a double benefit: it gets problems out of Habsburg lands (and these men were likely told "don't let me ever hear you are back in town") and it "liberalizes" the Carlist image. After all, suddenly you have archroyalist, archCatholic Carlists who have (Lucien's) Bonapartes, Carbonari and other "liberals" in their ranks who have "experience" fighting the government forces sent to put them down. That Frankie accompanied the "shipment" with a nice pile of gold [1] and made it that D. Carlos couldn't accept the funds without accepting the fighters didn't hurt. And then D. Carlos has a stroke - in the midst of refusing - which naturally, gets interpreted as a sign (albeit with some dispute of interpretation) that the Almighty approves of this gesture/disapproves of his arrogance.
So back to Garibaldi, he was en route for South America (as OTL) when his ship put in at Barcelona. He arrived at the same time as all these "volunteers", and decided to go with them. Like OTL, he isn't a supporter of the cause that he's fighting for (he was for an Italian Republic is the lore I always taught, not for a monarchy, but he agreed with them on a united Italy), but figures, "hey, six months at sea, broke; or I can fight a bit here for six months, get paid and then go". I'm undecided if Garibaldi should've gone on to America or if he should still be in the Spanish army.
After things in Spain settled, the Carbonari were offered a choice. They could stay in Spain (showing the Carlists as merciful and rewarding loyalty), provided they don't cause trouble, or they could go on to America (north or south) or England. I suspect most of the officers stuck around and turned their hand to reforming the Spanish army, but the lower rank men are the likely ones who jumped the pond. So instead of German radicals in the 1840s, @Anarch King of Dipsodes , we have an influx of Italian liberals arriving to season the American stew.
[1] Madame Mère hoarded money OTL as well, I wouldn't be surprised if Frankie - in typical double speak fashion - assured her that he needed a blank check so he can "retake the throne" - he probably rooked several of the other family members and Carbonari in in like manner - but failed to clarify which throne. And they never asked. It's how most of Lucien's sons have ended up fighting for the Carlists in Spain.
fair point
The revolts began between June/September 1845
on Garibaldi my mistake (I was wondering what happened to him after Spain). on the papal elections as we are (we go like OTL, so pius ix or a twist?) this is why I was asking about France and Spain, who will they want as the new pontiff ?
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then perhaps we'll pop over to Italy...
was there any specific cause for it (a ruler being too heavy handed), or was it just general discontent?
asked for a liberalization of the rules and statutes of the papal legations as well as a greater weight of decision-making in Rome, they wanted that Gregory XVI to respect the promises of administrative, judicial and economic reforms, legalize the permission to form purely consultative chambers to elect state offices and remove full control from the bishops over so-called secular law and crimes (therefore abolish the roman inquisition) abolish the death penalty and the publication of a civil and penal code granting amnesty for political crimes.
Fun Fact : during the revolts of 21 and 31 the city of Bologna ( 2rd city for importance after Rome ) had repeatedly asked the emperor to be annexed to the Lombard Venetian rather than remain under the papacy ( the same thing also requested by the Modena rioters )
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I have already said it but I need to repeat it: Frankie is a genius.
unlike his dad who took Alexander and Caesar as his teachers, Frankie's looked at "more recent" figures, Metternich, Talleyrand, Kolowrat, etc, as well as his dad. Seen what worked for them, what didn't...and then gone about "improving". As he explained at dinner to Queen Victoria: "while I am a firm believer in not changing for the sake of change, Majesty, I do believe that stagnation is synonymous with decay...I am no Prince Metternich who wishes to fix the clock at a certain point in time forever; nor am I some Peter the Great in attempting to wrench open the curtains to let the light of modernity in" ('Tis the Cunning'st Alchemist)
alright, cool. Threadmark "Show Me The Colour of Your Money" deals with some of that, although it's never specified whether Gregory XVI accepted Rothschild's requests. Or if those requests were solely limited to either the Jews or Ancona alone.
Well, fortunately for Bologna, it's now under the duke of Modena. He took it to "help the pope defend the papal states" during the war, and then politely "forgot" to give it back afterwards. While Francesco IV is no liberal, and certainly no fan of Frankie's (see Matchmaker, Matchmaker for his opinion), Frankie does have an opinion of Francesco V (see The Merchant of Venice) and the guy is currently serving as viceroy of Lombardy
the chapter of the merchant of venice ( like the chapters of the journey to italy of the magnificent four : henry, albert, albert of teschen and of course frankie ) is one of my favorites
therefore riots averted ?
glad to hear it. Maybe there still are disturbances in the Papal States with the pope dying and the uncertainty of the new conclave? Particularly if some of the papabile are known hardline conservatives who'll roll back whatever "grace" Gregory has seen fit to bestow.
well considering that even Pius IX in his early years was acclaimed by the crowds as a great liberal and modern pope (it was only after the murder of one of his ministers in 48 and his subsequent escape that he became a "reactionary" (because after his return some innovative reforms were maintained and expanded but by now he no longer trusted the liberals and nationalists) it depends on the pope who is elected, but you reason that there will be revolts since the regions will still complain to have more decisional power and political autonomy, not having Bologna they will be worse because the rioters will not have a main place to meet (they will be more extensive territorially), therefore in the event of armed clashes the papal army will have to be divided into several places instead of just one (not counting the feuds between Roman aristocracy families)
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@SunZi stupid question but what was the age limit on who could vote in France at this point? I know there were income levels that had to be met and the like, but was there a minimum voting age as well? Cause ISTR reading something about 35yo (or was that when you could stand for office?)
The 1830 revolution lowered the age from 30 to 25 and the 1848 revolution lowered it to 21 with the introduction of universal suffrage.
Dig, Dig, Dig For Your Dinner
Soundtrack: Matthäus Nagiller - Symphony no. 1, C Minor [1]
*Frankfurt* *a vast procession of coaches is jamming the roads into the city* *most of the coaches bearing the Habsburg crest on the doors*
*we see that, despite the war, the city has not been idle* *there are new buildings going up* *one of which is to be the seat of Frankie's new "Reichskammergericht" [2]* *another is to be a new "Reichsbibliothek"*
*the grounds of the Schloss Rödelheim* *once again the promised annual book fair is in full swing* *this year, though, the atmosphere is more of a public park than a garden party as previously* *we see royals strolling about the grounds* *most specifically, Frankie walking arm-in-arm with Auguste of Saxe-Weimar, Princess Wilhelm of Prussia* *the look on Auguste's face is pure enchantment [3]* *behind them walk Prince Wilhelm and Queen Sophie of Greece* *Wilhelm is doing one of those guy things where he's nodding along politely to everything Sophie's saying, with a look of absolute martyrdom on his face [4]*
*we pan around the gardens to see various other knots walking and talking* *or enjoying the summer sunshine at little café style tables that've been set out* *Ernst August of Hannover and the king of Württemberg are pointedly ignoring one another [5] while their sons (and equally pregnant daughters-in-law) discuss antique coins and archaeology* *we hear that the Crown Prince and his wife [6] have recently returned from a trip to Pompeii* *the duke and duchess of Brunswick [7] is discussing trains and factory conditions with the grand duke of Weimar, Emperor Ferdinand and Archduke Franz Joseph*
*in another knot we see the Wittelsbach women- the Empress, Archduchess Sophie, the Queen and Princess Johann of Saxony, Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, Duchess Ludovika in Bavaria and the Erbgrossherzogin of Darmstadt- walking together and we can't make out if they're having a gossip or if they're discussing more serious matters*
*Ludwig I of Bavaria is sitting at a table - alongside his brother-in-law, Archduke Franz - and looks utterly bored* *Franz, for his part, is amusing a circle of children - including his own - with a story [8]*
*finally, we are shown people where this is clearly the first time they've attended the fair, like the duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Max de Beauharnais, the Crown Prince of Denmark or Prince Albert and his brother* *their looks range from astonishment to "this isn't that impressive" to bored*
*cut to Albert and Ernst of Coburg encountering Frankie and Auguste* *Albert snaps a salute* *Ernst stays standing stock still*
Frankie: Ernst, glad to see the war didn't change you at all. *to Wilhelm of Prussia* it's always good to have things you can rely on, world's changing so fast
Albert: *side mouth to his brother* Ernst, please...this is embarrassing.
Ernst: *curtly* Herr Bonaparte.
*to everyone's surprise*
Frankie: baby steps, hmm? *puts his hand affectionately on Ernst's shoulder* you'll get there, I have faith in you. *turns to Auguste* if your Royal Highness will kindly excuse me, I have other business I need to attend to. *smiles* *then kisses her hand*
Auguste: *practically swooning* of course, your Serene Highness.
Wilhelm: *just rolls his eyes as Frankie and Albert walk off*
Ernst: *bows* your Royal Highnesses.
Wilhelm: *gives a grunt but doesn't acknowledge as he leaves his wife and Sophie to talk*
Albert: *walking around the stalls like a starving man at a feast* *his eyes are everywhere* you did all this?
Frankie: well, no. I had more than a bit of help. All I do is sign the invitations. The authors do pretty much everything else. And then of the books they send, one copy each gets set aside to go into the Bibliothek we're building.
Albert: I saw that, it looks...
Frankie: hideous? *smiles* they wanted to name it after me and I told them I would be ashamed to have my name associated with such a building. Sent them to go look at the Bibliotheca Marciana in Venice and come back with another proposal. They decided not to do that. *pauses at a table* *picks up a book* I suspect they'll run into the same problems as the Marciana though-
Albert: and those are?
Frankie: too small. See...library, archive needs a lot of space. Can't keep building a new library every ten years. We'll never build anything else. *hands book to Albert*
Albert: *looks at the cover* *reads* Die Lage der arbeitenden Klasse in England [9].
Frankie: *grins* where better than the foreign press to find out what you've been doing wrong all the years.
Albert: and I must trust a German who knows nothing about the English-
Frankie: *opens the book playfully* read the foreword. He lived in Manchester for a few years.
Albert: and I plan on living in England for the rest of my life, yet they still think I'm a German busybody.
Frankie: *sees Amalie, Therese and Karoline walking up* I'm sure they say the same about me here. Only in German. And that I'm French. Or Italian. Or- you know what, I don't care.
Albert: how is she? Since-
Frankie: *quietly* she's better. We're all better. But...she wakes up crying some nights. And there's nothing I can say or do to promise her it's going to be alright. *smiles as Amalie curtseys to Albert*
Amalie: your Royal Highness. -Franz, it's almost time for your speech.
Frankie: *rolls eyes like "this again"* you mean my circus act?
Amalie: *smiles faintly* ask the girls, I have the fruit ready to throw if the performance is bad.
Frankie: *to Albert* nothing like motivation *kisses Karoline and Therese each on the cheek as he walks away*
*cut to Frankie on the bandstand in front of the crowd*
Frankie: *steps forward* friends, Germans, countrymen, lend me your ears-
*Crickets*
Frankie: *shrugs* may we say what a pleasure it is - for us, anyway - to see so many of you returning. And some new faces *looks at the crown prince of Denmark and Coburg party* too. But we cannot remember the good without also remembering the brothers, sons and fathers, who, had it not been for this recent discord, should have still been with us. Which makes it all the more cheering to see that so many of you have honoured us with your presence here. We assure you that, when we began this fair, we never, in our wildest imaginings, believed that it would attract the interest of so many, not only the authors, but publishers and collectors as well. But now, it is my honour to give over to his Majesty, the Emperor.
*Several surprised looks/much muttering behind fans as Goodinand walks toward the bandstand* *he climbs the steps without incident* *Frankie politely steps to one side and leads a round of applause* *its polite, if not enthusiastic*
Emperor Ferdinand: *waiting for applause to die down* you see, he is not such a horror as you believe *smiles at crowd, clearly referring to himself*
Crowd: *smiles at the joke*
Ferdinand: we are greatly moved by the kindness and generosity shown to us by the City of Frankfurt. It belies all our expectations to see so wonderful a city playing host to a worthy event such a this. We wish to assure the city of our undying love and devotion. We also wish to thank our own beloved nephew, the duke of Reichstadt, and the präsident, the grand duke of Baden, for their unremitting labours and unflinching efforts, in arranging this visit so that we may be among you all once again.
Crowd: *applauds*
Franz Joseph: Vivat Kaiser Ferdinand! Soll er leben! [10]
*Like lemmings several other children - Franzi's siblings, Johann of Saxony's elder children, even Wilhelm and Auguste's son, Prince Friedrich, takes up the cry*
*With the children acclaiming in such manner, the adults are soon following suit to avoid being backed into a corner*
*Cut to after dinner that night* *all the men are in the smoking room* *Goodinand is seated with Frankie and Leopold* *talking to Ernst August of Hannover*
Ferdinand: -I was lamenting to my nephew on the road to Frankfurt that it is a pity that the Bavarians never completed the canal between the Main and the Danube as they had planned to.
Leopold of Baden: your Majesty, it was due to the war that they were unable to complete it.
Ferdinand: *sharkish smile* you mean the war that didn't touch their lands? The war they played only a defensive role?
Ludwig I of Bavaria: *looks uncomfortable*
Ernst August: your Majesty, perhaps it would be useful for Austria to assist them if they are unable to?
Frankie: what a splendid idea, your Majesty *looks at Ludwig* after all, if the canal would be built, then Bavaria would be able to benefit, not only from the Austrian navy, but also from the trade that would naturally flow northwards from Venice.
Ferdinand: *to Wilhelm of Württemberg* and wasn't Sophie [of Greece] interested in attracting investors in the Greek textile industry. Having a canal would certainly benefit investors needing to get to and from Hannover or Stuttgart to Greece-
Ludwig: *sarcastically* why stop there, your Majesty? Why not connect the Rhine to the Danube as well? Or the Elbe-
Frankie: *smiles at Ludwig* *dead serious as he twirls his brandy glass* why not indeed?
*Fade to black*
[1] this symphony was premiered in Paris in 1845, but it was really an international work. Nagiller was originally from Munster (in Germany), moved to the Tirol (in Austria) and wrote it in Paris
[2] he raises this idea in the Chapter "Brothers Fighting in Such a Queer Manner". Of course, that's on the cusp of a Franco-German War, and I doubt anyone took him seriously, or even considered the proposal, since they thought in a few weeks he'd be gone and the war would be over
[3] is anyone at all surprised by this? a) Frankie knows how to be charming when he wants to be, and b) with such a curmudgeonly husband as hers, some spirited conversation is likely "refreshing". Particularly if c) she and Wilhelm get to play the leading role here rather than she has to stand back for her sister-in-law
[4] this is the liberal Sophie of Württemberg, I don't see Wilhelm enjoying being trapped in a conversatino with her any more than he would being trapped in a conversation with Karl Marx or Friedrich Engels. But, my reading of Wilhelm was that while he was a gruff man, he was also an absolute gentleman.
[5] likely a case of two men who are too similar to be comfortable with one another. Wilhelm's daughter, Katharina, is married to George V
[6] Pauline of Brasil
[7] this is Karl III of Brunswick and Hermine of Austria. Nobody's quite comfortable with his presence there, but it looks rude to exclude him. Especially when he's got a doting wife who's friends with Präsident - Leopold of Baden's - wife
[8] say what you liked about Archduke Franz, but he and Frankie did get along, and the man had penchant for story-telling (aka lying)
[9] The Condition of the Working Class in England
[10] the last 50 seconds of this piece inspired this spontaneous outburst:
@The_Most_Happy @isabella @VVD0D95 @Jan Olbracht @Ramontxo @HortenseMancini @Anarch King of Dipsodes @Dragonboy @kaiidth @SavoyTruffle @Wendell @nathanael1234 @Fehérvári @Guatemalan Nat-Synd @Valena @maw @LordMartinax @EmmettMcFly55 @सार्थक (Sārthākā) @SunZi @Lascaris
*Frankfurt* *a vast procession of coaches is jamming the roads into the city* *most of the coaches bearing the Habsburg crest on the doors*
*we see that, despite the war, the city has not been idle* *there are new buildings going up* *one of which is to be the seat of Frankie's new "Reichskammergericht" [2]* *another is to be a new "Reichsbibliothek"*
*the grounds of the Schloss Rödelheim* *once again the promised annual book fair is in full swing* *this year, though, the atmosphere is more of a public park than a garden party as previously* *we see royals strolling about the grounds* *most specifically, Frankie walking arm-in-arm with Auguste of Saxe-Weimar, Princess Wilhelm of Prussia* *the look on Auguste's face is pure enchantment [3]* *behind them walk Prince Wilhelm and Queen Sophie of Greece* *Wilhelm is doing one of those guy things where he's nodding along politely to everything Sophie's saying, with a look of absolute martyrdom on his face [4]*
*we pan around the gardens to see various other knots walking and talking* *or enjoying the summer sunshine at little café style tables that've been set out* *Ernst August of Hannover and the king of Württemberg are pointedly ignoring one another [5] while their sons (and equally pregnant daughters-in-law) discuss antique coins and archaeology* *we hear that the Crown Prince and his wife [6] have recently returned from a trip to Pompeii* *the duke and duchess of Brunswick [7] is discussing trains and factory conditions with the grand duke of Weimar, Emperor Ferdinand and Archduke Franz Joseph*
*in another knot we see the Wittelsbach women- the Empress, Archduchess Sophie, the Queen and Princess Johann of Saxony, Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, Duchess Ludovika in Bavaria and the Erbgrossherzogin of Darmstadt- walking together and we can't make out if they're having a gossip or if they're discussing more serious matters*
*Ludwig I of Bavaria is sitting at a table - alongside his brother-in-law, Archduke Franz - and looks utterly bored* *Franz, for his part, is amusing a circle of children - including his own - with a story [8]*
*finally, we are shown people where this is clearly the first time they've attended the fair, like the duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Max de Beauharnais, the Crown Prince of Denmark or Prince Albert and his brother* *their looks range from astonishment to "this isn't that impressive" to bored*
*cut to Albert and Ernst of Coburg encountering Frankie and Auguste* *Albert snaps a salute* *Ernst stays standing stock still*
Frankie: Ernst, glad to see the war didn't change you at all. *to Wilhelm of Prussia* it's always good to have things you can rely on, world's changing so fast
Albert: *side mouth to his brother* Ernst, please...this is embarrassing.
Ernst: *curtly* Herr Bonaparte.
*to everyone's surprise*
Frankie: baby steps, hmm? *puts his hand affectionately on Ernst's shoulder* you'll get there, I have faith in you. *turns to Auguste* if your Royal Highness will kindly excuse me, I have other business I need to attend to. *smiles* *then kisses her hand*
Auguste: *practically swooning* of course, your Serene Highness.
Wilhelm: *just rolls his eyes as Frankie and Albert walk off*
Ernst: *bows* your Royal Highnesses.
Wilhelm: *gives a grunt but doesn't acknowledge as he leaves his wife and Sophie to talk*
Albert: *walking around the stalls like a starving man at a feast* *his eyes are everywhere* you did all this?
Frankie: well, no. I had more than a bit of help. All I do is sign the invitations. The authors do pretty much everything else. And then of the books they send, one copy each gets set aside to go into the Bibliothek we're building.
Albert: I saw that, it looks...
Frankie: hideous? *smiles* they wanted to name it after me and I told them I would be ashamed to have my name associated with such a building. Sent them to go look at the Bibliotheca Marciana in Venice and come back with another proposal. They decided not to do that. *pauses at a table* *picks up a book* I suspect they'll run into the same problems as the Marciana though-
Albert: and those are?
Frankie: too small. See...library, archive needs a lot of space. Can't keep building a new library every ten years. We'll never build anything else. *hands book to Albert*
Albert: *looks at the cover* *reads* Die Lage der arbeitenden Klasse in England [9].
Frankie: *grins* where better than the foreign press to find out what you've been doing wrong all the years.
Albert: and I must trust a German who knows nothing about the English-
Frankie: *opens the book playfully* read the foreword. He lived in Manchester for a few years.
Albert: and I plan on living in England for the rest of my life, yet they still think I'm a German busybody.
Frankie: *sees Amalie, Therese and Karoline walking up* I'm sure they say the same about me here. Only in German. And that I'm French. Or Italian. Or- you know what, I don't care.
Albert: how is she? Since-
Frankie: *quietly* she's better. We're all better. But...she wakes up crying some nights. And there's nothing I can say or do to promise her it's going to be alright. *smiles as Amalie curtseys to Albert*
Amalie: your Royal Highness. -Franz, it's almost time for your speech.
Frankie: *rolls eyes like "this again"* you mean my circus act?
Amalie: *smiles faintly* ask the girls, I have the fruit ready to throw if the performance is bad.
Frankie: *to Albert* nothing like motivation *kisses Karoline and Therese each on the cheek as he walks away*
*cut to Frankie on the bandstand in front of the crowd*
Frankie: *steps forward* friends, Germans, countrymen, lend me your ears-
*Crickets*
Frankie: *shrugs* may we say what a pleasure it is - for us, anyway - to see so many of you returning. And some new faces *looks at the crown prince of Denmark and Coburg party* too. But we cannot remember the good without also remembering the brothers, sons and fathers, who, had it not been for this recent discord, should have still been with us. Which makes it all the more cheering to see that so many of you have honoured us with your presence here. We assure you that, when we began this fair, we never, in our wildest imaginings, believed that it would attract the interest of so many, not only the authors, but publishers and collectors as well. But now, it is my honour to give over to his Majesty, the Emperor.
*Several surprised looks/much muttering behind fans as Goodinand walks toward the bandstand* *he climbs the steps without incident* *Frankie politely steps to one side and leads a round of applause* *its polite, if not enthusiastic*
Emperor Ferdinand: *waiting for applause to die down* you see, he is not such a horror as you believe *smiles at crowd, clearly referring to himself*
Crowd: *smiles at the joke*
Ferdinand: we are greatly moved by the kindness and generosity shown to us by the City of Frankfurt. It belies all our expectations to see so wonderful a city playing host to a worthy event such a this. We wish to assure the city of our undying love and devotion. We also wish to thank our own beloved nephew, the duke of Reichstadt, and the präsident, the grand duke of Baden, for their unremitting labours and unflinching efforts, in arranging this visit so that we may be among you all once again.
Crowd: *applauds*
Franz Joseph: Vivat Kaiser Ferdinand! Soll er leben! [10]
*Like lemmings several other children - Franzi's siblings, Johann of Saxony's elder children, even Wilhelm and Auguste's son, Prince Friedrich, takes up the cry*
*With the children acclaiming in such manner, the adults are soon following suit to avoid being backed into a corner*
*Cut to after dinner that night* *all the men are in the smoking room* *Goodinand is seated with Frankie and Leopold* *talking to Ernst August of Hannover*
Ferdinand: -I was lamenting to my nephew on the road to Frankfurt that it is a pity that the Bavarians never completed the canal between the Main and the Danube as they had planned to.
Leopold of Baden: your Majesty, it was due to the war that they were unable to complete it.
Ferdinand: *sharkish smile* you mean the war that didn't touch their lands? The war they played only a defensive role?
Ludwig I of Bavaria: *looks uncomfortable*
Ernst August: your Majesty, perhaps it would be useful for Austria to assist them if they are unable to?
Frankie: what a splendid idea, your Majesty *looks at Ludwig* after all, if the canal would be built, then Bavaria would be able to benefit, not only from the Austrian navy, but also from the trade that would naturally flow northwards from Venice.
Ferdinand: *to Wilhelm of Württemberg* and wasn't Sophie [of Greece] interested in attracting investors in the Greek textile industry. Having a canal would certainly benefit investors needing to get to and from Hannover or Stuttgart to Greece-
Ludwig: *sarcastically* why stop there, your Majesty? Why not connect the Rhine to the Danube as well? Or the Elbe-
Frankie: *smiles at Ludwig* *dead serious as he twirls his brandy glass* why not indeed?
*Fade to black*
[1] this symphony was premiered in Paris in 1845, but it was really an international work. Nagiller was originally from Munster (in Germany), moved to the Tirol (in Austria) and wrote it in Paris
[2] he raises this idea in the Chapter "Brothers Fighting in Such a Queer Manner". Of course, that's on the cusp of a Franco-German War, and I doubt anyone took him seriously, or even considered the proposal, since they thought in a few weeks he'd be gone and the war would be over
[3] is anyone at all surprised by this? a) Frankie knows how to be charming when he wants to be, and b) with such a curmudgeonly husband as hers, some spirited conversation is likely "refreshing". Particularly if c) she and Wilhelm get to play the leading role here rather than she has to stand back for her sister-in-law
[4] this is the liberal Sophie of Württemberg, I don't see Wilhelm enjoying being trapped in a conversatino with her any more than he would being trapped in a conversation with Karl Marx or Friedrich Engels. But, my reading of Wilhelm was that while he was a gruff man, he was also an absolute gentleman.
[5] likely a case of two men who are too similar to be comfortable with one another. Wilhelm's daughter, Katharina, is married to George V
[6] Pauline of Brasil
[7] this is Karl III of Brunswick and Hermine of Austria. Nobody's quite comfortable with his presence there, but it looks rude to exclude him. Especially when he's got a doting wife who's friends with Präsident - Leopold of Baden's - wife
[8] say what you liked about Archduke Franz, but he and Frankie did get along, and the man had penchant for story-telling (aka lying)
[9] The Condition of the Working Class in England
[10] the last 50 seconds of this piece inspired this spontaneous outburst:
@The_Most_Happy @isabella @VVD0D95 @Jan Olbracht @Ramontxo @HortenseMancini @Anarch King of Dipsodes @Dragonboy @kaiidth @SavoyTruffle @Wendell @nathanael1234 @Fehérvári @Guatemalan Nat-Synd @Valena @maw @LordMartinax @EmmettMcFly55 @सार्थक (Sārthākā) @SunZi @Lascaris