(SOME SPOILER) REINHARD VON LOHENGRAMM AND NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
Fong Wing Chung (h9407313@hkusua.hku.hk)
Mon, 27 May 1996 11:10:30 +0800
Hello Everybody,
I have read the novel LOGH (old Chinese edition) twice and discovered
a strange parallel between Reinhard and Napoleon, which seems to have been
missed by most of you.
Both are immortal genius that appears only once in a millenium. (Yang
said Reinhard was such a being, for more than once. Napoleon said mankind would
not see another one like him for the next thousand years.) Both are soldier-
emperors. Both came from petty poor noble families in the last stage of old
corrupt dynasties (Goldenbaum, Bourbon respectively). Both are great reformers.
(The only difference here is that Reinhard goes to the top early enough to
spare the people the horror of another French Revolution.) Both got beyond all
glory when they were still young: Napoleon crowned himself when he was 35 while
Reinhard crowned himself when he was just in his early twenties! Both created
a myth among the soldiers that they would never be defeated when they were led
by their emperors. Forget Vermillion and Waterloo respectively. Both met the
bogey of their lives (Yang, Wellington respectively). It is interesting to see
that Yang had once remarked that, if the soldiers of the Reich were given the
right to vote, they would certainly vote Reinhard as head of state; while
Wellington, after being asked if he expected any desertion of Napoleon's army,
replied that he would not expect it from a private to a colonel, both ranks
included... This shows even the bogeys of the emperors have similar views on
their enemies. It seems to be the fate of the hero that both died young
(Napoleon died when he was just 51 while Reinhard died when he was still in his
twenties. One of Napoleon's marshal, Soult, who was born in the same year of
the emperor, lived to a ripe old age of 82(?). It seemed that Mettermeyer and
Mueller, etc. the Seven Marshals of the Lion would lived to their ripe old
ages when the soldiers of Reinhard would be telling their great grandsons
legneds of the Reichsfloette. And the poor Kaiserin Hildergarde, she would be
destined to be the loveliest dowager empress for the hundred years after
Reinhard's death.)
I found in a recent mail in the archive a mis-translated name "Long
Gu". I suggest it be translated as "Ranke". He is the one whom I hate most. If
he had not had so much conspiracy, Reuenthal would not "rebel" against the
Kaiser. Then Reuenthal would probably survive. (The Second Battle of
Lantimerion, which was the unfortunate battle between Mettermeyer and Reuenthal,was a spectacular, though unfortunate in the sense that Mettermeyer would lose
his friend forever.)
I would like to suggest the terms like "commodore", "rear-admiral",etc.
be replaced with terms like "General der ... " (General of the ... ),
"Generaloberst" (Colonel General) etc. i.e. military ranks of the German army
before WWII, when applied to the commanders of the Reich. The term "admiral"
should be retained as an honorary title to the commanders of a (big or small)
fleet. For example, Kessler, the chief of military police, is a colonel general,
but should not be addressed as "admiral". Colonel generals Mueller and
Bittenfeld are "admirals". Hildegarde is a leutenant general before becoming
empress. This change is in accordance with the novel. The only problem is the
translation of the term "marshal". In the German military ranks it should be
"Generalfeldmarschall" (Genera Fieldmarshal), but the Chinese edition of the
novel suggest it be "Marechal de l'Empire" (Marshal of the empire). Whether
the German word or the French phrase is better is left as a choice.
Reinhard-Siegfried