I DO NOT OWN HETALIA OR ITS CHARACTERS
Acedia (Sloth) PART 1 of 2
"Sloth leads to Wrath; unlike what most think the sin of Sloth is—laziness—it is actually the inability to feel joy or not fulfilling one's moral obligations."
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1806, War of the Third Coalition ends with the Dissolution of the HRE
1806, 14th October: Prussia loses the twin battles of Jena-Auerstedt, leading to it subjugation to French rule which would last for six years.
1807, 9th July: Treaties of Tilsit; Prussia loses half of its territories to the French Empire.
1808, 9th March: Prussia is forced to pay 154,500,000 Francs as tribute, causing massive debt…
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Tired, war weary ruby irises were dulled with apathy as they stared at the sandy blond speaking. Gilbert was in no mood or in any frame of mind to listen; it hurt to move, breathe—just being alive was agony. Did no one ever know when to just leave him alone? As much as the Prussian lived for war, this was too much to ask of him. Nation avatar or not, he too had a breaking point; and he was close to shattering like a porcelain vase hurled to a marble floor. He had recently lost two people, so close to him, that he would be ready to give up an arm or a leg to see them again.
The albino knew that it was uncharacteristic of him to display such lack of drive and spirit; Old Fritz—Friedrich der Groß—would have disapproved and have him back into shape. Except that his beloved king was six feet in the ground: an inescapable fate for all mortals, and apparently applicable to nation avatars as well. It was frightening, but at the same time, in its own twisted way, interesting and worthy of more attention. Gilbert had watched nation avatars die before; his father and guardian—but none of them had ever left much of an impression on him. At least not as strong as this time…
"Gilbert, are you even listening to what I have been going on about?" Frustrated emerald eyes glared at him, obviously displeased with the emptiness and lackluster in usually fiery crimson orbs.
Raising a thin, bandaged hand: the other was in a sling, courtesy of Ivan who had switched sides and rather happily crushed the limb to stop Gilbert from being able to get back up properly. The Prussian slumped further into the armchair he was in, paying no heed to the whines of still unhealed injuries; he had worse before, like hell he was going to die from a handful of broken ribs that came from a Frenchman he desired to see groveling at his feet while Paris burned.
'Now there's a thought, just raze Francis' beloved capital to the ground; but that's not enough, it will never be enough. I'll see to it that he will never get up onto his feet again.'
Except that he had missed his chance to do so—for the love of heliges gott—none of his misery now would have happened had he joined, as a nation, in that stupid war back in 1805. However, seeing that his leader had not, all the albino could do was to take part in the whole clusterfuck of a disaster as Gilbert himself, as a mere human. Part of the albino wondered if this was how humans; citizens of nations felt each time their leaders led them to war over some petty issue that would be written in blood? What a laugh—that causality would toy around with the personification for war itself; cause and effect, its simplicity had decided to turn around and bite him right back in the backside.
"Just leave me alone...I can't care less about anything else at the moment." Cracked with exhaustion and hoarse with pain, the voice belonged to a beaten and defeated man.
Never mind that he had just shown another signs of defeat; he was still human—nation avatar or not, he was still a mortal man. Therefore, Gilbert found it reasonable to want to mourn and wallow in self-misery. Besides, with half of his lands gone to create his old nemesis from scratch…The Prussian simply wanted to close his eyes and sleep; a brief respite from the humiliation he had suffered. Better still, sleep and wake up to realize that everything that had happened was merely a nightmare, that his dear twin was alive, and that his brother was still around…. Surely, as much as fate enjoyed toying with him all the time; during the 13th Century when he should have died from 50 over years of countless bloodshed between the Knights and the Old Prussians—the native Prussians who had remained unbaptized were subjugated, killed, or exiled—
A toddler by human standards, where someone his age would and should be laughing, playing without a care in the world, sheltered from harm and blessed with loving parents; the albino instead lived by fighting for his survival most of the time. Aestii was gone, he had disappeared without a word one day—Gilbert had not needed anyone to tell him why, he had somehow understood that that was how things were meant to be as a nation avatar; the old pass away to let their younger counterparts take over, the basic rule that bound all life together on earth.
Angry, raw wounds stood out against the pale canvas they were drawn on; they had torn out from his skin of their own accord as if having a life of their own. However there was nothing he could do other than trying to keep them clean and dry, he'd learnt first hand what would happen if injuries turned bad; if he had not been a nation avatar he would have undoubtedly died from the severe burns and the infection that often set in after. It was the price for being different from the others in terms of physical appearance and also a nation avatar—when his people realized that he could not die from being burnt, they tied him to a rock and tried to drown him. However he never blamed them, not when he was their representation and entrusted with the duty to protect them because they were his 'children' in a sense. Just as how Aestii had taken care of him and his other siblings, it was now his turn as a nation personification to defend his people.
Plus it was not as if his people were evil; they were in fact a group who loved their home, valued independence and freedom—a trademark that made them stood out amongst others was hospitality and assistance to lost travellers along the Baltic sea.
The young nation leaned heavily on the broadsword he carried with him at all times, now a crutch for him to rest his weight on while he struggled to get back to his make-shift camp of sorts. At least he knew that once he got there, he would be safe and around the comfort of his temporary 'home'…
"Gilbert…GILBERT BEILSCHMIDT!"
Gone were the villages that had corpses strewn about in the grass like rag dolls—most of the time, the bodies had been abandoned to the elements; as an example and also a show of power to the rest who might pass through the area. The albino remembered seeing them in his mind each time he drifted off to sleep then: dead children with their glassy eyes wide open; the fear and confusion in those orbs made eternal by death on their faces. A mother's cold and still body—locked in a protective embrace that would have stopped a sane human from causing the stab that took her life along with the infant in her arms. They were all part of a series of harrowing memories of a past even a hardened nation like him would rather forget—it was the brutality of war that Gilbert had been forced to grown up with: the sheer horror that made war what it was.
'Wars are not won by great heroics or epic battles on the field. War is not about ethics, good or evil. Wars are won by terrorizing the enemy until they give up and go home.'
Needless to say, the madness that followed after being forced to latch his existence onto a military order to survive, how his small hands were stained with the blood of his citizens—former citizens as he had abandoned the remnant few of that had not fled or been killed.
Reality came back to him in a slow haze; as if the memory had been a mere detail in a long dream—the Prussian dully remembered that he was no longer a child nation avatar; he had grown up just as the seasons rotated in a cycle.
Gilbert looked at the retreating back of the Brit who had come to him in a bid to push him to join the next coalition against France and a dry, bleak and bitter chuckle that matched the lifelessness of his irises tumbled out of his chapped lips. Lined with fatigue, jaw going prominent, cheekbones sharp—chalk white skin laid over jutting bone, the pallor resembling old snow and his empty crimson eyes like dying coal embers. A drop of blood seeped from a crack in his lower lip and wormed its way to his chin while a single jewel of a tear welled in one eye. His laughter spiraled into a hysterical screech that matched the cry of a dangerous, cornered and wounded animal.
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2nd December 1805: The Battle of Austerlitz—French forces under the leadership of Napoleon defeat the Austro-Russian army, concluding the War of the Third Coalition…
Gilbert hated winter.
No, he did not loathe the season for the cold it brought; his detest all began in 1411, following the signing of a treaty that—three centuries after—as a newly formed Kingdom did the Prussian realize that it had actually led to consequences unimaginable for the whole of Europe. The entire catastrophe had eventually brought about further conflict and strife that literally tore the nation that he represented into two: Eastern Prussia; Ducal Prussia, which the Teutonic Knights retained, but only under the overlordship of the Polish king. Western Prussia; Royal Prussia on the other hand, became a province of Poland, with some local rights of autonomy.
Fortunately, for him life somehow decided to be more merciful to him by bringing into his miserable existence a "twin". Well, not exactly a twin: it was difficult to explain—she was like a carbon copy of himself created from the division of land and people—but the only word that carried enough weight to describe the bond they shared was of a kindred kind. As she had been older than he was physically, Gilbert saw her as his older sibling. In fact, that was how she had introduced herself, that she was his unintentionally created "other half' as the system between the two separate states were so distinct from each other.
"This fog is going to make things difficult…"
The Prussian not help but smile, "we both know that fog or not we'd be here schwester. Once this battle is over, the two of us can march over to *Österreich and give him a good bashing…"
An exasperated sigh reached his ears; but Gilbert knew that his sister was smiling—that was how well they understood each other—he would start a sentence and she would end it. If he got hurt, she could also feel the pain as if she had been the one to take the blow in his place. It was the unnatural strength of their bond that allowed them to "switch" places at times: when Gilbert had been close to death following the mess of a thirty years war where armies had come through, destroying land and populations over religion—Julchen had stepped up as a "temporary substitute" and heaven help anyone who underestimated her capabilities.
However, Gilbert had to concede that she did speak the truth about the fog; the low visibility was disadvantageous, more so for them than the enemy: at the top of a hill, if the French surrounded the base of the mound, it would only be a matter of moments before they were overrun.
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A/N: *Violently comes back to life* Quite a bit of History for this one… Either way, I'm just happy that this 7 Deadly Sins series EngPru/PrUK is almost done. XP Just left Gula, Avarita and Ira (Gluttony Greed and Wrath). In any case, before this series ends off I was wondering if I should have the next drabble to be an AU or History based one.
Housekeeping matters for this collection of stories aside: yes I am discontinuing a EngPru/PrUK story (One shot for Love, Two for Regret, Three for Wrath) However, as much as I regret the fact that my decision had come to such a stage, my mind will not be easily changed. Yes it's regrettable, but that is just how life is I guess: it takes one person to ruin the fun of everyone. IN ANY CASE I WILL POST A SHORT DRABBLE ABOUT IT HERE IN TIME TO COME—meaning, no details, just the main points expanded into a drabble.
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IN ANY CASE, ONWARDS TO HISTORY TIME AND EXPLANATIONS:
Acedia: Sloth has always been mixed up with Gluttony actually—by definition of the Seven Deadly Sins; Sloth is the inability to feel joy or happiness—sadness, depression, apathy—those who suffer from depression to an extreme usually have self-destructive thoughts. Many times, Sloth can lead to another sin: Wrath. Those who have lost or lack love, usually fall into a deep state of Sloth.Laziness is a form of overindulgence aka Gluttony. I guess the reason is because over time, people forget the original context of words and meanings.
Now, before I receive any trolls or unpleasant questions: this is only part 1; its going to be a long story so I decided to break it up. Its not so much EngPru/Pruk but more on Prussia and his history—so sit tight and enjoy? XD I am sorry but this ended up much longer than I planned because Prussia and his history is just QAQ BUNCH OF FEELS EVERYWHERE.
*Österreich is German for Austria
HISTORY TIME:
1805, 2nd December: BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ (inserts dramatic gasp) Most of us know this battle in the Hetalia fandom as the Battle that killed HRE how sad and angsty. Boo Hoo. But what is it about really: The Battle of Austerlitz was the deciding engagement of the War of the Third Coalition (1805) during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). With threats emerging from the Russia and Austria, Napoleon abandoned his ambitions to invade England during the summer of 1805, and turned to deal with these new adversaries. I don't want to go too deep into this yet as I will be delving deeper into this in Part 2 of Sloth, but: One of Napoleon's greatest victories, Austerlitz effectively ended the War of the Third Coalition. Two days later, with their territory overrun and their armies destroyed, Austria made peace through the Treaty of Pressburg. In addition to territorial concessions, the Austrians were required to pay a war indemnity of 40 million francs. The remains of the Russian army withdrew east, while Napoleon's forces went into camp in southern Germany. Having taken much of Germany, Napoleon abolished the HRE and established the Confederation of the Rhine as a buffer state between France and Prussia. French losses at Austerlitz numbered 1,305 killed, 6,940 wounded, and 573 captured. Allied casualties were massive and included 15,000 killed and wounded, as well as 12,000 captured.
1806, 6th August: DISSOLUTION OF THE HRE. The dissolution of the HRE occurred de-facto on 6 August 1806, when the Emperor Francis II abdicated his title and released all imperial states and officials from their oaths and obligations to the empire. Although the abdication was considered legal, the dissolution of the imperial bonds was not and several states refused to recognise the end of the empire at the time. BIT OF A SPOILER BUT ITS ONLY FAIR SEEING HOW SLOWLY I DO THINGS: Napoleon reorganized much of the Empire into the Confederation of the Rhine, a French satellite state. The Napoleonic Confederation of the Rhine was replaced by a new union later; the German Confederation in 1815, following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. It lasted until 1866 when Prussia founded the North German Confederation—a forerunner of the German Empire where all the German-speaking territories outside of Austria and Switzerland came under Prussian leadership in 1871. This served as the predecessor-state of modern Germany.
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FLASHBACK MOMENTS AND A BIT OF PRUSSIA'S OLD ANCIENT HISTORY…
13th Century, The Teutonic Order started the conquest of Old Baltic Prussia in 1230 through 1283, a total of 53 years. The Teutonic Knights wasted little time once they began establishing themselves in the unstable Baltic region. They came to crusade against the native Prussian pagans, who had a centuries-long history of proving themselves to be unruly, as well being unaccepting of Catholicism. The native Prussians also seemed untrustworthy of anything coming out of the west, and for good reason. Rome had sent envoys to the area, the Danish had sent armies, and the Poles had signaled intent to take lands for themselves. Each instance involved some degree of bloodshed and/or corruption. The Teutonic arrival, in Prussian eyes, would be no different. The Prussians were correct.
The description of their wars with Prussians was scenes of flowing blood, hangings and people being burned alive. There were cases where complete villages were eliminated. Historians write that overall through these wars and emigration the population of Old Baltic Prussia dropped from 20% to 50% depending on conquered districts. It is estimated that from 170 000 Prussians that were living before the conquests at the end of 13th century there were only 90 000 left.
1410, 15th July—BATTLE OF GRUNWALD: In October of 1409, a truce had been signed by the then Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania between the Teutonic Knights, set of expire in June of 1410. Rather than actually learning how wonderful peace was, the two sides spent the time preparing for OUTRIGHT WAR. The knights had not planned for a massive army or a dual invasion—in short, it ended disastrously for the Prussians; ruthlessly outnumbered, Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen and most of the Order's higher dignitaries fell on the battlefield (50 out of 60). The Polish-Lithuanian army then besieged the capital of the Order, Marienburg but was unable to take it owing to the resistance of Heinrich von Plauen. When the First treaty of Thorn was signed in 1411, the Order managed to retain essentially all of its territories, although the Knights' reputation as invincible warriors was irreparably damaged. The battle shifted the balance of power in Eastern Europe and marked the rise of the Polish-Lithuanian Union as the dominant political and military force in the region. The battle is not as important as its after effects: internal struggle, debt, creation of the Prussian Confederation—eventually all this would lead to the 13 Years' War and many more…
To this day, this battle is considered the GREATEST VICTORY in Poland and Lithuania's history with numerous memorials about it all over the place. It has been used as a source of romantic legends and national pride, becoming a larger symbol of struggle against foreign invaders. During the 20th century the battle was used in Nazi and Soviet propaganda campaigns. Only in recent decades have historians moved towards a dispassionate, scholarly assessment of the battle, reconciling the previous narratives, which differed widely by nation.
(Author's comment: Personally, this is one of my most favourite battles of history due to its aftermath and effects following it, but it is also one of the most controversial as the records were quite biased. Not to mention how strong Nationalism and Pride is attached to it by the victors Poland and Lithuania. No offense meant to any readers here that may be Polish or Lithuanian—as a student of history, it is always important to go through all sources of history before coming up with a conclusion. I can only sincerely apologise if anything comes up as offensive.)
1440, 21st February: THE PRUSSIAN CONFEDERATION IS FORMED. (Author's comment—Oh gott…just when things couldn't get worse after the Battle of Grunwald… ) In 1454, the Prussian Confederation consisting of the gentry and burghers of western Prussia rose up against the Order, beginning the Thirteen Years' War. Much of Prussia was devastated in the war, during the course of which the Order returned Neumark to Brandenburg in 1455. In the Second Peace of Thorn (1466), the defeated Order recognized the Polish Crown's rights over western Prussia (subsequently Royal Prussia) while retaining eastern Prussia under nominal Polish overlordship.
AND FINALLY…WHY PRUSSIA IS MORE THAN JUST A PERSON WHO CALLS HIMSELF AWESOME FOR NO REASON.
PRUSSIA'S WAY TO INDEPENDENCE AND THE GREAT NORTHERN WAR: Following the end of the 30 Years' War in 1648, Prussia was a state devastated by war and in a mess of its own—one part in the HRE while the Duchy of Prussia was still a Polish fief and NOT part of the HRE. However, the Hohenzollerns in 1618 gained control of Ducal Prussia (by this time, the Hohenzollerns already possessed the Margraviate of Brandennburg as well as the Eastern part of the Duchy of Pomerania)—meaning, they had formed a cross-border union legally impossible. But the Hohenzollerns never sweated small stuff like this and everyone else was too busy to care. Then came the 30 Years' war where more than half of Prussia's population was killed because of religious intolerance and the unfortunate fact that collateral damage is inevitable in all wars.
THEN CAME THE GREAT NORTHERN WAR: Sweden declared war on Poland-Lithuania and defeats them. Brandenburg-Prussia switches sides to the Swedes in return for becoming a Swedish fief than a Polish fief. Poland then made a massive counter-offensive and takes back significant pieces of land. Russia started to take on an active role in invading Sweden by making an incursion into Swedish occupied Lithuania. This results in Sweden giving the Prussian lands autonomy in return for full military participation. Prussia accepts and is now an independent Duchy.
Brandenburg-Prussia would later change sides again to Poland now that they received autonomy in exchange for Poland renouncing claims on Prussian lands. Hence, by the end of the war, Prussia was an independent nation with NO foreign claims upon their vassalage or territory. As a result, an independent Prussia was forged through war and the only way to protect their disjointed nation that was separated by 100 miles of Polish territory was through a massive army in both. The price for independence and security came at a rough estimation of 80-90% of its coffers going to military expenditure and it staying in that range throughout the reigns of both Friedrich William I and Friedrich der Groß.