Post by Austria on Mar 3, 2013 23:20:27 GMT -5
6:15am, 12th March, 1938. Hietzing, Vienna.
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---
Roderich Edelstein was sleepless, and so was Kurt Schuschnigg.
It was the seventh cup of mokka Roderich served his Chancellor already, yet the latter did not appear to have any wish to sleep. He received the coffee politely and sipped it, repeating the same praise Roderich had heard during the night, and gazing at the nation in a manner that Roderich had to avert his eyes. How endearing was his love for his Fatherland, for the people, for the sovereignty of the Eastern Kingdom without glory. Looking back at history and examining the past emperors, there might not be a ruler with qualities as diligent and persistent as Schuscnigg was, and perhaps no one in the future.
"I blame no one," Roderich whispered as he glanced back by the kitchen, placing the used cups into the sink for wash later. The recently renovated wooden house was painted in creme and khaki colours, yet even the new colour schemes failed to brighten up the living room with dimmed lights at six in the morning. "Please, sir, you must not let your heart sink in sadness."
The consolation had no effect on this former Chancellor's facial expression, as if he had daydreamt his wife perishing in front of him on the street three years ago. He had no home to return to, no job to work for, and no family to tend to. And he would possibly be losing his country anytime soon.
"You have done what was necessary to prevent the fraternal bloodshed, and you have done more than enough to protect and defend me. You stood up for your ideology until the last minute-" Biting his lips firmly, Roderich took a seat next to his former boss on the couch, taking away the half emptied cup from his hand, and placing the cup on the coffee table, next to a large stack of appointment documents for Seyss-Inquart and work that they were supposed to complete by tomorrow morning.
"-I must thank you for the services you have done to preserve the sovereignty, and I appreciate the personal connection you strive to foster between us. Now, I shall take care of the rest of paperwork and you must rest, or your mentality will only haunt you later..."
"-How about your mentality?"
"Pardon me?"
"Your mentality, Roderich, after a millennium, after this treatment from your past allies."
"...You get used to it, sir. That is what coffee is for." He sighed.
Last evening right after Hitler issued his threat of invasion, Roderich promptly dialed the numbers directly connecting to the desk of Francis Bonnefoy and Arthur Kirkland, but were only received with deliberate negligence from both men, refusing to take further steps to support Austrian independence. It was not new for the Austrian to hear France and England rejecting requests; yet back in the days, it was relatively less severe for the Austrian side since he did possess enough power to possibly revert any crisis. This case was different - his ruler had to beg around for foreign support from Roderich's past rival, or even, subordinates.
Nothing would have been more shameful for Roderich to rely on Feliciano's support to ensure his own existence. Six years when Hitler was not yet the Chancellor, Mussolini had predicted that Anschluss would occur around another European war broke out, during the discussion for a possible economic tripartite agreement. It was quite ignominious for Roderich to receive the military favour, in particular a guarantee from Italy against Germany after the assassination of Chancellor Dolfuss; nevertheless he felt warm and beloved that, after all the years, Feliciano would still be willing to stay by his side... Until Mussolini backed up and recalled his troops from borders of Austria in favour of a closer relation with Germany last year.
Of course that would mean a call from Roderich directly to Feliciano's office, with series of questions to follow. Roderich was not entirely displeased witnessing the ancient puppy love of nations reviving in front of him, yet he felt that there were better solutions that the Italians should have chosen for a more well-rounded results. Feliciano certainly sounded very apologetic in regards to his boss's decision on the Austrian dispute, thus eliminating more reasons for Roderich to vent his anger on the young Latin nation. The more he thought on his decline on power and influence, the stronger he felt shameless and inferior.
---
---
"You are still the better German, Roderich," said Schuschnigg as he reclaimed his coffee while returning to the stack of document; only twenty pages left and he could call it the end of his political career. "Your tradition and legacies are unmatched."
"Please do not brainwash me, Herr Schuschnigg. There is only one subject I would claim supremacy over all nations for another hundred years, which is, regrettably, an impractical skill in the negotiation arena," Roderich chuckled bitterly as he returned to the living room, taking a stack of document to the piano and using the music rack as his work station. "Your knowledge of the current state of this country is more profound than I do, and must be aware of the crisis we are facing."
The man paused for a bit. "What is your opinion on Seyss-Inquart?"
"Objectively speaking, a brilliant lawyer, a hiker with his logic occasionally overwhelmed by his fervent support of the political union. The sentiment is understandable, no need to be analysed." Although it was not part of the Constitution, the government usually required the embodiment of nation to personally sign the appointment form of his future boss for symbolic purpose. Reluctantly, Roderich signed his name next to Seyss-Inquart's signature, then tossing the legal document away on the floor.
"That wasn't very sincere," spoke Schuschnigg, a bit amused at the scene.
"All is well," the brunet replied monotonously without looking back, focusing on skimming the rest of the paragraphs instead. "It is advised not to inquire a nation about his or her thoughts and emotions. You will only receive an incoherent answer, and possibly an incomprehensible cry."
---
---
Ludwig was barely a machine; he might not have participated in the decision making whatsoever, and even if he did, he would discard his emotions without second thought. The last time Roderich met the young German around two to three years ago, his blue eyes were completely dulled, and his pragmatic speech was beyond resurrection. He grew so tall and muscular that the Austrian had to look up on him, and an embrace was nearly impossible. Not that he was worthy enough to offer the young German guidance and consolation anymore.
What was more surprising to Roderich, other than his unstable mind, was the persistence of Herr Hitler. It was understandable that this Austrian, who identified to the pan-German identity, would want to introduce his fatherland into the Third Reich. Yet the force and tactics employed - assassination, Nazi influence, threats... Having felt the pressure since Hitler rose in power, he could tell the society was changing along with the spreading of Nazi ideas. The blatant change made him doubt whether this bold decision was beneficial for their cooperation in the future, but it seemed that public did not notice this gradual political change - at least not among the young generation.
Roderich had not told his government about his intimate relationship with a certain Prussian, and had no intention to do so until a notification was necessary. A modern parallel of his current situation would be a lover deciding whether he should preserve his existence for more years of dignity to come, or abandon himself for the sake of a greater clause and a reunion with the beloved. His old body urged for remaining alive, yet his heart desired to burn fervently for emotional completeness by getting absorbed. A plebiscite targeting only towards the elderly had already failed, and ti would only be dangerous for him to tell his government his youthful feelings during the time of unstable regime and economy...
This reminded him that he had not seen the Prussian for over a year. Perhaps he got transformed into an emotionless machine along with his brother, which was the least desirable event Roderich would like to be notified on.
"You haven't warned me about this matter early on, Roderich. Perhaps it is advised for the nations to tell their future rulers about all their taboos first?" Picking up the paper Roderich had tossed away, Schuschnigg placed it into the pile he just finished proofreading. He sounded less pathetic now as most of his work was completed.
"No need for that," Roderich handed him the rest of papers. "You learn the taboos through the numerous biographies and analyses scholars have written on us. Sometimes they interpret it wrong, but they are correct most of the time."
---
---
"Full sarcasm already this early in the morning?" Putting the document into his suitcase, the former Chancellor was ready to head back to the city hall and handed over the government to the Nazi controlled regime.
"More like my brain failed to sort out my emotions in an expressible form like an humorousless German, thanks to the excess amount of chemical," Roderich covered his face and yawned, trying his best to maintain a good posture and a dignified voice. "Allow me to accompany you back to the office. I have spare bicycles for you to ride on-"
The telephone burst out ringing all of a sudden.
"Excuse me- This is Edelstein." The nation picked up the phone cautiously, only to hear a muffled voice with loud voice in the background. The speaker attempted to yell out something in Berlin German, but was rendered inaudible by the background. The phone call was hung up shortly.
Throwing a frowned glance towards his former boss, both Austrians soon fell in dead silence. Half a minute later, they heard a scream from outside, followed by the front door being broken down. Roderich was about to pull out his handgun, but it was too late- several MG30 rifles were already pointed against them by men wearing Nazi uniform. There was no need for self defence.
They were to put under house arrest.
"Mein Vaterland, tell me," in contrast to his stern looking face, Schuschnigg asked in a pleading voice as he was being pulled out by the armed Austrian Nazi members, "what can I do for you if you are at the edge of disappearance?"
It was strange. Seeing the Austrian Nazi coming for him was frightening and disappointing at first, his loss of liberty and independence was on the verge; yet, as if another form of liberty and identify was regranted, he felt overjoyed and thrilled, like a black sheep finally getting accepted to the group. He could not answer Schuschnigg's question for a second.
Finally, he answered in a whisper before Schuscnigg was dragged away.
"Write me a requiem."
---
---
8:30am, 15th March, 1938.
Roderich was glad that the Austrian Nazi at least allowed him to play piano during house arrest. No phone calls, no telegraphs, no letter writing, yet music composition without lyrics was allowed. As a nation, he would not die simply because of couple gunshots directly onto his heart, but he would rather not take the risk of experiencing the agonising pain simply by defying orders.
He was told that the Führer would be marching into Vienna this morning, and would be giving a speech in Heldenplatz. As the new province of Ostmark, he was expected to wait for his new superior at the end of the march, receiving him symbolically. Thus, according to the schedule, he would have to be marching at the very front of the parade. The Nazi member also slipped that the original plan, which was making Austria as a puppet state with a trustworthy government, was replaced with Anschluss because of the unexpectedly welcoming reception from the Austrian public along the march from Brauslau to the capital.
There was yet any studies to find out the correlation between the psychological status of the said nation and its public opinion, but Roderich still could not help but wonder if the excitement was the result of his incessant bathroom breaks during the house arrest, or simply a natural phenomenon of the German majority public.
The Austrian could only hope that Freud would not be angry at him.
As his gleeful neighbours started rushing out of their homes towards the central area, the Nazi members were also getting ready to insist on escorting Roderich to the plaza. The Austrian could do nothing but to comply.
Exchanging his suit into the new German uniform, Roderich played a chromatic scale on his beloved Bossendorfer for the one last time. He was scheduled to move into a tinier apartment in the same district by tomorrow, as there was no need for him to live in a large house all by himself.
Insisting that he had obsessive–compulsive behavior on personal hygiene, he successfully persuaded the Nazi not to force him to ride with the smelly, uncivilised soldiers, but to grant him a Lipizzaner to ride on instead.
Unlike 72 years ago, he was ready to march on to be annexed.
- Next post will be about him marching down the streets and seeing all his people feeling happy about the political union, in case you are wondering how this RP will be paced.
- I apologise for writing a long post. Most of the facts in this post are backed up historically, so it took me some time to get them organised. There are still little things that I didn't get a chance to write out, like Dolfuss, the Civil War, the downgrade to Federal State of Austria, the Jewish people, etc....
- I might edit this post when I spot out grammatical and spelling errors.
- This post gets its inspiration from Arnold Schoenberg's Piano piece Op 33b. The lines in between the paragraphs are its description. The theme of this intro, or even this era for Austria, is non-tonality, or a lack of centralised idea or theme. Roderich is just following whatever it needs to be done, and he pretty much does not have a reason to back up his action. It is in a constrained yet free state. His emotions basically just clash altogether, and the end result is dissonance.
- It was Schoenberg who said that he discovered a theory that would continue Austrian supremacy in music for another hundred years. That's what Roderich was referencing to. Feel free to look up the Second Viennese School and Freudian theory if you are interested.
- The coffee inside Roderich's cup is alcoholic.
- The phone call is from Gilbert. The Germans started marching into Austria in the morning, so he probably tried to contact Roderich before he got dragged away by other officers.
- Schuschnigg did get house arrested. He also wrote a book called "Austrian requiem" on 1946, and I see that as his ultimate love for Austria. (He also wrote a book called "My Austria" too.)
- In case you are wondering why Roderich thought Freud would get angry at him, it was because Freud regarded masturbation as a harmful practice...
- According to some old videos, there were only couple horses along the parade. But I love my Lipizzaner so... It symbolises an artificial triumph.
- If you are confused, please let me know! I will correct stuff asap.
- For once I am not using strike through lines.
---
Soft pitches gently swing in a careless manner, with rhythm being freed from the constrained pattern.
Liberation will not last long. Same goes for rigidity.
Liberation will not last long. Same goes for rigidity.
---
Roderich Edelstein was sleepless, and so was Kurt Schuschnigg.
It was the seventh cup of mokka Roderich served his Chancellor already, yet the latter did not appear to have any wish to sleep. He received the coffee politely and sipped it, repeating the same praise Roderich had heard during the night, and gazing at the nation in a manner that Roderich had to avert his eyes. How endearing was his love for his Fatherland, for the people, for the sovereignty of the Eastern Kingdom without glory. Looking back at history and examining the past emperors, there might not be a ruler with qualities as diligent and persistent as Schuscnigg was, and perhaps no one in the future.
"I blame no one," Roderich whispered as he glanced back by the kitchen, placing the used cups into the sink for wash later. The recently renovated wooden house was painted in creme and khaki colours, yet even the new colour schemes failed to brighten up the living room with dimmed lights at six in the morning. "Please, sir, you must not let your heart sink in sadness."
The consolation had no effect on this former Chancellor's facial expression, as if he had daydreamt his wife perishing in front of him on the street three years ago. He had no home to return to, no job to work for, and no family to tend to. And he would possibly be losing his country anytime soon.
"You have done what was necessary to prevent the fraternal bloodshed, and you have done more than enough to protect and defend me. You stood up for your ideology until the last minute-" Biting his lips firmly, Roderich took a seat next to his former boss on the couch, taking away the half emptied cup from his hand, and placing the cup on the coffee table, next to a large stack of appointment documents for Seyss-Inquart and work that they were supposed to complete by tomorrow morning.
"-I must thank you for the services you have done to preserve the sovereignty, and I appreciate the personal connection you strive to foster between us. Now, I shall take care of the rest of paperwork and you must rest, or your mentality will only haunt you later..."
"-How about your mentality?"
"Pardon me?"
"Your mentality, Roderich, after a millennium, after this treatment from your past allies."
"...You get used to it, sir. That is what coffee is for." He sighed.
Last evening right after Hitler issued his threat of invasion, Roderich promptly dialed the numbers directly connecting to the desk of Francis Bonnefoy and Arthur Kirkland, but were only received with deliberate negligence from both men, refusing to take further steps to support Austrian independence. It was not new for the Austrian to hear France and England rejecting requests; yet back in the days, it was relatively less severe for the Austrian side since he did possess enough power to possibly revert any crisis. This case was different - his ruler had to beg around for foreign support from Roderich's past rival, or even, subordinates.
Nothing would have been more shameful for Roderich to rely on Feliciano's support to ensure his own existence. Six years when Hitler was not yet the Chancellor, Mussolini had predicted that Anschluss would occur around another European war broke out, during the discussion for a possible economic tripartite agreement. It was quite ignominious for Roderich to receive the military favour, in particular a guarantee from Italy against Germany after the assassination of Chancellor Dolfuss; nevertheless he felt warm and beloved that, after all the years, Feliciano would still be willing to stay by his side... Until Mussolini backed up and recalled his troops from borders of Austria in favour of a closer relation with Germany last year.
Of course that would mean a call from Roderich directly to Feliciano's office, with series of questions to follow. Roderich was not entirely displeased witnessing the ancient puppy love of nations reviving in front of him, yet he felt that there were better solutions that the Italians should have chosen for a more well-rounded results. Feliciano certainly sounded very apologetic in regards to his boss's decision on the Austrian dispute, thus eliminating more reasons for Roderich to vent his anger on the young Latin nation. The more he thought on his decline on power and influence, the stronger he felt shameless and inferior.
---
Unfortunately, playfulness is short-lived.
---
"You are still the better German, Roderich," said Schuschnigg as he reclaimed his coffee while returning to the stack of document; only twenty pages left and he could call it the end of his political career. "Your tradition and legacies are unmatched."
"Please do not brainwash me, Herr Schuschnigg. There is only one subject I would claim supremacy over all nations for another hundred years, which is, regrettably, an impractical skill in the negotiation arena," Roderich chuckled bitterly as he returned to the living room, taking a stack of document to the piano and using the music rack as his work station. "Your knowledge of the current state of this country is more profound than I do, and must be aware of the crisis we are facing."
The man paused for a bit. "What is your opinion on Seyss-Inquart?"
"Objectively speaking, a brilliant lawyer, a hiker with his logic occasionally overwhelmed by his fervent support of the political union. The sentiment is understandable, no need to be analysed." Although it was not part of the Constitution, the government usually required the embodiment of nation to personally sign the appointment form of his future boss for symbolic purpose. Reluctantly, Roderich signed his name next to Seyss-Inquart's signature, then tossing the legal document away on the floor.
"That wasn't very sincere," spoke Schuschnigg, a bit amused at the scene.
"All is well," the brunet replied monotonously without looking back, focusing on skimming the rest of the paragraphs instead. "It is advised not to inquire a nation about his or her thoughts and emotions. You will only receive an incoherent answer, and possibly an incomprehensible cry."
---
The return to melancholy and free form is an illusion. Underneath the surface is an urging, passionate libido.
The indescribable pleasure of being pressured.
The indescribable pleasure of being pressured.
---
Ludwig was barely a machine; he might not have participated in the decision making whatsoever, and even if he did, he would discard his emotions without second thought. The last time Roderich met the young German around two to three years ago, his blue eyes were completely dulled, and his pragmatic speech was beyond resurrection. He grew so tall and muscular that the Austrian had to look up on him, and an embrace was nearly impossible. Not that he was worthy enough to offer the young German guidance and consolation anymore.
What was more surprising to Roderich, other than his unstable mind, was the persistence of Herr Hitler. It was understandable that this Austrian, who identified to the pan-German identity, would want to introduce his fatherland into the Third Reich. Yet the force and tactics employed - assassination, Nazi influence, threats... Having felt the pressure since Hitler rose in power, he could tell the society was changing along with the spreading of Nazi ideas. The blatant change made him doubt whether this bold decision was beneficial for their cooperation in the future, but it seemed that public did not notice this gradual political change - at least not among the young generation.
Roderich had not told his government about his intimate relationship with a certain Prussian, and had no intention to do so until a notification was necessary. A modern parallel of his current situation would be a lover deciding whether he should preserve his existence for more years of dignity to come, or abandon himself for the sake of a greater clause and a reunion with the beloved. His old body urged for remaining alive, yet his heart desired to burn fervently for emotional completeness by getting absorbed. A plebiscite targeting only towards the elderly had already failed, and ti would only be dangerous for him to tell his government his youthful feelings during the time of unstable regime and economy...
This reminded him that he had not seen the Prussian for over a year. Perhaps he got transformed into an emotionless machine along with his brother, which was the least desirable event Roderich would like to be notified on.
"You haven't warned me about this matter early on, Roderich. Perhaps it is advised for the nations to tell their future rulers about all their taboos first?" Picking up the paper Roderich had tossed away, Schuschnigg placed it into the pile he just finished proofreading. He sounded less pathetic now as most of his work was completed.
"No need for that," Roderich handed him the rest of papers. "You learn the taboos through the numerous biographies and analyses scholars have written on us. Sometimes they interpret it wrong, but they are correct most of the time."
---
There is no motif. No dominance, no centralisation of ideas. Change of tempo, change of dynamics. The melange of despair, sadness, melancholy, happiness, delight, gleeful, ecstasy, flats and sharps- dissonance.
Eventually, a deep whimsical thought with a hint of disappearance.
Eventually, a deep whimsical thought with a hint of disappearance.
---
"Full sarcasm already this early in the morning?" Putting the document into his suitcase, the former Chancellor was ready to head back to the city hall and handed over the government to the Nazi controlled regime.
"More like my brain failed to sort out my emotions in an expressible form like an humorousless German, thanks to the excess amount of chemical," Roderich covered his face and yawned, trying his best to maintain a good posture and a dignified voice. "Allow me to accompany you back to the office. I have spare bicycles for you to ride on-"
The telephone burst out ringing all of a sudden.
"Excuse me- This is Edelstein." The nation picked up the phone cautiously, only to hear a muffled voice with loud voice in the background. The speaker attempted to yell out something in Berlin German, but was rendered inaudible by the background. The phone call was hung up shortly.
Throwing a frowned glance towards his former boss, both Austrians soon fell in dead silence. Half a minute later, they heard a scream from outside, followed by the front door being broken down. Roderich was about to pull out his handgun, but it was too late- several MG30 rifles were already pointed against them by men wearing Nazi uniform. There was no need for self defence.
They were to put under house arrest.
"Mein Vaterland, tell me," in contrast to his stern looking face, Schuschnigg asked in a pleading voice as he was being pulled out by the armed Austrian Nazi members, "what can I do for you if you are at the edge of disappearance?"
It was strange. Seeing the Austrian Nazi coming for him was frightening and disappointing at first, his loss of liberty and independence was on the verge; yet, as if another form of liberty and identify was regranted, he felt overjoyed and thrilled, like a black sheep finally getting accepted to the group. He could not answer Schuschnigg's question for a second.
Finally, he answered in a whisper before Schuscnigg was dragged away.
"Write me a requiem."
---
The end is the beginning.
---
8:30am, 15th March, 1938.
Roderich was glad that the Austrian Nazi at least allowed him to play piano during house arrest. No phone calls, no telegraphs, no letter writing, yet music composition without lyrics was allowed. As a nation, he would not die simply because of couple gunshots directly onto his heart, but he would rather not take the risk of experiencing the agonising pain simply by defying orders.
He was told that the Führer would be marching into Vienna this morning, and would be giving a speech in Heldenplatz. As the new province of Ostmark, he was expected to wait for his new superior at the end of the march, receiving him symbolically. Thus, according to the schedule, he would have to be marching at the very front of the parade. The Nazi member also slipped that the original plan, which was making Austria as a puppet state with a trustworthy government, was replaced with Anschluss because of the unexpectedly welcoming reception from the Austrian public along the march from Brauslau to the capital.
There was yet any studies to find out the correlation between the psychological status of the said nation and its public opinion, but Roderich still could not help but wonder if the excitement was the result of his incessant bathroom breaks during the house arrest, or simply a natural phenomenon of the German majority public.
The Austrian could only hope that Freud would not be angry at him.
As his gleeful neighbours started rushing out of their homes towards the central area, the Nazi members were also getting ready to insist on escorting Roderich to the plaza. The Austrian could do nothing but to comply.
Exchanging his suit into the new German uniform, Roderich played a chromatic scale on his beloved Bossendorfer for the one last time. He was scheduled to move into a tinier apartment in the same district by tomorrow, as there was no need for him to live in a large house all by himself.
Insisting that he had obsessive–compulsive behavior on personal hygiene, he successfully persuaded the Nazi not to force him to ride with the smelly, uncivilised soldiers, but to grant him a Lipizzaner to ride on instead.
Unlike 72 years ago, he was ready to march on to be annexed.
- Next post will be about him marching down the streets and seeing all his people feeling happy about the political union, in case you are wondering how this RP will be paced.
- I apologise for writing a long post. Most of the facts in this post are backed up historically, so it took me some time to get them organised. There are still little things that I didn't get a chance to write out, like Dolfuss, the Civil War, the downgrade to Federal State of Austria, the Jewish people, etc....
- I might edit this post when I spot out grammatical and spelling errors.
- This post gets its inspiration from Arnold Schoenberg's Piano piece Op 33b. The lines in between the paragraphs are its description. The theme of this intro, or even this era for Austria, is non-tonality, or a lack of centralised idea or theme. Roderich is just following whatever it needs to be done, and he pretty much does not have a reason to back up his action. It is in a constrained yet free state. His emotions basically just clash altogether, and the end result is dissonance.
- It was Schoenberg who said that he discovered a theory that would continue Austrian supremacy in music for another hundred years. That's what Roderich was referencing to. Feel free to look up the Second Viennese School and Freudian theory if you are interested.
- The coffee inside Roderich's cup is alcoholic.
- The phone call is from Gilbert. The Germans started marching into Austria in the morning, so he probably tried to contact Roderich before he got dragged away by other officers.
- Schuschnigg did get house arrested. He also wrote a book called "Austrian requiem" on 1946, and I see that as his ultimate love for Austria. (He also wrote a book called "My Austria" too.)
- In case you are wondering why Roderich thought Freud would get angry at him, it was because Freud regarded masturbation as a harmful practice...
- According to some old videos, there were only couple horses along the parade. But I love my Lipizzaner so... It symbolises an artificial triumph.
- If you are confused, please let me know! I will correct stuff asap.
