Verrat!
- Author(s)
- Tim Neu
- Abstract
Treason seems to be a universal phenomenon: Whether Brutus in Antiquity, Benedict Arnold in early modern times or Chelsea Manning today, if certain actions are regarded as a breach of trust, they are always labelled as treason. Considering the seriousness of this allegation, the article takes as a starting point the surprising fact that during a crisis precipitated by the Thirty Years War, the Hessian nobles were labelled traitors in 1623, but all charges were dropped as soon as 1625. The article shows that interpreting actions as treason is not a neutral description, but rather a performative speech act exacerbating the underlying conflict. Against this background it seems even more surprising that the Hessian elites stopped speaking of treason in spite of being mutually involved in a conflict, but this can be explained by the fact that a definitive break-up the default outcome in cases of treason was not an option due to socio-political constraints, neither for the landgrave nor the noble. To re-establish a working relationship, the nobles had to turn from treasonous enemies into loyal subjects again at least in discourse.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of History
- Journal
- Saeculum: Jahrbuch für Universalgeschichte
- Volume
- 67
- Pages
- 103-122
- ISSN
- 0080-5319
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7788/saeculum-2017-0107
- Publication date
- 2017
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 601020 Regional history, 601014 Modern history
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- History
- Portal url
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/verrat(904777c8-3e23-48da-bb05-69f508ea4026).html