Russia started to lose its lofty principles when the Russian ambassador was permitted to stand at a playing of la Marseillaise. I am fairly certain that this was in the very late nineteenth century.
After that, it's a small step to supporting Serbian regicides.
But history plays tricks. So the French monarchy was bankrupted by its support for the American rebels, only to be toppled later by its own rebels, with the ungrateful Yankees cheering on the executioners of their former beneficiary.
Sort of like the Americans supporting the mujahadeen against the Russians in Afganistan, only to have them turn on us.
Yes. But according to Robert K. Massie in Nicholas and Alexandra it wasn't just the ambassador:
Despite the great differences in their political systems, the needs of diplomacy had made military allies of Europe's greatest republic and its most absolute autocracy...In 1891, the French fleet visited Kronstadt, and the Autocrat of all the Russias stood bareheaded while the bands played the Marseillaise. Until that moment it had been a criminal offense to play this revolutionary song anywhere in the Tsar's dominions. (p. 60)
An unfortunate exception to Alexander III's otherwise "reactionary" reign.
So the French monarchy was bankrupted by its support for the American rebels, only to be toppled later by its own rebels, with the ungrateful Yankees cheering on the executioners of their former beneficiary.
That's about the most concise and accurate summary of the events of the 18th century I've read. Today, of course, American neocon dimwits despise the French (for all the wrong reasons), forgetting that if it hadn't been for French aid there might not be a United States to dominate the world...
“I generally only visit if summoned to one of the royalist threads.
Russia started to lose its lofty principles when the Russian ambassador was permitted to stand at a playing of la Marseillaise. I am fairly certain that this was in the very late nineteenth century.”
Yeah, that was a mistake, listening to the French National Anthem (BTW, a little historical tidbit: Before they wrote the Communist Internationale as their anthem, the Bolsheviks actually used la Marseillaise).
“But history plays tricks. So the French monarchy was bankrupted by its support for the American rebels, only to be toppled later by its own rebels, with the ungrateful Yankees cheering on the executioners of their former beneficiary.”
Yeah, about that, the only ones who actually rooted for those monsters were Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Benjamin Franklin (kind of). Alexander Hamilton actually was against the French Revolution and wisely realized that the French Revolution would end badly. Heck, John Adams actually predicted from the very start that the French Revolution would turn out very badly even if they were to succeed in killing Louis XVI. And even George Washington refused to support or go against France, electing that they stay neutral throughout the affair (and he had very choice words against the Illuminati, whom he strongly suspected were the ones who backed the French Revolution). Aside from them, most of the American populace at the time were downright horrified at the French Revolution largely because of the anti-Christian persecutions. In fact, it was so bad that in 1799, during his speech to some graduates at Yale, Timothy Dwight, at that time the headmaster, specifically laid the blame for the Revolution on the likes of Voltaire and Diderot, and made clear it was the atheistic elements of the Enlightenment that ruined France. And for the record, I’m not fond of Thomas Paine or Thomas Jefferson precisely because of their support for those butchers. And at least one part of America actually was grateful for King Louis XVI, and that was the South (specifically, Bourbon Country, which was named after the French monarchy as thanks for their role in their declaring independence from Britain). I do agree you on one thing, though: We really shouldn’t denounce France, especially when they’re the reason we even exist. I do think that we should return the favor and make sure their monarchy is restored, though.
“Sort of like the Americans supporting the mujahadeen against the Russians in Afganistan, only to have them turn on us.”
Eh, it’s a bit more complicated than that, actually. The mujahideen were indeed backed by us Americans, but the group you’re referring to, al Qaeda, was not one of the mujahideen we backed. They got their own sources for weapons and materiel, not to mention camps. This was in the commission report for 9/11. Plus, the mujahideen still acted as our allies even afterwards, the ones we did directly aid anyways (as a matter of fact, many of them were even willing to help us take out Osama bin Laden. Unfortunately, the President at the time, Bill Clinton, decided to forego no less than 10 chances to get rid of bin Laden, which is ultimately one of the reasons why al Qaeda ultimately succeeded in doing the September 11 terrorist attacks, not to mention the USS Cole bombing before that and Black Hawk Down and all of that. You can find that out in, among other things, The Path to 9/11 [or rather, the deleted scene that only got cut because the Clintons instigated a media circus to protect their legacy.].).