Introduction
In today's digital age, handwritten letters may seem like relics of the past. However, for most of human history, letters were the primary means of long-distance communication. These personal writings offer historians a treasure trove of insights into the minds and lives of notable figures throughout history. From world leaders to artists, their letters reveal intimate thoughts, secret plans, and pivotal moments that shaped the course of events.
Simon Sebag Montefiore's "Written in History" takes readers on a fascinating journey through time, exploring the private correspondence of some of history's most famous and infamous personalities. Through these letters, we gain a unique perspective on major historical events and the human experiences behind them. This book demonstrates the enduring power of the written word and how messages intended for a select few can provide profound insights into our shared history and humanity.
Love and Desire Across the Ages
Mozart's Unconventional Flirtation
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the musical prodigy known for his elegant compositions, had a surprisingly crude approach to flirting with his cousin and probable lover, Marianne. In his private letters, Mozart employed an unexpected tactic to stoke sexual tension: poo jokes. In one letter, he expressed a desire to put his personal seal on her rear end before letting out a "resounding fart." This playful and vulgar side of Mozart contrasts sharply with his public image as a refined composer.
However, Mozart's letters to his wife Constance, written five years later, reveal a more tender and romantic side. He wrote, "I get all excited like a child when I think about being with you again – if people could see my heart I should almost feel ashamed." This shift in tone demonstrates how letters allowed individuals to express different facets of their personalities depending on the recipient.
Aristocratic Affairs and Poetic Passion
For centuries, letters facilitated affairs and allowed writers to express their desires with candor. The aristocratic poet Vita Sackville-West's love letters to Virginia Woolf provide a touching example of this. Despite having many other lovers, Sackville-West reassured Woolf of her special place in her heart. She wrote with raw sincerity: "I just miss you, in a quite simple, desperate human way." This unembellished expression of emotion proves more potent and poetic than flowery language.
Stalin's Surprising Romantic Side
Even dictators were not immune to the power of love letters. In 1912, a 32-year-old Joseph Stalin wrote to his 16-year-old mistress, whom he had met while in exile in the Russian countryside. His words reveal a surprising capacity for romance: "I'm …. kiiissssing you passionately (it's not worth kissing any other way), Josef." This affectionate side of Stalin is difficult to reconcile with his later reputation as a ruthless tyrant responsible for the deaths of millions.
These examples illustrate how love letters transcend status and class, revealing unexpected sides of historical figures and demonstrating the universal nature of human desire and affection.
The Perils of Forbidden Love
Oscar Wilde's Downfall
Sometimes, personal letters foreshadowed the writer's eventual downfall. Oscar Wilde's correspondence with his friend Robbie Ross revealed the anxieties that would lead to the end of his life. Wilde felt taunted by the Marquess of Queensbury, the father of his lover Lord Alfred Douglas, who had accused Wilde of being homosexual. Despite Ross's pleas not to react to the provocations, Wilde sued the marquess for defamation. This decision set in motion a chain of events that led to Wilde's imprisonment, decline in health, and eventual death.
Ross, who was by Wilde's side at his death, later recounted the sorrowful experience in a letter to a friend. These letters provide a unique and intimate glimpse into the final chapter of Wilde's life, illustrating the devastating consequences of societal prejudice against homosexuality in Victorian England.
Alan Turing's Tragic Fate
Another victim of society's intolerance towards homosexuality was Alan Turing, the brilliant mathematician and codebreaker. Two years before his suicide by cyanide-poisoned apple, Turing wrote a letter to his friend Norman Routledge that conveyed his deep suffering. Turing's homosexuality had been accidentally exposed to the police, leading to his prosecution and forced chemical castration as an alternative to jail time.
In his melancholic letter, Turing expressed fear that his entire body of work would no longer be taken seriously due to his sexuality. He poignantly wrote: "Turing believes machines think / Turing lies with men / Therefore machines do not think." This logical deduction reveals the emotional toll of society's prejudice on Turing's brilliant mind. The letter concludes with a heart-breaking "Yours in distress, Alan," foreshadowing his tragic end.
These letters from Wilde and Turing serve as powerful reminders of the personal costs of societal intolerance and the importance of preserving individual freedoms.
Letters That Changed History
The Creation of Israel
The establishment of the modern state of Israel can be traced through a series of letters, although their authors may not have fully realized the impact of their words at the time. In 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour wrote a public letter to Lord Rothschild, known as The Balfour Declaration. In it, Balfour pledged to support the creation of a Jewish state in the British Mandate of Palestine while also promising to protect the rights of the region's indigenous Arabs.
Twenty-four years later, in 1941, Adolf Hitler wrote to his ally Benito Mussolini, informing him of the impending invasion of Russia. This letter, full of bravado and half-truths, reflected Hitler's belief in his own invincibility. However, this invasion would ultimately lead to the downfall of the Third Reich.
The horrors of the Holocaust, which saw the murder of six million European Jews, made the establishment of a Jewish state seem more urgent than ever. On May 14, 1948, the modern state of Israel was officially established, fulfilling the promise made in Balfour's letter three decades earlier.
Lenin's "Red Terror"
Some letters had more immediate and chilling effects. In the early years of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin wrote a letter commanding his secret police to hang wealthy people at random. This execution order was intended as a warning to Lenin's enemies and proved effective in helping him win the ongoing civil war. More ominously, it foreshadowed the "red terror" that would intensify under Stalin's rule, when ruthless violence became a hallmark of the Soviet state.
These letters demonstrate how written words can anticipate and shape major historical events, sometimes with consequences far beyond their authors' intentions.
Voices of Resistance
Rosa Parks' Unwavering Strength
Letters also provide insight into the thoughts of history's bravest activists during pivotal moments. After her arrest in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white woman, Rosa Parks wrote a letter to Jessica Mitford, an English aristocrat and journalist married to a civil rights lawyer in California.
Parks' letter reveals her incredible resilience in the face of uncertainty and injustice. She wrote, "We are having a difficult time here but we are not discouraged. The increased pressure seems to strengthen us for the next blow." This private correspondence offers a glimpse into Parks' unwavering spirit and determination, which would help fuel the broader civil rights movement.
Emmeline Pankhurst's Militant Suffragette Strategy
Another powerful voice of resistance can be found in the letters of Emmeline Pankhurst, a leader in the women's suffrage movement. In 1913, Pankhurst published an open letter to members of the Women's Social and Political Union, advocating for a more militant approach to securing voting rights for women.
Pankhurst's letter asserted that relying solely on peaceful methods would lead to failure and that militancy was inevitable. She wrote, "I know … that to rely only on peaceful, patient methods, is to court failure, and that militancy is inevitable." This strategy was controversial, even alienating some of her own daughters, but Pankhurst believed it was necessary to achieve their goals.
Although World War I initially stalled the campaign for women's suffrage, it ultimately played into Pankhurst's efforts. Women's crucial contributions to the war effort led to greater recognition of their capabilities and rights, eventually facilitating the success of the suffrage movement.
These letters from Parks and Pankhurst reveal the courage and conviction that enabled these women to challenge systemic injustices and bring about significant social change.
Universal Messages in Personal Letters
Wilbur Wright's Ambitious Request
Letters often capture pivotal moments in people's lives, reflecting universal experiences of new beginnings and endings. In 1899, Wilbur Wright wrote an earnest letter to the Smithsonian Institution, asking them to believe in his potential. Three years before the Wright brothers' successful powered flight, Wilbur was simply a man with a dream, requesting permission to subscribe to the institution's scientific publications.
In his letter, Wright assured the Smithsonian that his ideas were credible, writing, "I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine." This letter captures the universal experience of standing on the brink of a new life chapter, filled with hope and determination.
Leonard Cohen's Farewell to Marianne
At the other end of life's journey, we find Leonard Cohen's poignant farewell letter to his former muse, Marianne Ihlen, as she lay on her deathbed in July 2016. Cohen's simple yet elegant words allude to a shared lifetime of experiences known only to them. He wrote, "I've never forgotten your love and your beauty. But you know that. I don't have to say more."
The letter goes on to speak of accepting the life they had shared and the path ahead. Cohen's suggestion that the end of life as we know it is only a new beginning offers an inspiring perspective on mortality and the cyclical nature of existence.
These letters, spanning the beginnings and endings of life's journeys, contain wisdom and emotions that resonate across time and cultures.
The Enduring Power of Letters
In an age dominated by instant digital communication, handwritten letters may seem outdated. However, the examples in "Written in History" demonstrate that letters possess a unique power to convey intimacy, reveal hidden aspects of personalities, and capture pivotal moments in both personal and world history.
Letters allow us to peer into the private thoughts of historical figures, humanizing them and providing context for their actions. They offer unfiltered glimpses into the emotions, motivations, and decision-making processes behind world-changing events. From Mozart's crude jokes to Stalin's surprising tenderness, from Wilde's tragic downfall to Parks' unwavering resolve, these letters paint a rich, complex picture of human nature and historical change.
Moreover, letters serve as time capsules, preserving the immediacy of thoughts and feelings in a way that formal historical accounts often cannot. They capture the uncertainty, hope, fear, and passion of moments as they unfold, allowing future generations to connect with the past on a deeply personal level.
The book also highlights how letters have played crucial roles in shaping history. From the Balfour Declaration's impact on the creation of Israel to Lenin's chilling orders foreshadowing Soviet terror, written words have had far-reaching consequences. Similarly, the letters of activists like Emmeline Pankhurst demonstrate how written communication has been instrumental in driving social change and liberation movements.
While the art of letter writing may have diminished in popularity, its impact continues to resonate. The intimacy and thoughtfulness inherent in a handwritten letter still have the power to move us in ways that emails or text messages cannot. In a world of fleeting digital communications, there's something profound about the permanence and tangibility of a letter.
Final Thoughts
"Written in History" reminds us of the enduring value of personal correspondence in understanding our past and ourselves. These letters, whether they contain declarations of love, calls to action, or reflections on life and death, offer unique insights into the human experience across time and cultures.
The book encourages readers to appreciate the power of the written word and perhaps even inspire them to revive the art of letter writing in their own lives. In doing so, we might create our own historical artifacts, leaving behind personal accounts that future generations can use to understand our time and experiences.
Ultimately, "Written in History" is not just a collection of interesting anecdotes from the past. It's a testament to the universality of human emotions and experiences, the complexity of historical figures, and the profound impact that personal communications can have on the course of history. By examining these letters, we gain a richer, more nuanced understanding of the past and a deeper appreciation for the power of written expression.
In an era where digital communication often feels impersonal and ephemeral, this book serves as a reminder of the lasting impact that thoughtful, personal writing can have. It challenges us to consider how we communicate today and what legacy our words might leave for future generations.
As we reflect on these historical letters, we're prompted to think about our own correspondence. What do our emails, text messages, and social media posts say about us? How might they be interpreted by future historians? And perhaps most importantly, are we taking the time to express ourselves with the depth and sincerity that these historical figures did in their letters?
"Written in History" not only provides a fascinating glimpse into the past but also offers valuable lessons for the present. It reminds us of the importance of genuine, heartfelt communication, the power of words to shape events, and the enduring human need for connection across time and space. In doing so, it invites us to reconsider the art of letter writing not as a relic of the past, but as a timeless form of human expression that still has much to offer in our modern world.