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From Private Memoir by Evelyn Blücher
BERLIN, September 12, 1914.—No news means bad news, and nothing is hear of the operations round Paris. Another panic is being caused by the doubts as to America's neutrality. She is financing France, it seems, and this is a great shock to Germany, although President Wilson has published a letter expressing his readiness to intervene in both countries for peace. The new Pope too has expressed his views in the same way.
I hope that this will all tend towards opening up negotiations, . . (etc).
( pages 28-9 )
MUNICH, October 1918.— ( . . . )
. . . we are all in an agony of suspense to know what Wilson's answer will be. Will he prove himself great enough to bear the huge responsibility of the destiny of almost the whole world, which fate has placed in his hands ? (Etc.)
( page 251 )
BERLIN, October 23, 1918.:—To-day there was a general feeling of suppressed excitement everywhere in Berlin. The Reichstag was opened, an every oe was quivering with excitement to hear the new Reichskanzerl's speech.
The new Note to America was made public, and then Wilson's answer to Austria fell like a bomb-shell. It means the entire break-up of that country, and for people in any way connected with it. Personal friends of mine, the Larisches, came to see us. They say they feel as if the ground had been suddenly cut away from under their feet. Everything changes for them, as their father's estate will become Polish, and they are only one example out of thousands.
Austria will be reduced to quite a small kingdom, but as the young Kaiser very sensibly says, he much prefers being a king over a small, happy country than being Emperor over a big, unhappy one. Perhaps Kaiser Wilhelm will come to look at things in the same way.
Meantime the aversion towards the Kaiser is increasing daily. wilson's answer to the second German Note will probably decide his fate. (Etc.)
( page 255 )
BERLIN, October 24, 1918.—Last evening there was another demonstration going on under our windows, caused by the triumphal procession accompanying the notorious Socialist, Liebknech, who has returned from prison, where he has been for the last two years. (Etc.)
. . . . .
There is great groaning over the hardness of Wilson's second Note. A man from The Hague tells me that Wilson would like to make moderate terms for Germany, but that england and France are blind with victory, and will not let him do as he likes. They mean to punish Germany for her falseness and for her brutalities. (Etc.)
There are different points of view—each nation's vision is only focussed on the brutalities of the other.
( pages 256 and 257 )
BERLIN, October 25, 1918.—Nothing but Wilson's third Note is being discussed now, and as the translation is extremely unclear, every one interprets it according to his own sweet will. I have now seen the original English text, which has been published in some of the German papers, and we at once saw there was only one interpretation possible, which is tha the Entente do not wish to negotiate until the
Emperor abdicates, as they do not trust his word.
This reading seems to have struck other people in the same way, for a luncheon party was quickly arranged at Prince Eulenberg's house to-day, at which the Kaiser assisted, and where it was discussed whether he should abdicate at once or not. They seemed to have decided to break off negotiations and to stand by the monarchy, or at least leave the casting vote to Hindenburg.
( page 259 )
BERLIN, October 29, 1918.—
. . . . .
It appears that Hindenburg did send in his resignation a few days ago, but withdrew it after much persuasion, and Prince Münster, who dined here last night, confessed that he could not help feeling a little proud seeing that Hindenburg has followed his advice as to the delay. (Etc.)
Prince Münster further showed us a copy of his letter to Hindenburg, setting forth reasons for his remaining in office. (Etc.)
( page 263 )
From the Diaries by Lady D'Abernon
November 2nd, 1920.
Last night we dined at the Hôtel Adlon next door. The dinner was given in private rooms by Princess Radziwill. She is a Polish war-widow now living in Paris, and has come to Berlin in order to try to regain possession of some wonderful jewels that belonged to her mother and which lie deposited here in a government safe. We had been told that Prince and Princess Blücher had been asked to meet us, together with other Germans, . . . (etc).
At dinner conversation, although not effortless, was more or less general—not just talking to one's neighbour, as at London banquets, . . . (etc). Princess Blücher is English and a Catholic ; she is tall and handsome with pleasing quiet ways ; not brilliant, I should imagine, but dignified and tactful, with a straightforward, easy manner. Princess Radziwill is a tiny, restless imp of a woman, very dark with black, bead-like eyes and quick, darting movements like a lizard. She is half Spanish, [?] the two remaining quarters being respectively Polish and Russian, and . . . she is quite obviously a network of nerves. She has recently engaged herself to her cousin, Prince " Loche " Radziwill (a brother of the Duchess de Doudeauville) and this although her husband was killed only a few months ago, at the time of the Bolshevist invasion of Poland. They were not happy together and he met with a horrible death. Taken prisoner by the Bolshevists he was cruelly maltreated and mutilated. When his body was exhumed for identification, it was found to be perforated all over with stabs, and the skin of the hands had been pulled off and turned back like gloves. Princess Radziwill chatters about this without reticence, as glibly as one might do (yet hardly would do) had the unfortunate man been a monkey or a cat.
( pages 71-2 )
Comment I cannot make heads or tails of parts of the above. Princess Radziwill seems not to have any Spanish connexion within her immediate ancestry. She was born into a Polish line of Rzewuski, much Russianised — to the point of personal confusion by some of the members.
The name Radziwill she had acquired by a marriage. Whether she was accepted by other Radziwill's I would not at all vouch. In some ways she is problematic ; her dealings with Cecil Rhodes were apparently less than entirely straightforward.
On the other hand, she had no reason to proclaim self half-Spanish, and the datum seems to me like some sorts of table-gossip. I would think it likely that Lady D'Abernon had got this one from some third person who either did not know or was 'making stories'. This one does not seem terribly important.
Of importance are some of the writings by Catherine Radziwill. The criticisms which she had often got would largely stem from the nature of the material she was dealing with.
She did not overtly present any sorts of scientific method in her work : but she was in a position to know the key persons involved in the events she was describing.
I would recommend the reader not to dismiss the works by C. Radziwill based merely on the statements by other authors who might see interest in certain data not being known broadly.
The clues given by C. Radziwill can often be corroborated by other works by other authors. Constant alertness is the price of freedom ; this very much applies to the literary products of the 20th century. — WPT 4 Dec 04
November 26th, 1923. [Berlin]
Visits to-day from Princess Clary, Princess Löwenstein and Countess Henckel, the last of the trio was the only one a stranger to me. They are the three Austrian sisters of whom Princess Blücher wrote in An English Wife in Berlin, that throughout the bitter years of the war they alone remained consistently kind and considerate to her. (Etc.)
( page 122 )
January 1st, 1924.
... To-morrow Prince and Princess Blücher are expected for the day from Kreblowitz and are bringing with them a mixed cosmopolitan party
( page 129 )
RED CROSS AND BERLIN EMBASSY 1915-1926
Extracts from the Diaries of Viscountess D'Abernon
London : John Murray 1946.
Bibliographic (University of California)
Author Blücher von Wahlstatt, Gebhard Lebrecht, furst, 1865-1931.
Title Memoirs of Prince Blücher, edited by Evelyn, princess Blücher ... and Major Desmond Chapman-Huston.
Publisher London : J. Murray, [1932]
Description xv, 351 p. front., plates, ports. 22cm.
Note Includes index.
Note "Letters of Marshal Vorwärts [Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher]": p. 20-59
Author Blücher von Wahlstatt, Evelyn Mary Stapleton-Bretherton, fürstin von, 1876-
Title Tagebuch; mit einem votwort von Gebhart Fürst Blücher von Wahlstatt.
Publisher München, Verlag für kulturpolitik, 1924.
Description xxiv, 363 p.
Language German
Author Blücher von Wahlstatt, Evelyn Mary Stapleton-Bretherton, fürstin von, 1876-
Title An English wife in Berlin : a private memoir of events, politics, and daily life in Germany throughout the war and the social revolution of 1918 / by Evelyn, Princess Blücher.
Publisher London : Constable, 1921.
Description xi, 336 p., [1] leaf of plates : port. ; 23 cm.
Author Blücher von Wahlstatt, Evelyn Mary Stapleton-Bretherton, fürstin von, 1876-
Title Une anglaise aÌ Berlin. Notes intimes de la princesse Blücher sur les eìveìnements la politique et la vie quotidienne en Allemagne, au cours de la guerre et de la reìvolution sociale de 1918. Tr. de l'anglais par Mlle. Henriette Cavaignac; avant propos de Louis Gillet.
Publisher Paris : Payot & cie, 1921.
Description 2 p. l., [7]-341 p., 1 l. front. (port.)
Series Collection de meìmoires, eìtudes et documents pour servir aÌ l'histoire de la guerre mondiale
Note Original title: An English wife in Berlin.
Language French
Author Blu̲cher von Wahlstatt, Evelyn Mary (Stapleton-Bretherton) fu̲rstin von, 1876-
Title An English wife in Berlin;
Publisher New York : E. P. Dutton & company, [c1920]
Description xi, 336 p. front. (port.) 22 cm.
Author Blücher von Wahlstatt, Evelyn Mary (Stapleton-Bretherton) fürstin von, 1876-
Title An English wife in Berlin; a private memoir of events, politics, and daily life in Germany throughout the war and the social revolution of 1918, by Evelyn, princess Blücher
Publisher London, Constable and company ltd., 1920
Description xi, 336 p. front. (port.) 23 cm
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