Ruritanian revolution
From Dr Ian Olson Sir: Paul Johnson should not assume that his proposed countryside rebellion would
LETTERS
have found much sympathy in Ruritania (And another thing, 4 September). With her old and famous royal house, she was clearly a typical component of the Austro- Hungarian Empire. The archbishop in splendid Strelsau with its ancient university was a cardinal, and Britain and the other great powers were represented there by ambassadors (as only in major capitals) and not merely by ministers. Ruritania was cer- tainly no old-fashioned rural backwater (nor chocolate-soldier-land).
It is true that royalty and the upper nobil- ity followed the hunt, but that was in pur- suit of the boar (this being considered the only manly sport, as the quarry had a good chance of killing the pursuer); farmers and peasantry were expected to know and keep their place. I fear a descent of '100,000 angry folk on horseback' on the capital would have been severely dealt with by an ultra-loyal and extremely ferocious army.
Ian Olson 20 Burns Road, Aberdeen
Previous page
