The antidote to romanticization is not prosecution. This diatribe forcefully states the courtier case for the domineering and possessive Archduchess Sophie, who resolved to be happy so long as she was in control. So noted. Yes, beginning with her perhaps understandable depression, Sisi had many flaws. Some were exacerbated by being saddled at 16 with a dullard husband, areactionary relations and venomous surroundings
to stop romanticize someone we also need to conduct a proper analysis of the circumstances and social context surrounding the life of this person, which you aren't even trying to do. from what you're saying, she still seem no worse than an average father, let's face it. also you are extremely focused on the role of family and children in woman's life, which may make sence in social aspect especially at this times, but rarely is true in terms of personality. her neglect of her children doesn't say that she was horrible person. it says she was a person who shouldn't have had children. the interesting topic here would have been why do women who do not want to have children, are forced to have them. and so on and so on and so on
I have read about 3 non fiction books on her and I still find her fascinating. I can't bring myself to call her terrible but the way she is depicted in film and tv shows is inaccurate. I love her regardless.
She was fifteen. She didn't really want the life she got, and with a weak husband and an overbearing mother-in-law, the only thing she could control was her own body, so she did. I agree she didn't do a very good job but frankly, I only put half the blame on her. The other half on Franz Joseph. He didn't stand up to his nightmare of a mother on his wife's behalf.
Hm. Tbh, I didn't know much about her before this video other than knowing that she was beautiful & miserable. But, this video did give more context & a new view. However, even with my lack of knowledge on her, I still see some flaws with this essay. Not arguing that she was perfect, but I do feel like the language used in this video sometimes lacks nuance & borders on or is ableist. Especially with the oversimplification of depression ("just be happy" or simply turning on a happy switch isn't realistic) & painting it as marveling in misery. It doesn't have to be an excuse, but there could still be more general understanding towards how depression & mental illness affects people differently. I also feel like it teetered a little too much into focusing on her personal actions more than her actual role as an Empress. & also came off a bit ignorant on how royal courts usually were when it came to monarchs interacting with their children when speaking about Sissi not visiting them.
I dont believe Reinhard would have married a dull and stupid woman, him being as intelligent and sharp as he was. I will give her credit for not being a hypocrite and sticking with her beliefs as despicable as they were, when it wouldn't have helped her or made her life easy. She could have very easily said she was brainwashed and manipulated. I give her a tiny bit of respect for that. Im not sure if you're aware, but the Danes are known for being aloof, xenophobic and cool. ( Not that l thinks those qualities are necessarily a bad thing). Great content, much appreciated.
Impulsivity... Thoughtlessness for others... Energetic, but no follow through... Was she also amazingly disorganized? And you said yourself she did what she LIKED to do and avoided what she did not like to do... I mean, not to say all of her behaviors fit, but are we certain she didn't have some form of ADHD on top of whatever else was going on with her? ADHD brain runs on stimulation, but can get easily overstimulated as well if there is too much going on, and good luck getting anything done if you're in task paralysis mode. Doesn't explain or excuse her selfishness, of course, but could be part of why she neglected duties until her hand was forced.
Real life enola holmes over here, lol. IDK what she did wrong though so if she did, like, a genocide in Hungary or something, forgive me, and also millie bobbie brown would never do that
Regarding veneration of Empress Sisi, much of it could be due to WW revisionism. People imagining that if there was no WW1, the Habsburg Empire would have continued and Europe would be better off. As for how much support the Habsburgs still had as of 1914, perhaps the viewpoints of a resident from Branau-am-Inn, 280km from the capital Vienna, sort of reminded us how people back then saw the Habsburgs.
A distinct and differentiated perspective is needed but it should be based on historical facts and sources. I read "Under the Spell of a Myth - Empress Sisi in Greece" and learned a lot about her personal life and characters through the eyes of those who accompanied her!
I dont know why people are making excuses for her.. She was a bad mother. Leaving her very young children for very long trip, enjoying herself. The Vienna museum curator mentioned that when she came home from her trip her children were afraid of her and cried as any child would when meeting a stranger.. there is a documentary on this by DW history channel.
Naah, I will keep romantisizing Sisi neverthanless. There are too few well known positive female historical figures as it is. Untill we dig up from forgotten history more cool ladies, or start praising lesser known badasses like for example Bertha Benz - I will keep thinking of Sisi as real life Disney Princess. Even if her life and death was a tragedy, she still lived it strong enough.
I see a great parallel between her and Marie Antoinette, but I think the latter was more passive in her isolation-after all, the French court itself was made to be isolated from the people. More than the pick-me girl Sissi appears to be, only worried about herself, Marie Antoinette is more of a woman completely detached from life, only worrying about pleasures, and unknowing to the catastrophic effects on her people. Nevertheless, I think what redeems Marie Antoinette a little (at least to my eyes) is her change in her behaviour after she became a mother and when she finally noticed the flame of revolution. Sissi is more of the romantic, anti-heroic poet she wanted to be, with all the flaws that come with that role.
The narrator really needs to learn better pronunciation, of both English and Austrian names. The Queen Mother's name was Elizabeth Bowes- Lyon, pronounced Boze-Lion. Also, her remarks and actions came during WW2, well after the Empress's death in 1898. The capital of Austria is Vienna and its people Viennese, not Vy-ennese.
Me reading title: who's Empress "Sisi"? Goes look at title sections Sees Woman in black Me: Wait, is it that Empress Elizabeth that I only know of just because my own research of a certain Prussian King mentions her? Let's finish watching the video and find out. Edit: my mistake. But so far still pretty informative. Especially for someone like me who had never heard of her. Her husband in his later years is more well known to me.
Sisi was a human being with flaws, like all of us. Yet she was loved for some reasons many would understand and many other would not. Could imagine how hard it was seeing how meticulously she's being "analysed" here.😢
For Slavs, who lived in Hungarian part of monarchy, dark times started right after 1867.. sadly after the only one political involvement of Sissi. This ended after collaps of the monarchy. So I have always mixed feelings about Sissi. Thanks for this 🤗.
The insensitivity you are showing towards a 15 year old GIRL forced into marriage who clearly suffered from depression and had her mental issues only aggravated by everyone around her, especially her narcissistic mother in law for whom curiously you are weirdly empathetic towards is astounding.
I suffer from depression (with no comorbid personality disorders) and do not wish to claim people like Elisabeth. I do feel badly for her, in many ways, but don't like her and don't like the way those like her influence other people to view anyone who may suffer from something like depression but are not otherwise insufferable or utterly inconsiderate people. Of course we can't judge her by modern standards. But many modern young women do fall into the exact traps she did, marrying unsuitable people while very young because they have a princess complex and don't understand what they are signing up for. Then they consider themselves victims and martyrs for the rest of their lives, taking it out on everyone arojnd them -- very reminiscent of those metaphorical individuals who support the Face Eating Leopard Party but never expect leopards to eat *their* faces!
This "adoring husband" killed many people in Hungary, and used this country his own goals. He killed the 12 general after 48, and he also payed the price. 12 people died in his family including Sisi as well.
You LIARS!!!! For me Sisi was a real heroine (not the drug, God forbid!) - for stopping the war between Hungary and Austria, and she suffered a lot (Idec of what you say, she was an angelic lady- I am a girl, neither Austrian or Hungarian, but Greek) and I sisterly love her so much, cause she also did for my country (for stopping the war, she also was crowned Hungary's Queen-in-Honor) please do not call her a" terrible" one, cause she definitely wasn't! she had a heart of the brightest, glimmering sun
"Ida VON Ferenczy" 🤦 Do you even know that Ida was a Hungarian from a provincial town, definitely NOT Austrian or German? And a lot of similar inaccuracies in your video.
what has happened to her is typical Hollywoodization type of thing. Nothing to do with her. Just same old Disney stuff. Ok for Snow White but otherwise - tiresome.
