Frankie Goes to the Hofburg, or Napoléon II, Regent of Austria?
Tell Me, Could You Use Me?
Soundtrack: Mihály Mosonyi - Overture to 'A tisztulás ünnepe az Ungnál'[1]
*exterior* *Linlithgow Palace* *Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Duke of Kendal and Fife, open the dance floor of the restored palace’s ballroom* *Albert- and William of Weimar- both look reasonably uncomfortable in their kilts[2]* *but nonetheless, manage to avoid any serious mishaps* *an unexpected attendee to this is the Dowager Duchess of Kent[3] and her sister, Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna* *close-ups of both Victoria and William’s wife, Marie of Baden, dancing* *clearly enjoying it far more than their respective husbands*
*title card says that this is the first Ghillies’ Ball to be held[4]* *that the ball was given by the queen out of gratitude to the workmen responsible for the palace’s renovation* *and that she made a point of dancing with each of them over the course of the night*
*exterior* *Buda* *we see a train steaming into the station* *the sole passengers alighting from one of the final carriages are two well-dressed young men* *both with mourning bands on their hats* *the pair walk through the crowd* *one is clearly not looking where he’s going and nearly falls over some luggage being offloaded* *as he struggles to his feet, brushing himself off, we see that it’s Maxi*
Franzi: *tips his hat in apology for the inconvenience as he helps Maxi to his feet*
*cut to them on the street*
Maxi: I thought the king isn’t allowed into Hungary without the Palatine’s approval.
Franzi: if you want to get technical, Maxi, I’m not here. And I’m not the king. As far as Metternich knows, I’m having snowball fights with you at Frohsdorf.
Maxi: *lip curling* what are we? Twelve?
Franzi: *grins* inches? *reaches behind Maxi’s neck * careful, Maxi, your insecurities are showing *flags down a cab*
Maxi: *grumbles like “why did I agree to this”*
Franzi: because you want me to approve your friend in Warsaw’s marriage to La Belle Anne de Weimar *cab stops*
Maxi: he doesn’t need your approval, Franzi
Franzi: fine…because you want me to convince her brother and father that they should approve. Same thing, really. *climbs into carriage* *to driver* Sándor Palota
Maxi: *closes door behind him*
Franzi: and I have enough of a headache dealing with Cousin Nikolaus as it is without this…wrinkle.
Maxi: why the headache?
Franzi: *looks at him as though to say “do you need to ask”?* things in Serbia are getting tense. Things in Croatia…thank God for Jelacic. There are tensions in Romania. With the Egyptian pasha wanting to send his sons to Onkel Frankie’s school, I’ve had the Ottoman ambassador breaking my door down wanting to know if this means that Austria is now considering leaving them at the mercy of a Russo-Egyptian alliance-
Maxi: we all know how Onkel Frankie feels about the Russians. I think it’s safe to say that if he knows that accepting the pasha’s demands will result in an alliance between the pasha and the tsar, he’ll reject it outright.
Franzi: except Onkel Frankie isn’t in charge anymore. He has no reason to refuse. In fact…he can’t refuse without making it seem as though either the Porte or St. Petersburg has influenced his decision. Worse, if he refuses and Vienna seems to say the same thing, it looks to the rest of Europe as though his leaving office was nothing more than lip-service.
Maxi: so we’re in Buda doing what exactly?
*carriage stops at the Sándor Palota*
Franzi: taking a breath. *climbs out* you’ve read Doctor Semmelweis’ work on how dirty hands are killing mothers in Vienna?
Maxi: *boredly* it’s on my reading list. When I finish decline and fall of the Roman Empire, I’ll get around to it.
Franzi: Bosnia, Serbia and Wallachia are the Ottomans’ dirty hands. Everywhere they touch, they contaminate. And what do all those dirty fingers have in common?
Maxi: they all just want to breath free without a Turkish boot on their neck?
Franzi: they’re all intensely Slavic regions. All predominantly Orthodox regions.
Maxi: *realizes*
Franzi: and where will be the first places those fingers reach, Maxi?
Maxi: Bosnia and Serbia will be Croatia and Hungary. Wallachia will be Transylvania.
Franzi: *nods* and Habsburg Galicia. Which means that if the tide surges, the Habsburgs join the duc d’Enghien as the first in front of the firing squad.
Maxi: but Kostya’s father isn’t a liberal. He would never let the liberals take hold like that-
Franzi: while the man has- no doubt- earned his nickname as the Gendarme of Europe, and can’t be said to be any great fan of liberals, he is a political animal all the same. If allying with the liberals means that he can take advantage of the chaos they will cause to us- his main competition in the Balkans- to prevent him from taking Constantinople, then we have to assume that that will be his game.
Maxi: you’re completely mental. Someone who- to quote Kostya shitting tradition- won’t shit on tradition.
Franzi: that is where you and I differ, Maxi. You see the world as you wish it to be. I must see it for what it is. And what it is that the man has appointed his soi-disant liberal son to the governorship of Poland- ostensibly because he’s closer and that he’s nephew of the Prussian prince currently lodged at Posen. -which will quiet the Polish cries for revolution and unification. France’s king has pledged non-intervention in the event that Russia should they go to war with the Ottomans[5]. Taking all of that into account, you can…hopefully understand why I’m- how do they say in the navy? Battening down the hatches?
*stops outside door*
Maxi: *mockingly* Onkel Frankie, is that you?
Footman: his Royal and Imperial Highness, Archduke Franz, Regent of Austria and Bohemia. *pause* his Royal and Imperial Highness, Archduke Maximilian of Austria.
*we see a crowd of men standing around what looks like a drawing room* *talking and smoking* *several of them glance at one another like “what’s he doing here?”*
*Franzi walks over to an armchair and sits down* *in front of a full length portrait of Maria Theresia*
Franzi: *in Hungarian* I hope you gentlemen will forgive the intrusion, but I hoped that…due to my cousin’s unforeseen delay in Brussels… you would be kind enough to consider me for the position that I’m told you are quietly offering around. *takes envelope from his jacket pocket* my letter of recommendation from the Palatine Stephan himself. *holds it out*
*after a long moment, Lajos Kossuth takes it from Franzi*
Franzi: *gives look that says “read it”*
Kossuth: *does so* *then passes it around*
Franzi: as you can see, my resumé is…scanty, but I do believe I meet all the criteria you gentlemen are looking for. To my mind, at least…I have better credentials than an Italian-born half-Swabian bastard like my uncle’s half-brother[6].
*the men start looking around* *there’s some foot shuffling* *some hurried conversations* *before finally*
Kossuth: *steps forward* *makes a great show of going down onto his knees*
*the company murmurs*
Franzi: am I to assume that my application has been accepted?
Kossuth: yes, your Royal and Imperial Highness.
Franzi: say it.
Kossuth: *looks puzzled*
Franzi: *remains silent*
Kossuth: *swallows hard* *glances at the rest of the company* I hereby accept and swear to uphold the authority of his Most Apostolic Majesty, King Ferdinand, that of his regent, His Royal and Imperial Highness, the Archduke Franz, and that of his Palatine, the Archduke Stephan[7]. To renounce all fealties and dues to any other sovereign. To love those who they love and hate those who they hate. Until my last dying breath. So help me God[8]. *kisses Franzi’s hand*
Franzi: *leans forward* *kisses both of Kossuth’s cheeks* *whispering ominously* so. Help. You. God.
*fade to black as other men in the company come forward to repeat the gesture*
[1] Not sure what the exact translation of this title would be, but google translate gives it as “the Feast of the Purification at Ung”. In the Orthodox Church, the “Blessing of the Waters” takes place on January 5, the evening before Epiphany/Three King’s Feast/Theophany
[2] While Prince Albert designed the so-called Balmoral Tartan OTL (in 1853), and he perhaps recognized the necessity of wearing a kilt (especially TTL where he has a Scots title – duke of Fife – to boot), from what I’ve read, he doesn’t seem to have regarded wearing it with any affection. Certainly an observer noted that he “appeared to no advantage in it”
[3] Not really unexpected as surprising. Victoria’s just lost the man who was her “father-figure”, her wanting her mother close at this time is not unnatural. While the pair made up in Chapter The Bride of Lammermoor, and the duchess has appeared several times, there’s been no indication that it was anything more than a “banishment” of Sir John Conroy and a “token reconciliation”. Victoria’s mother has only ever been at what could be regarded as “state occasions”. Where there are foreign visitors present.
[4] The annual Ghillies’ Ball was instituted in 1852 OTL (after the Queen acquired Balmoral). No reason that it couldn’t be established earlier.
[5] This has nothing to do with Henri’s marriage to a Russian grand duchess and everything to do with the fact that both Henri and his uncle, were iffy on the whole Franco-Ottoman alliance OTL. Angoulême and his father even in favour of a revived Eastern Roman Empire (sources vary on whether this was to be Byzantine or Latin-style empire), which suggests they would’ve had no problem with Russia controlling the Straits.
[6] Frankie’s half-sibling
[7] Stephan’s “unforeseen delay” in Brussels may be a cross between a legitimate excuse and a deliberate leave of absence. There probably are Coburg things that need to be dealt with in Brussels and Coburg. But it also avoids his loyalty being suspect (as it was OTL) by being involved in this plotting to make the kingdom independent. None of them might like the idea of Franzi being in charge, but as he points out to Maxi, and as Stephan pointed out in Chapter: Three Men and a Baby, they’re one step away from anarchy. Franzi gambles on the element of surprise, and when he asks “could you use me?” what are they going to do? Tell him “no”? As far as they know, he might have arrived with an army waiting at the city gates to arrest them. So they go “of course”.
It’s a very stupid risk he took (even Frankie will tell him that, no doubt), but it paid off. But while Stephan’s out of town, the kingdom is effectively “orphaned”. Metternich in government in Vienna is likely- as the late duke of Teschen pointed out in Chapter: Untying a Gordian Knot- looking for an excuse to deal with the Hungarians as he was then. Stephan’s letter likely gives them the option: Franzi or Metternich.
[8] I admit this pledge sounds very unlikely for the place and time, but it might be that Kossuth is deliberately avoiding using the proscribed Hungarian formula. OTL he paid a private visit to Prince Windischgratz- the commander in chief of the Austrian army in Hungary- on January 3 1849. Not sure what the point of the visit was, but both the absence of an actual uprising as well as no move of Kossuth’s government to Debrecen on January 2 1849, means he’s still in Buda when Franzi arrives.
*exterior* *Linlithgow Palace* *Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Duke of Kendal and Fife, open the dance floor of the restored palace’s ballroom* *Albert- and William of Weimar- both look reasonably uncomfortable in their kilts[2]* *but nonetheless, manage to avoid any serious mishaps* *an unexpected attendee to this is the Dowager Duchess of Kent[3] and her sister, Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna* *close-ups of both Victoria and William’s wife, Marie of Baden, dancing* *clearly enjoying it far more than their respective husbands*
*title card says that this is the first Ghillies’ Ball to be held[4]* *that the ball was given by the queen out of gratitude to the workmen responsible for the palace’s renovation* *and that she made a point of dancing with each of them over the course of the night*
*exterior* *Buda* *we see a train steaming into the station* *the sole passengers alighting from one of the final carriages are two well-dressed young men* *both with mourning bands on their hats* *the pair walk through the crowd* *one is clearly not looking where he’s going and nearly falls over some luggage being offloaded* *as he struggles to his feet, brushing himself off, we see that it’s Maxi*
Franzi: *tips his hat in apology for the inconvenience as he helps Maxi to his feet*
*cut to them on the street*
Maxi: I thought the king isn’t allowed into Hungary without the Palatine’s approval.
Franzi: if you want to get technical, Maxi, I’m not here. And I’m not the king. As far as Metternich knows, I’m having snowball fights with you at Frohsdorf.
Maxi: *lip curling* what are we? Twelve?
Franzi: *grins* inches? *reaches behind Maxi’s neck * careful, Maxi, your insecurities are showing *flags down a cab*
Maxi: *grumbles like “why did I agree to this”*
Franzi: because you want me to approve your friend in Warsaw’s marriage to La Belle Anne de Weimar *cab stops*
Maxi: he doesn’t need your approval, Franzi
Franzi: fine…because you want me to convince her brother and father that they should approve. Same thing, really. *climbs into carriage* *to driver* Sándor Palota
Maxi: *closes door behind him*
Franzi: and I have enough of a headache dealing with Cousin Nikolaus as it is without this…wrinkle.
Maxi: why the headache?
Franzi: *looks at him as though to say “do you need to ask”?* things in Serbia are getting tense. Things in Croatia…thank God for Jelacic. There are tensions in Romania. With the Egyptian pasha wanting to send his sons to Onkel Frankie’s school, I’ve had the Ottoman ambassador breaking my door down wanting to know if this means that Austria is now considering leaving them at the mercy of a Russo-Egyptian alliance-
Maxi: we all know how Onkel Frankie feels about the Russians. I think it’s safe to say that if he knows that accepting the pasha’s demands will result in an alliance between the pasha and the tsar, he’ll reject it outright.
Franzi: except Onkel Frankie isn’t in charge anymore. He has no reason to refuse. In fact…he can’t refuse without making it seem as though either the Porte or St. Petersburg has influenced his decision. Worse, if he refuses and Vienna seems to say the same thing, it looks to the rest of Europe as though his leaving office was nothing more than lip-service.
Maxi: so we’re in Buda doing what exactly?
*carriage stops at the Sándor Palota*
Franzi: taking a breath. *climbs out* you’ve read Doctor Semmelweis’ work on how dirty hands are killing mothers in Vienna?
Maxi: *boredly* it’s on my reading list. When I finish decline and fall of the Roman Empire, I’ll get around to it.
Franzi: Bosnia, Serbia and Wallachia are the Ottomans’ dirty hands. Everywhere they touch, they contaminate. And what do all those dirty fingers have in common?
Maxi: they all just want to breath free without a Turkish boot on their neck?
Franzi: they’re all intensely Slavic regions. All predominantly Orthodox regions.
Maxi: *realizes*
Franzi: and where will be the first places those fingers reach, Maxi?
Maxi: Bosnia and Serbia will be Croatia and Hungary. Wallachia will be Transylvania.
Franzi: *nods* and Habsburg Galicia. Which means that if the tide surges, the Habsburgs join the duc d’Enghien as the first in front of the firing squad.
Maxi: but Kostya’s father isn’t a liberal. He would never let the liberals take hold like that-
Franzi: while the man has- no doubt- earned his nickname as the Gendarme of Europe, and can’t be said to be any great fan of liberals, he is a political animal all the same. If allying with the liberals means that he can take advantage of the chaos they will cause to us- his main competition in the Balkans- to prevent him from taking Constantinople, then we have to assume that that will be his game.
Maxi: you’re completely mental. Someone who- to quote Kostya shitting tradition- won’t shit on tradition.
Franzi: that is where you and I differ, Maxi. You see the world as you wish it to be. I must see it for what it is. And what it is that the man has appointed his soi-disant liberal son to the governorship of Poland- ostensibly because he’s closer and that he’s nephew of the Prussian prince currently lodged at Posen. -which will quiet the Polish cries for revolution and unification. France’s king has pledged non-intervention in the event that Russia should they go to war with the Ottomans[5]. Taking all of that into account, you can…hopefully understand why I’m- how do they say in the navy? Battening down the hatches?
*stops outside door*
Maxi: *mockingly* Onkel Frankie, is that you?
Footman: his Royal and Imperial Highness, Archduke Franz, Regent of Austria and Bohemia. *pause* his Royal and Imperial Highness, Archduke Maximilian of Austria.
*we see a crowd of men standing around what looks like a drawing room* *talking and smoking* *several of them glance at one another like “what’s he doing here?”*
*Franzi walks over to an armchair and sits down* *in front of a full length portrait of Maria Theresia*
Franzi: *in Hungarian* I hope you gentlemen will forgive the intrusion, but I hoped that…due to my cousin’s unforeseen delay in Brussels… you would be kind enough to consider me for the position that I’m told you are quietly offering around. *takes envelope from his jacket pocket* my letter of recommendation from the Palatine Stephan himself. *holds it out*
*after a long moment, Lajos Kossuth takes it from Franzi*
Franzi: *gives look that says “read it”*
Kossuth: *does so* *then passes it around*
Franzi: as you can see, my resumé is…scanty, but I do believe I meet all the criteria you gentlemen are looking for. To my mind, at least…I have better credentials than an Italian-born half-Swabian bastard like my uncle’s half-brother[6].
*the men start looking around* *there’s some foot shuffling* *some hurried conversations* *before finally*
Kossuth: *steps forward* *makes a great show of going down onto his knees*
*the company murmurs*
Franzi: am I to assume that my application has been accepted?
Kossuth: yes, your Royal and Imperial Highness.
Franzi: say it.
Kossuth: *looks puzzled*
Franzi: *remains silent*
Kossuth: *swallows hard* *glances at the rest of the company* I hereby accept and swear to uphold the authority of his Most Apostolic Majesty, King Ferdinand, that of his regent, His Royal and Imperial Highness, the Archduke Franz, and that of his Palatine, the Archduke Stephan[7]. To renounce all fealties and dues to any other sovereign. To love those who they love and hate those who they hate. Until my last dying breath. So help me God[8]. *kisses Franzi’s hand*
Franzi: *leans forward* *kisses both of Kossuth’s cheeks* *whispering ominously* so. Help. You. God.
*fade to black as other men in the company come forward to repeat the gesture*
[1] Not sure what the exact translation of this title would be, but google translate gives it as “the Feast of the Purification at Ung”. In the Orthodox Church, the “Blessing of the Waters” takes place on January 5, the evening before Epiphany/Three King’s Feast/Theophany
[2] While Prince Albert designed the so-called Balmoral Tartan OTL (in 1853), and he perhaps recognized the necessity of wearing a kilt (especially TTL where he has a Scots title – duke of Fife – to boot), from what I’ve read, he doesn’t seem to have regarded wearing it with any affection. Certainly an observer noted that he “appeared to no advantage in it”
[3] Not really unexpected as surprising. Victoria’s just lost the man who was her “father-figure”, her wanting her mother close at this time is not unnatural. While the pair made up in Chapter The Bride of Lammermoor, and the duchess has appeared several times, there’s been no indication that it was anything more than a “banishment” of Sir John Conroy and a “token reconciliation”. Victoria’s mother has only ever been at what could be regarded as “state occasions”. Where there are foreign visitors present.
[4] The annual Ghillies’ Ball was instituted in 1852 OTL (after the Queen acquired Balmoral). No reason that it couldn’t be established earlier.
[5] This has nothing to do with Henri’s marriage to a Russian grand duchess and everything to do with the fact that both Henri and his uncle, were iffy on the whole Franco-Ottoman alliance OTL. Angoulême and his father even in favour of a revived Eastern Roman Empire (sources vary on whether this was to be Byzantine or Latin-style empire), which suggests they would’ve had no problem with Russia controlling the Straits.
[6] Frankie’s half-sibling
[7] Stephan’s “unforeseen delay” in Brussels may be a cross between a legitimate excuse and a deliberate leave of absence. There probably are Coburg things that need to be dealt with in Brussels and Coburg. But it also avoids his loyalty being suspect (as it was OTL) by being involved in this plotting to make the kingdom independent. None of them might like the idea of Franzi being in charge, but as he points out to Maxi, and as Stephan pointed out in Chapter: Three Men and a Baby, they’re one step away from anarchy. Franzi gambles on the element of surprise, and when he asks “could you use me?” what are they going to do? Tell him “no”? As far as they know, he might have arrived with an army waiting at the city gates to arrest them. So they go “of course”.
It’s a very stupid risk he took (even Frankie will tell him that, no doubt), but it paid off. But while Stephan’s out of town, the kingdom is effectively “orphaned”. Metternich in government in Vienna is likely- as the late duke of Teschen pointed out in Chapter: Untying a Gordian Knot- looking for an excuse to deal with the Hungarians as he was then. Stephan’s letter likely gives them the option: Franzi or Metternich.
[8] I admit this pledge sounds very unlikely for the place and time, but it might be that Kossuth is deliberately avoiding using the proscribed Hungarian formula. OTL he paid a private visit to Prince Windischgratz- the commander in chief of the Austrian army in Hungary- on January 3 1849. Not sure what the point of the visit was, but both the absence of an actual uprising as well as no move of Kossuth’s government to Debrecen on January 2 1849, means he’s still in Buda when Franzi arrives.
@Kellan Sullivan ! Amazing work! Franzie is such a Good big brother and he has learnt so much!
And Frankie is as astute as always!
And Frankie is as astute as always!
nobody got a royal title, it was just a confirmation/acknowledgement of the chain of command. Namely that Goodinand is king of Hungary. Stephan is the palatine of Hungary, but Franzi is the (new) regent for his uncle. So if he orders Stephan to do anything, the Hungarian government can't say "hey, but Franzi's nobody Hungary needs to worry about". Likely, given the emphasis Franzi puts on the Slavic people in the states on the border, stressing their Orthodoxy and "headaches" with Nikolai of Russia, the tsar might be leveraging his role as "protector of the Slavs" and the "Orthodox Church" (not unlike several Russian tsars did in the 19th century as the mood took them, and he wasn't above meddling in Hungary after he got invited in to the country in 1848). Franzi's "battening down the hatches" is to try to get the moderate Hungarian liberals on-side. He can't do much about the radicals. But as pointed out, he's being pro-active in the scenario by forcing his way into the meeting. What are they going to do once he's there? Tell him he's not welcome like they told Blessed King Charles?
still early days, so don't fix the victory parade just yet.
Great chapter!
Kazincy: The Day of Prurification
The Serbs of the Military Frontier IOTL initially revolted because the April Laws did away with feudal privileges which robbed them of their tax exemptions. The desire to establish a Serb Voivodeship developed later, when they aligned with the Austrians. If I remember correctly, reforms ITTL were more gradual but non-interrupted, and there wasn't a clear-cut revolution in Hungary. Kossuth has an influential conspiring clique, and more or less that's it, right? In this case, the Serbs not being in open revolt would be logical, but tensions could be high. IOTL Serbia supplied some provisions/arms to the Serb rebels AFAIK, I don't know how could be play into the situation at hand ITTL. It's something to think about though.
Another interesting thing to note about the Romanians of Hungary from OTL is the way they revolted in 1848. The Romanian-populated areas of Hungary Proper saw no rebellion, only Transylvania was affected (and there primarily the South(west). The reason for this was two-fold. First, the implementation of the abolition of serfdom was not only somewhat delayed in Transylvania compared to Hungary Proper, but the act itself also carried less weight for various reasons (less and worse land to give, many herders unaffected by serfdom). Second, the Transylvanian Romanians were mostly opposed to the administrative reunion of Hungary Proper and Transylvania and stubbornly clinged to their demand in regard to being accepted as the fourth "nation" of Transylvania, despite the reforms rendering the whole feudal concept obsolete.
With that being said, a good chunk of them were not in vehement opposition to Transylvania's union with Hungary per se, they just wanted to have a say in the matter. If Transylvania is allowed to maintain some degrees of autonomy within Hungary with its own legislation (similar to Croatia-Slavonia IOTL), then most if not all Romanian opposition could be dissolved (for the century atleast).
Was this piece specifically chosen because of the poem its based on?
Kazincy: The Day of Prurification
Ferenc Kazinczy: THE FEAST OF PURIFICATION.
At Ung, est. 886.
The people.
He fights for us, he fights for us
Great god of battle;
He helps the oppressed,
And oppresses the oppressor.
The soothsayers.
Trust him, loyal army,
He cares about you.
He helps the oppressed,
And oppresses the oppressor.
Together.
He helps the oppressed
Great god of battle.
It was a problem for us, it will be a problem for us
And oppresses the oppressor!
Virgins of the Altar.
I fell asleep in the agg forest
A leafy oak beneath.
A noise attacked him among the leaves of the agg oak,
And drove my sleep from my eyes.
A swarm of strangers swarmed the tall one
Oak twigs, a stuffed clove;
And the old residents rushed out,
To chase away their tame guests.
It flowed furiously between the fighters
The blood battle, their sergeants fell.
But now he has become beloved,
and the two swarms become one swarm.
The high priest.
Get clean! the Ung,
Newer beautiful river of your homeland awaits.
No help is gained by the defiled;
Not the one who robs someone else's property,
Lady, servant, beast,
Orúl or with an open face.
It's not who cheats; not the one who extends his right hand Smilingly
to his partner or his opponent , and on the other hand pierces an angry arrow into his side; It is not for the pious sufferer To relieve the torments of reluctance. The suffering god is his own, And he always takes revenge for it, Revenge on the hurt. Get clean!
The gunslinger.
Balambert's blood is innocent
And let the mighty Csaraton, Ödön,
and you, our glorious Etely, never be infected.
A hero is not a beast; he protects his freedom,
and respects the freedom of others.
Five runs like this, our abandoned country
Bérczein's proud great son,
Gentle and bringing blessings in his beds;
But if the cliffs prevent the freedom's passage,
His anger breaks out of the riverbed and destroys.
Árpád, the scepter is yours, the sword and the ore shield are yours;
A free people gave it to you, and free will,
for yourself, not for yourself.
Wear it, son and father for him, and the beautiful forever -
our Etelyen left it to us - you be our leader.
All.
He fights for us, he fights for us
Great god of battle;
He helps the oppressed,
And oppresses the oppressor.
At Ung, est. 886.
The people.
He fights for us, he fights for us
Great god of battle;
He helps the oppressed,
And oppresses the oppressor.
The soothsayers.
Trust him, loyal army,
He cares about you.
He helps the oppressed,
And oppresses the oppressor.
Together.
He helps the oppressed
Great god of battle.
It was a problem for us, it will be a problem for us
And oppresses the oppressor!
Virgins of the Altar.
I fell asleep in the agg forest
A leafy oak beneath.
A noise attacked him among the leaves of the agg oak,
And drove my sleep from my eyes.
A swarm of strangers swarmed the tall one
Oak twigs, a stuffed clove;
And the old residents rushed out,
To chase away their tame guests.
It flowed furiously between the fighters
The blood battle, their sergeants fell.
But now he has become beloved,
and the two swarms become one swarm.
The high priest.
Get clean! the Ung,
Newer beautiful river of your homeland awaits.
No help is gained by the defiled;
Not the one who robs someone else's property,
Lady, servant, beast,
Orúl or with an open face.
It's not who cheats; not the one who extends his right hand Smilingly
to his partner or his opponent , and on the other hand pierces an angry arrow into his side; It is not for the pious sufferer To relieve the torments of reluctance. The suffering god is his own, And he always takes revenge for it, Revenge on the hurt. Get clean!
The gunslinger.
Balambert's blood is innocent
And let the mighty Csaraton, Ödön,
and you, our glorious Etely, never be infected.
A hero is not a beast; he protects his freedom,
and respects the freedom of others.
Five runs like this, our abandoned country
Bérczein's proud great son,
Gentle and bringing blessings in his beds;
But if the cliffs prevent the freedom's passage,
His anger breaks out of the riverbed and destroys.
Árpád, the scepter is yours, the sword and the ore shield are yours;
A free people gave it to you, and free will,
for yourself, not for yourself.
Wear it, son and father for him, and the beautiful forever -
our Etelyen left it to us - you be our leader.
All.
He fights for us, he fights for us
Great god of battle;
He helps the oppressed,
And oppresses the oppressor.
I don't think such law/custom existed. It would be more than strange if it did, the King having to get approval from one of his own subjects to enter his own domain...
Semmelweis' name coming up was unexpected. (Not so long ago a new Hungarian film came out about him titled simply "Semmelweis". It's good, supposedly.)
Wallachia is not exactly Slavic, but certainly Orthodox. Interestingly though, only about half of the Romanians of Translyvania were back then Orthodox. The other half was Eastern/Greek Catholic (mostly in the North).
The Serbs of the Military Frontier IOTL initially revolted because the April Laws did away with feudal privileges which robbed them of their tax exemptions. The desire to establish a Serb Voivodeship developed later, when they aligned with the Austrians. If I remember correctly, reforms ITTL were more gradual but non-interrupted, and there wasn't a clear-cut revolution in Hungary. Kossuth has an influential conspiring clique, and more or less that's it, right? In this case, the Serbs not being in open revolt would be logical, but tensions could be high. IOTL Serbia supplied some provisions/arms to the Serb rebels AFAIK, I don't know how could be play into the situation at hand ITTL. It's something to think about though.
Another interesting thing to note about the Romanians of Hungary from OTL is the way they revolted in 1848. The Romanian-populated areas of Hungary Proper saw no rebellion, only Transylvania was affected (and there primarily the South(west). The reason for this was two-fold. First, the implementation of the abolition of serfdom was not only somewhat delayed in Transylvania compared to Hungary Proper, but the act itself also carried less weight for various reasons (less and worse land to give, many herders unaffected by serfdom). Second, the Transylvanian Romanians were mostly opposed to the administrative reunion of Hungary Proper and Transylvania and stubbornly clinged to their demand in regard to being accepted as the fourth "nation" of Transylvania, despite the reforms rendering the whole feudal concept obsolete.
With that being said, a good chunk of them were not in vehement opposition to Transylvania's union with Hungary per se, they just wanted to have a say in the matter. If Transylvania is allowed to maintain some degrees of autonomy within Hungary with its own legislation (similar to Croatia-Slavonia IOTL), then most if not all Romanian opposition could be dissolved (for the century atleast).
Why's Kossuth in the Sándor Palace? The place was the private residence of the Pallavicini family at this time, AFAIK. I recommend to change the location of the scene to the Redout Concert Hall, which IOTL became the temporary house of assembly from 1848 July 5th, after its relocation from Preßburg(Pozsony).
Ah, so Ferdinand is still the King of Hungary, technically. I wasn't sure wether FJ was crowned already or not, but apparently not. So that's why the Palatine's approval for entry was needed? But I don't think it would be needed, regardless...
Still, with this, Kossuth sweared fealty in front of a crowd. It's hard to dance out from such commitment (Ferdinand was forced to abdicate for similar reasons IOTL, kinda the same applies to why Franz Karl was skipped in succession also).
Not Kossuth, Batthyány. He and his entourage arrived to negotiate an armistice/peace, but Windischgrätz refused to welcome him. He was later arrested in Pest on the 9th.
On that note, the next King of Hungary was often crowned already in the lifetime of his precedessor, so Franzi getting crowned could also solve the issue at hand.
In Chapter 3 of She Has Risen: Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia SI, 17-year-old Anastasia thwarts Kolchak's coup d'état against the recently formed White coalition leadership by walking right into the capital building and personally confronting the coupsters.
My comment was: "going all in is how one wins big pots". Same here.
"proscribed" (forbidden) or "prescribed" (expected)? Because "proscribed" doesn't make sense here - of course he would not use a forbidden form.
Plon-plon seems infinitely reasonable compared to his Bonaparte breatheren
my thanks to @galileo-034 for advising on the matter. He's still not my favourite Bonaparte of OTL (which isn't a high bar to clear), but he's not just "rude and ungracious" as he's dismissed in my books on the period (which rely heavily on Victoria's- no fan of his - opinion). Figure if the man was able to "dominate" the talk at luncheon by telling Victoria of his hope to do something for the workers (something Victoria herself confided afterwards she found "distasteful"- although she didn't say whether this was due to him "dominating the conversation" or his actual interest. My suspicion is the latter), if he's got something to "prove" to Frankie, he's gonna do it.
Also, re: Karoline's interest in Semmelweis, it's likely that it's not Franzi's personal choice of reading matter that he recommends to Maxi in the latest chapter.
I can't even blame autocorrect for this one because I changed it to that because it didn't look "right"
I didn't know about the poem. In fact, I couldn't find anything about the work in general. I simply chose it for the coincidence of the dates (pre-6 January)
Except Franzi isn't king of Hungary yet
as pointed out in the previous chapter, Karoline Bonaparte is on a bit of a Semmelweis trip. And she mentions that his "methods" are being tested by the Viennese Women’s Democratic Association's nursing wing, and Metternich regards the WDF as a "threat" that both Franzi and Maxi dismiss in Chapter: Du gehst ma am Zaga! as "laughable", I wouldn't be surprised if there was a political slant to Franzi's reading of it (seditious, the doctor is saving people's lives by urging disinfecting of hands- something the Ottomans had been doing with "Hungary water" (cologne) since around 1800 apparently)
thanks for that. I wasn't exactly sure what everyone wanted- hence why they're "lumped together". Although per an earlier suggestion of yours, that the Hungarians would welcome an earlier abolition of the Transylvanian Chancellery, that might affect the Transylvanians view of the Hungarian government.
dammit, will fix
fair enough. Maybe chalk it up to Maxi's "ignorance" of such matters.
Dammit. The sentences were right under one another and they just said "he went to Windischgratz" so I assumed they meant Kossuth not Batthyany). Can Kossuth still work though?
thank you.
I have plans for Franzi. Plans that- ATM- don't include him being crowned king of Hungary (or being the successor to Goodinand). So a coronation would...complicate matters.
if it sets your mind at ease, Hungary remains both Habsburg and a kingdom