History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 12 — Reading Notes

The Capture of Glogau: A Midnight Scalade

Carlyle recounts the storming of Glogau on March 9, 1741, as a feat executed in one hour before dawn. The account centers on four grenadiers who, separated from their column, stumble upon fifty-two Austrians and bluff them into surrender. The king, upon hearing of this, declares, "I must make acquaintance with these four men," and rewards them with promotion. Carlyle notes that the town was taken "as in a dream," with no plundering and minimal casualties—ten Prussian dead. The episode illustrates Carlyle's method: he elevates a small, dramatic incident to reveal character and discipline, while also grounding it in tactical specifics like the use of axe and petard on the gates.

Frederick's Disappearance and Return

During the Battle of Mollwitz, Frederick famously vanishes from the field, an event Carlyle treats with characteristic irony. He titles a section "Of Friedrich's Disappearance into Fairyland, in the Interim; and of Maupertuis's Similar Adventure." The parallel with the philosopher Maupertuis suggests Carlyle's wry view of the king's flight. The excerpts do not reveal the full circumstances, but Carlyle frames the disappearance as a kind of mythic interlude. Readers should note how the author uses this moment to question heroic narratives while still admiring Frederick's subsequent recovery of command. The battle itself is described with attention to troop movements and the role of the Old Dessauer's camp at Gottin.

Carlyle's European Stage: Versailles and Petersburg

Interspersed with military action are chapters on diplomatic maneuvers. Carlyle turns to Versailles with the chapter "At Versailles, the Most Christian Majesty Changes His Shirt, and Belleisle Is Seen with Papers." The title's bathos—juxtaposing a king changing his shirt with Belleisle's strategic papers—typifies Carlyle's satirical tone. He also covers "Phenomena in Petersburg" and the British parliamentary scene, including "Mr. Viner's" speech and the Jenkins's Ear question. These sections broaden the war's context, showing how Frederick's invasion of Silesia triggers a European crisis. Carlyle's treatment of the Pragmatic Sanction's collapse is pointed: he asks "Who was to blame?" and sketches Belleisle's tour of Germany, searching for a new emperor.

The King's Voice: Letters and Orders

Carlyle frequently incorporates Frederick's own words, such as the king's letter to Jordan and his orders during the Glogau siege. In one excerpt, Frederick writes of the grenadiers, "I must make acquaintance with these four men," revealing his personal attention to bravery. Another passage shows him hushing up the Glogau problem and starting "with his best speed for Breslau." These quotations give direct access to Frederick's decisiveness and emotional range—from tears to calculated ruthlessness. Carlyle uses them to build a portrait of a leader who is both a strategist and a man of sudden impulses. Readers should watch for how these embedded voices shape the narrative's authority.

This volume rewards attention to Carlyle's digressions—his asides on Walpole, Belleisle, or the "Constitutional Historian"—which are not mere padding but integral to his argument about the war's origins. The excerpts offer a concentrated view of the first five months of conflict, but the full text likely extends into broader European repercussions. Approach the book as a dramatic history where character and incident outweigh systematic analysis.

There’s something immensely human about Frederick weeping at the sight of his own grenadiers after Mollwitz—those small, unguarded moments that make history feel close. History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 13 — Story, Setting & Ideas lingers in that same quiet space, where the battles fade and the man remains, still puzzling over what he has begun.