Jacques Duhan was the tutor of Frederick the Great. Note that Jacques Duhan is pronounced ” Zhak do – AN”
Jacques Duhan was born in 1685. His birthplace was Jandun which is the district of France called Champagne. That is where champagne was first made. The name of his home town is the reason why ‘Jandun’ i sometimes put as part of his surname. Duhan was born into a Huguenot family that meant a Protestant one. About 85% of the French population was Roman Catholic. The Huguenots made up the remainder of the people. Duhan was unlucky enough to be born in the year of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. This meant a century of relative tolerance for Protestantism came to an end. The Huguenots were forbidden to leave the country but about two-thirds of them did so. The King of France at the time, Louis XIV, had been persuaded to discriminate against the Protestant minority..
Duhan’s father had been secretary to the Duke of Turenne. The Duke of Turenne was a Hugenot and one of France’s most outstanding generals. Up until the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes the Huguenots had been among France’s most talented and courageous military commanders.
Duhan’s family emigrated to escape persecution. Many Huguenots moved to the Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland and even South Africa. The Duhan family moved to Prussia which was a Protestant state. Prussia welcomed Hugenot refugees especially if they had military experience. The family settle din the city of Brandenburg in Germany. Brandenburg was in a state called Prussia. Germany was not then a united country. Germany was a smorgasbord of 360 states. Some were large and powerful. Others were puny. Most were somewhere in between. Prussia was one of a bigger and more important states. Prussia was starting to be known for military prowess. Brandenburg lies in north-east Germany. In those days Brandenburg was close to the centre of Germany since Germany extended as far east as Kaliningrad (then named Konigsberg).
The Duhan family spoke French at home. Duhan was home schooled for a while. He learnt German informally from his neighbours. His father Philippe was a secretary to the Elector of Brandenburg. Brandbenburg was a city and the state of Brandenburg soon became known as Prussia.
Jacques went to College Francais in Berlin. He later enlisted in the Prussian Army.
Later Duhan taught at College Francais des Hugenots in Berlin. He then worked as a tutor for the son of the Count of Dohna. The boy, Albert-Christophe, was very fond of him.
He made a superb soldier. He went to the Siege of Stralsund in 1715 with his pupil. It may seem odd that parents ordered their child to be taken to see a siege! At the Siege of Starlsund his valour was so outstanding that he came to the attention of the King of Prussia: Friedrich Wilhelm I. Note that Prussian kings count Friedrich, Friedrich Wilhlem and Wilhlem as three different names.
Duhan was appointed tutor to king’s son in 1716. The little prince was then only four years of age. The boy was named Friedrich. He later was ascended the Throne and his martial feats made him known to history as ”Frederick the Great”. In terms of regnal numbers he was Friedrich II. Duhan was to be civil tutor to the crown prince. There was a separate tutor for scholarly matters. The king then insisted that his heir be taught a stripped down curriculum. The boy had no need of poetry, philosophy or such impractical and effete subjects. Friedrich was to do a minimum of Latin. In those days someone could not avoid doing at least a little Latin if he was to be considered educated at all.
Friedrich Wilhelm wanted his son to be brought up in an ordinary way. He was wary of spoiling his child or having him concentrate on subjects that turned him into a day dreamer. The boy must be hardened. He wanted his tutors to be tough on the prince so he could be turned into a worthy commander-in-chief. Friedrich Wilhelm was known as ”The Soldier-King” with good reason.
Duhan was to concentrate on Religious Studies, military affairs and Modern History. By modern he meant the last 100 years. He must emphasise inter-state relations in particular.
Friedrich Wilhelm I was eager to gain from France’s military know-how but he was not so keen on French culture. French was the language of the pan-European elite. Friedrich Wilhelm reluctantly spoke French in diplomatic situations because that was what one did. He realised that his son had to speak fluent French in order to be taken seriously by the other crowned heads. He did not want his son to have a confection for French culture. The boy must be able to speak and read French fluently but he was not to waste his time with poetry and prose.
Despite the king’s orders Duhan regarded his duty as being to his pupil. He purchased over 3 000 books for the prince. Most of these were in French. He taught him French Literature as well as Greek and Latin. Friedrich developed a taste for French culture. Duhan even procured French raiments for his pupil. Much of this contraband was kept in Schlossfreiheit (”Freedom Castle”).
In 1727 Friedrich wrote to Duhan:
” Mon cher Duhan,
Je vous promets que, quand j’aurai mon propre argent en main, je vous donnerai annuellement deux mille quatre cents écus par an, et je vous aimerai toujours encore un peu plus qu’à cette heure, s’il m’est possible ”
(”My Dear Duhan, / I promise you that when I have my own money in hand I will give you 2 400 ecus annnually and I will love you always more than a little and more than now if that is possible.”)
Friedrich wanted to escape his tyrannical father. In 1730 he tried to leave the realm but was caught. The king discovered that Duhan had been persistently disobeying his instructions. Duhan was sacked after 12 years of service. He was banished to Memel on the Baltic Sea. He was not provided with a pension because he had angered the monarch. Duhan devoted his time to writing histories of Prussia.
As Friedrich was a soldier and had tried to run away to the United Kingdom he was charged with treason. The king threatened his firstborn with the death penalty! In the end the boy was not sentenced to death. But his friend Katte who had tried to flee with him was beheaded and Friedrich forced to watch. Friedrich was locked up in comfort by his father for his insubordination. The prince pleaded with the Austrian ambassador Seckendorff to help his former tutor. The Austrians were keen to be in the good graces of the future monarch. After two years father and son were reconciled. Friedrich was let out of his luxurious prison. He immediately had his tutor freed from exile. He was given a lucrative post as a librarian in Brunswick. They therefore surreptitiously paid a pension to the penniless Duhan.
Duhan also worked as a secret councilor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs n Berlin.
Friedrich Wilhelm I died. His son succeeded him. Duhan was made director of an academy. He was given many honours such as been initiated into the Prussian Academy of Sciences.
Freidrich II often wrote to Duhan signing off ”Your very affectionate and eternal friend, Frederic”
Here is a poem the king composed for his tutor:
” Je vous dois tout, seigneur, il faut que je l’avoue;
Et d’un peu de vertu si l’Europe me loue,
C’est à vous, cher Duhan, à vous que je la dois ”
(I owe you all, master, I must avow that/ And a little but of virtue if Europe praises me/ It is to you dear Duhan that I owe it.”)
It was due to Duhan that the king was able to write the most beautiful French. He preferred French to his own language. He even composed long poems in letters to his friends such as Monsieur Jordan.
Here is an example from 1741. Friedrich II found time to write this while on campaign!
Déjà vous tremblez à Breslau,
Lorsque nous marchons à Grottkau,
Et les siéges et les batailles
Vous attendrissent les entrailles.
En un mot, paisible Jordan,
Jamais aucun lièvre en son gîte
Ne s’apprête à courir si vite
Que vous, quand vous levez le camp.
Mais raisonnons, je vous en prie.
Que devient donc en ce moment
Cette grave philosophie
Dont vous nous parlez si souvent,
Et ce stoïcisme insolent
Qui vous fait mépriser la vie
Quand le danger n’est pas présent?
Le canon gronde, et son tonnerre
<127>Ébranle le fond de la terre;
Il tombe une grêle de fer,
Le plomb vole et remplit tout l’air,
Et la mort qu’enfante la guerre
Ouvre un gouffre tel qu’un enfer.
Il sort une flamme infernale
De cette gueule triomphale,
Oui porte la destruction.
Ici, c’est le feu de Bellone,
Et, plus bas, le glaive moissonne
Sans pitié, sans compassion.
Tel qui, dans le sein de la flamme.
De la mort, de mille dangers,
Garde la tranquillité d’âme
Égale aux objets étrangers
Mérite en effet l’apostrophe
De vrai sage et de philosophe;
Les autres sont des imposteurs.
Voyez donc, messieurs les auteurs,
Qu’elle est grande, la différence
Du solide et de l’apparence,
Combien les dehors imposteurs
Sont différents de l’évidence.
Dans vos studieuses erreurs,
Au fond d’une bibliothèque,
Vous faites très-bien les docteurs.
De votre valeur intrinsèque
Le danger peut nous éclaircir;
Il paraît, on vous voit courir.
Nous, plus forts d’esprit que ces sages.
Nous opposons à ces orages
Le flegme et l’intrépidité.
Que tout périsse et se confonde,
Que tout se bouleverse au monde.
Rien n’ébranle ma fermeté.
All through the Second Silesian War the two corresponded.
For example on 28 November 1745 he began a letter to Duhan:
” Mon cher Duhan,
Dieu merci, votre lettre m’est venue comme j’ai fini mon expédition, après avoir rechassé le prince Charles entièrement de la Lusace, et lui avoir pris trois magasins….”
(”My Dear Duhan/ Thank God that your letter came to me as I finished my campaign, having chased Prince Charles entirely away from Lusace where he had taken three magazines [stores of gunpowder]”).
Notice that he addresses his former tutor with the respectful ”vous” and not the informal ”tu”.
The king signed off:
” Adieu, cher ami; ne m’oubliez point, et aimez-moi un peu. Frederic ”
(”Goodbye dear friend, don’t forget me and love me a little. Frederic”)
Notice how he used the French language version of his name.
Duhan wrote back two days later.
”Les habitants de Berlin ont d’abord et machinalement eu peur à la vue des calamités auxquelles la guerre pouvait les exposer. Depuis cela, la considération des victoires précédentes et de toute la conduite de V. M. leur a raffermi le courage, et enfin les nouveaux succès de vos armes -a ont achevé de tranquilliser les esprits.
Poursuivez seulement vos desseins, Sire; forcez vos ennemis à demander la paix. Vous reposant sur la providence divine, et lui rendant hommage de vos prospérités, vous êtes, sans contredit, le plus accompli des rois.”
( ” The inhabitants of Berlin first of all shook with fear in regard of the calamities to which war could expose them. Then, in consideration of the earlier victories all of which were led by Your Majesty they reaffirmed their courage and in the end the new success of your arms have achieving the calming of their spirits. Follow only your arts. Highness, force your enemies to ask for peace. You shall trust in divine providence and render homage to him for your prosperity, you are, without contradiction, the most accomplished of kings. ”
Friedrich went on to fight against France but he never regarded the French as in any sense inferior. He always maintained a reverence for French culture. He became a dear friend of the French philosopher Voltaire. He also wrote Anti-Machiavel which was a refutation of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. Naturally, the king wrote his book in French.
Duhan died in 1746.
The king wrote to Duhan’s widow to commiserate. He also provided liberally for his tutors sons and daughters. The king remained in contact with the family for the rest of his life.