Today, we are continuing with the second of a series of interviews with a number of young historians. By the time this series concludes in early November, we will have heard from Jack Weaver, Andrew Warren, Ben Olex, Casey Hill, Samantha Sproviero, and Davis Tierney. All of these individuals are broadly interested in the Kabinettskriege era, and have been selected as a result of recent promotion, impending graduate school applications, or work recently begun in graduate school or at a historic site. Today's young historian Samantha Sproviero, gifted young graduate student focusing early nineteenth-century Prussia. Sam's exciting research focuses on queenship during conflict in German Central Europe. She is a second-year MA student at West Virginia University, working with Dr. Katherine Aaslestad.
Alexander Burns : What drew you to study the history in this era? In 2018, much of popular memory of military history in the United States is focused on World War 1, World War 2, and the Vietnam War. What about the history of the 1688-1815 era do you find so compelling?
Samantha Sproviero[1]: To be honest, I think I was a bit repelled by military history initially. I realize that’s a strange reason to study something, but sitting in my first military history class I was taken back by the fact that it was a male-dominated class in which many of my fellow classmates were fetishizing weapons and destruction. The class itself, however, turned out to be nothing like that—it wasn’t about weapons or destruction at all. It had more to do with society—the changes war had on the lives of people. I think it evoked such a strong initial reaction because I recognized it as so vitally important to understanding history. I also felt my importance as a woman in a class like this, and the importance of including the voices of women in military history classes. So I wouldn’t really identify myself a military historian, but I can’t see myself being a gender historian or a social historian—or really any kind of historian—without understanding the importance of the military. You’re missing a big piece of the story without it. The Napoleonic era was particularly interesting to me because it highlights a lot of the ideas I saw as so important. It’s also an interesting period in Prussian history, as the esteemed Prussian military faces a devastating defeat at Jena, is placed under Napoleonic rule, and then rises up to help defeat Napoleon at Waterloo. I’m interested in that process and how it impacts the Prussian people (and women!) in particular.
AB: Is there a particular person, conflict, event, or geographical setting which draws you to this era?
SS: I think individuals are what draws me to history in general. Being that I’m interested in gender history during the nineteenth century, Queen Louise of Prussia is a particularly compelling figure. On a personal level, Louise symbolizes my first time living abroad, and my first experience in Berlin. Visiting her mausoleum in Charlottenburg was probably one of my favorite experiences there, which sounds strange—I don’t usually enjoy walking around mausoleums—but I was particularly struck by the marble sarcophagus of Queen Louise. She was only 34 when she died, yet she managed to leave behind a legacy as a unique German queen—really the only one to express interest in wartime decisions. It was easy to picture her alive, leading dragoons through the Brandenburg Gate. Louise’s story as a woman during a war has piqued my interest in the role of women in Prussian society during the Napoleonic Wars in particular… Not to mention the fact that any woman who threatened Napoleon was, to be frank, pretty bad-ass. He allegedly referred to her has “my beautiful enemy,” and French newspapers called her an “Amazon woman.” She was greatly offended, but I think it serves as a testament to her importance in Prussian society and her impact on her husband’s decisions during this period of war.
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| Queen Louise review her regiment of Dragoons (Richard Knotel, late nineteenth century) |
AB: How do you plan to continue your research into this era? Many of you have been employed in public history settings, or are currently applying to graduate programs. Why have you chosen your particular path?
SS: I’m currently a master’s student at West Virginia University studying European History, with a focus on 19th Century Germany. I’m working a graduate instructor here, teaching Western Civilizations since 1600. I’m open-minded about the future, and hope to pursue a Ph.D. in history. I really love teaching, which is why I’ve pursued graduate school at all. My interests have always been rooted in storytelling. In college, I began as a journalism major. Writing articles allowed me to listen to my community’s stories and share them. My sophomore year of college, I worked as a supplemental instructor for a world civilizations class and although hesitant, capitalized on the opportunity to lecture. Once I saw lecturing as a form of storytelling, I felt at home. Now, focusing on the lives of women in particular, I feel especially fulfilled—I’m sharing the stories of voices that were missing from the narrative.
AB: What have you been reading, recently? Could you recommend one book on your topic of interest, or any recent work on the era?
SS: I’ve currently been working on a historiography of queenship for my thesis, so I’ve been reading through a pretty long list of books on queens. But I think if I had to make a specific recommendation, it would be "Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis," by Joan W. Scott. It’s a tough read, but really provides a theoretical foundation for the inclusion of gender in historical analysis. It’s helped me better understand a lot of the queenship studies I’ve been reading, and gender history in general. My favorite queenship study so far has been Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe: Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette by Carlyon Hariss. Hariss directly compares Henrietta Maria of England and Marie Antoinette of France in order to use the role of queen consort as a lens to better understand the political and social changes during the early modern period. Although the two queens lived in different kingdoms and during different centuries, Harris draws parallels between their lives to draw larger conclusions about the role of queen consorts in general—but read Scott first!
AB: Thanks Sam! We can't wait to see where your career takes you!
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[1]Samantha Sproviero graduated from the Ramapo College of New Jersey, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in history and a minor in literature. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in history from West Virginia University where she works as a graduate instructor. This semester, she is teaching Western Civilizations since 1600 and working on her master's thesis. Her current research interests include nineteenth century women and philanthropy and nineteenth century queenship studies with a focus on Prussia. She hopes to graduate this spring and apply to Ph.D. programs in the near future. Her dream is to spend her days teaching as a professor, traveling to Berlin, and sharing her love of history with her students.
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