Did you use AI?
Yes. I used chatGPT to help me with spelling and some sentence construction and, of course, with the images. The story however is mine, and the historical facts are well researched, based on books and facsimiles available, such as the “Beiheft MilitaerWochenblatt 1887” which documents the beginning and the end of the 59th Musketeer Regiment. AI of course generated the podcast on the main page.
Why did I write the book in English?
Having moved to the US twenty-five years ago, I realized that my German isn’t quite what it used to be. If time permits, I hope to create a German translation in the future. Want to help?
Isn’t Prussia evil?
To quote Otto von Berg, Friedrich’s grandfather:
Prussia is often accused of being aggressive, of relying too heavily on its army. They claim we
value order over individualism, that we neglect the arts and humanism. Those accusations will
echo far into the future, I am sure. But look at our position. We are a small kingdom with no
great oceans to shield us. England, Russia, Spain, France – they are not girdled by rivals as we
are.
To the east stands mighty Russia, not always our friend. To the north, Denmark and
Sweden. To the west and south, the powerful French Empire – and then there are our Austrian
kin, who would happily add the Prussian crown to their collection of realms.”
“Yes, we favor order over chaos, the common good over selfish ambition. But we are also
among the few nations that refuse to bind all men to a single faith. Everyone shall be blessed
according to his own fashion – those were Frederick the Great’s own words. Ask France or
Spain about freedom of religion. We abolished slavery more than ten years ago. Russia,
England, Spain? Not quite so eager. And France itself, only four years ago, restored slavery in
its overseas colonies. Few care to talk about such things.”
What in the book is fiction, what is based on facts?
This work rests upon a foundation of historical fact, yet it remains, by its very nature, a work of fiction. Historical personages, among them Graf von Hardenberg, General-Lieutenant von Wartensleben, and even Major von Schenk, have been drawn in accordance with such knowledge as diligent research could supply, and their portrayals are intended to accord, as far as possible, with the men they once were.
Nevertheless, words have been placed in their mouths, and it is possible that their true characters have not in every instance been perfectly captured. Should any reader find offence therein, none was intended. The places, distances, and sequence of events have been rendered with care and accuracy, as have the descriptions of provisions, measures, and currencies of the time.
Does Prussia still exist?
No. Prussia was abolished on 25 February 1947 by decree of the Allied Control Council, the governing authority of post-World War II occupied Germany and Austria.
Does the former ruling family still exist?
The Prussian royal family belonged to the House of Hohenzollern. The family line continues today through several branches. Living members use family titles socially (e.g., “Prince of Prussia,” “Prince von Preußen”) but those titles have no legal status in Germany.
Why do Prussia and Russia sound so similar – are they related?
No. In German, those countries are / were called “Preußen” and “Russland”.
Do you advocate for a resurrection of Prussia or the monarchy in Germany?
Such notions would be absurd. Prussia has passed irrevocably into history, her dominions dissolved and for the most part lost. I profess myself a firm adherent of the European Union and of the eventual political unification of Europe. What is here undertaken concerns history alone, not revanchism, nor any indulgence in a sentimental yearning for a supposed “golden age.”
Yet I must confess that the labour of writing these volumes has stirred emotions long laid dormant: a sense of dependability, the sanctity of one’s word of honour, pride in honest achievement, and a longing for things that carry greater weight than mere wealth. Regrettably, such virtues command but little esteem in our present age. It may well be left to each individual to rediscover and re-establish those personal values by which one defines oneself. As I reread these lines, I cannot help but smile – for it seems that some measure of sentiment has, after all, found its way back in.