Well, I was hoping that this extended scene would prove a jaw-dropper... I guess it worked!
It warms a writer's heart to see readers emotionally involved so.
Draco Rexus said:
I've never been overly fond of the Nappy family, but that was just a nasty way to go... First betrayed and then torn apart by an angry mob. That's just..... so wrong.
Great to see you, Draco! In my reading of history, I've found that it's just... so French! The less glowing accounts of the French Revolution (the ones which don't equate it with "the second coming") mention some of the most brutal and savage behavior by the residents of Paris, who in those times were quite anarchistic.
coz1 said:
Me neither. I was just thinking how difficult it would be for him to get back in the good graces with the Prussians...now it's quite a moot point, isn't it?
I must assume the radicals had it planned this way from the beginning. Try to incite riot using the socialists as a ruse, and then take power. I can't see Wilhelm waiting too terribly long to reverse that position of an uneasy peace.
Great stuff here, Renss. A very vivid moment of the final Nappy's death. (He is the final Nappy isn't he?
)
Thank you for your kindness, Coz. Yes, I think he's the final Nappy. Some others may drift, but not to return.
It was actually the Bourbons who were used as a foil to get the socialists riled up. Not an atypical ruse for revolutionists, and drawn on a Bourbon claim/threat (the Comte) which historically existed in this period.
Louis Napoleon had (during his short, last tenure) become quite close to the Prussians. I just never got to show that.
Mettermrck, Rocketman, BBBD, Ghostwriter, thank you all for your kind attention and comments! Great to see all of you, and I really appreciate your sticking around through such a long and detailed story.
Some of you expressed hope that the Kaiser would seek revenge and/or attempt to take back Europe from the socialists and republicans.
Unfortunately (foreshadowing), Prussia is still recovering from decades of war and debt, etc. and when I looked at doing exactly what you suggest, I realized (and Rensselaer realized) that going into more extended war might raise the possibility of a second bankruptcy
, which was something we weren't willing to risk. The next few years will have quite a bit going on, and there are some attempts to get a handle on the socialist situation in some ways. But war with major powers would not be sought by the Kaiser, who had been warned of the risks.
Do watch for the creative expansions which are to come in the next decade, though... And there will be a reckoning with France... Just not right away!
dsk said:
*de-cloak*
Great AAR!
I didn't read it at first because I thought "Prussian AAR? boring". Glad I read it though .. Took me ages to read it too :wacko:
Anyhow, back to lurking!
*cloak*
DSK! Thank you very much for decloaking and for your kind praise! I know there are quite a few lurkers... I watch the view count go up and up.
I appreciate that you've taken the time to read through such a long story! Please stick around... you've got only half the story, so far.
Rensslaer