By Nick Deiuliis

The Frenchman François-Marie Arouet (1694-1788) was one of history’s greatest minds. Who? You may better recognize him by his pen name: Voltaire.

The Enlightenment author, philosopher, comedian, and historian employed legendary wit when engaging in one of his many passions: criticizing authority and its often-flawed logic. The Catholic Church and state monarchy were regular targets, as were defenders of slavery. Voltaire was a vocal advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state. He was a classic liberal before such a moniker existed. And he advocated as such despite the constant risk of censorship and punishment by the establishment.¹

Voltaire was one of history’s great writers, publishing plays, poems, novels, essays, histories, and scientific papers. He was beyond prolific, writing 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets. Voltaire was one of the first authors to be commercially successful on an international scope.

Beginning a Voltaire Journey

With such a vast inventory to choose from, where would the curious reader interested in exploring Voltaire begin? His Alphabet of Wit is a great place to start. Interestingly, one of his shortest works is one of his most entertaining and stimulating works. A used copy can be had for a few dollars and is well worth the investment.

A paperback version of the book, or perhaps more appropriately, the pamphlet, fits easily in a pocket. It consists of concise, one-word/term topic essays arranged in alphabetical order that are insightful, edgy, and poignant.

The lineage of Voltaire’s Alphabet of Wit is murky. The individual essays first appeared in Questions on the Encyclopedia, and then were re-presented as Reason by Alphabet. After Voltaire’s death, these earlier writings were supplemented with additional essays and papers to create Voltaire’s eight-volume Philosophical Dictionary. Sometime after his death, a new pocket volume, more representative of Voltaire’s earlier shorter works, was published as the Alphabet of Wit.

A sequential reading through the Alphabet of Wit is time well spent and offers a great feel for Voltaire’s wisdom. Many passages resonate today as much as they did in the latter half of the 1700s when first published.

The following dozen selections are especially relevant in modern times.

Books

Near the start of the Alphabet of Wit, Voltaire submitted his thoughts on the topic of ‘books’. He observed that throughout history the civilized world and its leaders were typically under the sway of books. There are countless books, many of them mediocre. But exceptional books, despite being few, enjoy an outsized impact on civilization.

Voltaire highlighted an irony.

Before the printing press, when books were scarce, the literate had an unfulfilled demand for works. When coupled with high illiteracy rates, it meant very little reading of books was occurring. Then, the printing press, publishing, and growing literacy rates made books both plentiful and readily available. Yet too few people were interested in reading.

Voltaire would lament today’s culture, where despite endless formats and open access offered for books, it seems that even fewer people are willing to invest time in reading.

Voltaire recognized it was (and remains) risky for an author to publish a book with a profound message. Particularly when the message might be threatening to the establishment, whether it be religion, government, or expert class. The author as thought leader carries risk; that was true during Voltaire’s time and today. As he put it:

“If you publish a book, a parish curate accuses you of heresy, a college sophomore denounces you, an illiterate condemns you, the public derides you, your publisher renounces you, and your wine dealer cuts off your credit. I always add to my prayers, deliver me oh Lord from the itch of bookmaking.”

Dog

Voltaire had some fun with the brief topic of ‘dog’.

On one hand, he acknowledged that the domesticated dog has become man’s best friend and that the canine enjoys a history of making people happy. But on the other hand, when individuals become angry and aim to degrade another, the label of dog is hurled as an insult.

Eloquence

The topic of ‘eloquence’ represents the letter E in the Alphabet of Wit. We typically encounter the display of eloquence when the speaker/writer exudes passion for the topic. The excited person sees things with a special eye.

Voltaire noted few things conjure eloquence more than the concept of liberty. Why? Because an eloquent defense of liberty in the face of entrenched oppressors requires speaking bold truths, applying rational logic, and backing your position up with evidence and data.

When such topics, despite being eloquently presented, are disliked by the masses or are feared by the establishment, Voltaire warned that the efficacy of eloquence typically recedes, and that compliments will work better.

Government

Speaking of dogs and eloquence (a little satire in the spirit of our subject), Voltaire offered insight on the topic of ‘government’ that rings true today.

He highlighted that the novice to government would assume there is great pleasure in governing because society sees so many individuals who are driven to govern their neighbors and jump into politics. And that governing should have been perfected long ago, because there have been exponentially more books written on government by supposed experts than there are governors. Yet despite the obsession on governing, no one has seemed to figure it out yet.

Voltaire recounted a story from a traveler to a nation that was at war with its neighbors. Both the host nation and its enemies were governed by the inept. The conflict exacted a heavy toll financially, sapped a generation via battle casualties, and hobbled the national economy.

But a few years after the war, the nation rebounded to where it was as good as, if not better than, it was before the war. The traveler deduced that the quick rebound despite the poor political leadership was because the nation enjoyed a superior private sector and culture of achievement.

Voltaire reminded us that although government may be inept, in the end, it’s the private sector and individual citizens that matter most. Food for thought with today’s bureaucratic state and elite class.

Happiness

Like all philosophers, Voltaire could not help expounding on the topic of ‘happiness’ in his Alphabet of Wit.

He pondered what makes one person happier than another. Where two people are in very different circumstances, one enduring difficult hardships and the other enjoying the best of times, it is easy to see why happiness would vary.

But what about the more challenging scenario: where two people are equally healthy, wealthy, and placed in society? Typically, the most moderate, least worrisome, and most perceptive person ends up being the happier. However, being perceptive often coincides with not being moderate.

What then sets the degree of happiness? Voltaire concluded that it’s not a person’s position but instead their disposition that drives their happiness. And a person’s disposition is something that is largely outside the direct control of the individual.

Marriage

The Alphabet of Wit offers an excellent, short essay encapsulating Voltaire’s views on the institution of marriage. He covers familiar ground to the modern reader; ideas debated today in the arena of domestic policy and whether marriage should be incentivized by the state. Voltaire advocated for society to induce citizens to marry early, including the offering of tax incentives. He went a step further and suggested the incentive provided to the marrying individuals be shouldered and paid for by a tax on those of the same age who remained unmarried.

He also thought married individuals, specifically men, are less likely to commit crime; marriage makes society safer. Voltaire saw marriage as encouraging virtue, because the father or mother of a family thinks twice before making a fool of oneself if it would embarrass the family.

Voltaire argued that married soldiers reduce desertion and improve morale; they’re fighting for more than just the state, a flag, or as a mercenary (the Romans felt the same way).

Today inside the DC Beltway, there’s endless analysis and lobbying for policies that echo Voltaire’s views on marriage.

Morality

According to Voltaire, morality is not something that must be studied to understand. As he put it, there is one universal morality, similar in the way that there is only one geometry. People don’t need a formal education to understand right from wrong. Morality is understood from within the heart. Superstition, ceremony, or ideology is not the same as morality. Those things vary and differ over time and geography, but morality is a constant across individuals who behave rationally.

Novelty

One of the most interesting entries in the Alphabet of Wit is found with the letter N under the topic of ‘novelty’.

Voltaire observed how human nature makes us bored with the meaningful but everyday occurrences. Yet we often are obsessively interested in the newest, shiny thing. He used the example of bookstores struggling to sell established classics yet easily selling (and focusing marketing on) recent best sellers lacking substance. The same dynamic is found in romantic relationships; couples may tire of one another and become distracted and tempted by the novel (another individual).

Voltaire suggested that although the drive to novelty may lead to poor decision-making and upside-down priorities, it might also be necessary to keep humans on top of the food chain in nature. If everyone followed the maxims of ‘being content with what you’ve got’ and ‘not to desire more than what you have’, society would not have been nearly as advanced as it was in his time, and certainly as much as it is today. Parallels can be drawn to Voltaire’s observation about the benefit of novelty and the advantages of capitalism over socialism.

Voltaire displayed his epic wit at the end of this essay when he pointed out that such apathy toward novelty in society would be a tragedy, because it would’ve robbed the world of the benefit of Voltaire.

Right

A personal favorite in Voltaire’s Alphabet of Wit is his discussion on the topic of ‘right’. There are modern take-aways to this essay that apply to both government and religion.

Voltaire told the story of a brave individual who traveled from place to place and dared to speak truth to power at each stop.

The individual went to a government official in charge of finance and said:

“Sir, you are completely mad. You think that we can increase the national wealth by printing paper money. This is not wealth, but only a sham for the real wealth of produce and manufacture. What you should have increased was our production of grain, wine, and linen, making sure it found a market. But you make 10 times as much in paper notes as we have actual wealth in money and goods; You are 10 times mad.”

Perhaps required reading for sitting governors of the Federal Reserve.

The individual was imprisoned for his words, but when released he traveled to the Vatican to speak more truth to power. He said to the Pope:

“Holy Father, you do everything contrary-wise to the way Christ instructed. He was poor and you are very rich. Paid tribute and you exact it. He submitted to the powers that be and you have become one of them. He wandered on foot and you visit Castle Gandolfo in a splendid carriage. He ate whatever people gave him; you would have us eat fish on Fridays even though we reside far from rivers or the sea.”

Voltaire had an interesting twist at the end of this story, to make a final point about the consequences of ‘right’. The individual was imprisoned and punished each time he spoke truth to power. Despite this, he persisted until he was ultimately executed for delivering a similar message to another religious leader. The final sentence of the story: “Nevertheless he had been right all along.”

Self-Love

One would be justified in speculating that the great author and philosopher Ayn Rand was a fan of Voltaire and his Alphabet of Wit. Because his essay on ‘self-love’ reads as if the founding mother of objectivism is speaking:

“Whoever said that self-love is the basis of all our emotions and actions was right; it isn’t necessary to prove that men have faces, nor that they possess self-love. It is the instrument of our preservation: it is like a provision for perpetuating mankind; it is essential, it is dear to us, it is delightful, and it should be hidden.”

That last part, making the case for humility while embracing self-love, might be the one point Ayn Rand disagreed with. But the rest is as if it came straight out of Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead.

Slavery

A stark contrast to ‘self-love’ is offered with the immediately following topic found in the Alphabet of Wit: ‘slavery’. Voltaire took to task those who argue that slavery is superior to free labor because the free laborers must look after themselves and might go hungry, whereas slaves are taken care of by their masters. The problem, of course, (beyond the morally reprehensible concept of people owning people) is that the human spirit seeks independence and, if wired for freedom, an individual will neither desire nor require someone else taking care of them in the form of a master.

Voltaire keenly noted that when the free individual cannot find sufficient work, it is typically not because they are independent, but instead because of impediments that are placed between the worker and their production.

It’s up to individuals to decide what state, or degree, of freedom they prefer. If you asked the humblest worker who was wearing old clothes, had barely enough to eat, and had the most basic roof over their head whether they would rather be a slave and be given better food, clothes, and shelter, the individual worker would laugh at you.

This essay’s points were channeled in the endless debate between North and South before the Civil War over that ‘peculiar institution’ of slavery; with the South putting forth the flawed argument that slavery is a better state for the plantation worker than freedom.

The essay also applies to today’s administrative state and overly burdensome government regulation keeping free individual workers from fulfilling their full productive potential.

War

Toward the end of the Alphabet of Wit, Voltaire discerned that nature is in a constant state of war and combat; survival of the fittest in the Animal Kingdom. But because God granted man reason, and the expectation was that man would utilize reason to separate and elevate above the Animal Kingdom, one would surmise war would not be a constant state for humans. Yet we continue to war, in many instances with the combatants not understanding what the conflict is about.

Worse, much of war is justified in the name of God. Which leads to bizarre behaviors that Voltaire highlighted. If a general in a battle kills only a couple thousand enemy, he or she doesn’t give thanks to God. But if the general annihilates tens of thousands in combat or completely destroys a rival nation, the general gives thanks to God.

Voltaire concluded his essay on ‘war’ by providing a geopolitical lesson that should be heeded by today’s leaders of nations. He took exception to the argument that sometimes self-defense of a nation dictates war; that if one country during peaceful times arms itself in a way where it could destroy another nation, then that other nation is justified in immediate attack and war.

Voltaire uses logic to refute that view. Nothing is stopping the threatened nation in peacetime from making itself equally powerful to the opposition. The neighbor you fear may make alliances that threaten you, but you can make alliances as well. Your rival can grow its military, but so can you. And the rival nation might position its economy for strategic advantage, but you can imitate the same tactic. There’s typically a superior alternative to using war under justification of preventing a rival from gaining irreversible advantage over you. The rational leader will avoid war whenever and however possible. War is a true last resort, after an exhaustive failure of everything else that would constitute deterrence.

A Powerful Legacy

Nearly two millennia ago, the great Stoic Epictetus provided sage advice: “Don’t just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person.”

Read the Alphabet of Wit from A through Z. Then trace it in reverse. Revisit it from time to time. See what you agree with and take exception to.

Absorbing Voltaire’s orderly alphabet of essays will reinforce concepts of the great thinkers who followed and echoed him. It will also place a host of contemporary issues into a clearer light.

A world contemplating Voltaire’s alphabet just might make it a better place.

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[1] He was no stranger to such punishment. He adopted his pen name upon release from incarceration in the Bastille.

By Nick Deiuliis

Humans are odd creatures. We spend billions of dollars and invest precious free time to travel and explore the history and culture of places, both near and far. Our bucket lists abound with unvisited destinations as our runway of time remaining in our mortal coils steadily diminishes.

Despite our innate drive to explore, we often pass by and miss a trove of history waiting to be discovered during our travels.  Stories that are latently present in something you find everywhere, from hometowns to exotic locales.

Where is all this history and culture awaiting?  In, of all things…hotels.

Think about it.  Travelers tend to limit exploration options to the traditional list of museums, monuments, streets, neighborhoods, restaurants, and events.  Meanwhile, hotels are demoted to nothing more than places to sleep and park luggage.

That’s a mistake for lovers of travel, history, and sense of place.

Of course, the older the hotel, the deeper the history and story.  Certainly, every large American city boasts an impressive list of legacy-rich hotels.  In Europe, it’s ridiculous how deep the roster runs.

Realizing how hotels can add to the travel experience opens a new dimension to historical and cultural prospecting.

By way of example, consider the awe-inspiring history of a hotel I stumbled upon during a recent trip.  It’s in the Netherlands; in the city of The Hague, the official seat of government of the Netherlands.¹  Its name is Hotel Des Indes. What a story it has.

The Palace Before the Hotel

The Hotel Des Indes prominently sits in the center of The Hague, occupying the corner of the city’s famous tree-lined avenue, Lange Voorhout.  This impressive green space was originally envisioned and created in 1536 when the Holy Roman Emperor and House of Habsburg leader, Carl V, visited The Hague and wanted to alleviate the city’s overcrowding.  The front yards of several prominent residences were appropriated, and the consolidated space was converted into a prestigious walking avenue lined by trees.

For five centuries that vision has provided one of Europe’s most enjoyable urban venues.

The Lange Voorhout in the city center of The Hague, the Netherlands, on a sunny autumn day.

By the late 1500s, as the Middle Ages ended, the region we now know as the Netherlands became a republic.  Its political center became The Hague, and the golden age of the Dutch Empire, one of the most powerful empires in history, began.

The Dutch Empire rose, roamed the world, and receded.  Meanwhile, not much happened on the corner of The Hague’s Lange Voorhout for about 300 years.

Things got interesting in 1858 when Baron van Brienen, a counsellor to Dutch King William III, decided to build a town palace on the corner of the posh Lange Voorhout.  He chose the location despite already enjoying an impressive estate, Clingendael, on the outskirts of The Hague, so that he could host parties in the city center.²

The baron built his urban palace, featuring a magnificent ballroom and other luxurious amenities that would later benefit the future hotel. The palace was a bold statement, and in many ways a physical manifestation of the baron’s ego.

The baron’s eye for detail in the mid-1800s can be found in today’s hotel.  The baron had his initial ‘B’ inscribed on the gilded doorknobs of each chamber, which can still be admired on the doors of the entryway to the hotel salon.  There is a small hole in the top of these doorknobs, designed to accommodate a feather.  A white feather in the doorknob signified to palace staff and visitors that entry was permitted, while a red feather in the doorknob indicated the baron did not want to be disturbed.³

Despite his stature, title, and fortune, in 1863 the baron ultimately did what we all do: he died.

Birth of the Hotel Des Indes

In real estate it’s all about location, location, location.  The baron’s palace occupied a prime spot on the corner of the gathering center of The Hague. A perfect location for a hotel.

After the baron’s death, the palace building was sold, underwent an extensive multi-year renovation, and was dedicated as a hotel.  An 1880 announcement boasted, “This first-grade hotel is the largest in the residency and has been newly furnished according to the standards of this current time.”  Indeed, the Hotel Des Indes was quite the item when it opened.

The hotel’s name, Des Indes, was inspired by the then-famous hotel of the same name in Batavia, or what we know today as Indonesia, which was a Dutch colony.  The coat of arms of Batavia is still displayed in the triangular decoration on the facade of the hotel and on the canopy over the hotel entrance.   The name of the Batavian hotel was copied as a marketing ploy to attract travelers from the Dutch East Indies as guests when visiting The Hague.

The first guest, at least for dinner, was the famous reformed banker-turned-Dutch artist, Hendrik Willem Mesdag.⁴  The painter reserved a large table at the end of April in 1881 to celebrate a wedding anniversary with his wife and his close friends.

Above is a section of Mesdag’s most famous work, the Panorama Mesdag. The painting is a massive panoramic work completed in 1881 that showcases a 360-degree painted view of the beach and dunes at Scheveningen.

On May 1^st, 1881, the hotel officially opened with a toast by Prince Frederick of Orange.  Two days later the hotel hosted a ball, with attendees wearing costumes dressed as Greeks, Turks, or in Renaissance style.

Hotel Des Indes soon made its mark as a progressive and innovative hotel for its time. Each floor had a bathroom and a few years later each room was outfitted with a bathroom, offering hot and cold running water. There was an intercom system that guests could use to call reception from their rooms.  The hotel offered an unprecedented level of luxury and technology.

Home-Away-From-Home for Political Elites

Russian Tsar Nicolas II, the last emperor of Russia, father of Anastasia, and eventual victim of a Bolshevik firing squad, played a pivotal role in the hotel’s legacy when he proposed to host a peace conference in The Hague in 1899.   A slew of new guests, consisting of heads of state, governors, and diplomats, found their way to the residential hotel and stayed there for months during what came to be known as the First International Peace Conference.⁵

The Tsar’s idea and subsequent conference created the opportunity for Hotel Des Indes to cement its reputation among the elites of the diplomatic service.  That’s a key constituency that regularly visits The Hague, the seat of Dutch government.

American political leadership was drawn to the Hotel Des Indes through the years; Presidents Benjamin Harrison, Teddy Roosevelt, and Jimmy Carter stayed at the hotel on separate occasions.

The hotel also has an impressive Pittsburgh connection.

After that first peace conference in 1899, it was agreed that the world needed an International Court of Arbitration so that humans could avoid war.⁶  A donation was made by Andrew Carnegie, at the time the richest man in the world, to construct what became the Peace Palace in The Hague (today it houses the International Court of Arbitration).  Before Andrew Carnegie’s visit to The Hague in 1913 to commemorate the opening of the Peace Palace, the hotel hosted an army of security staff tasked with protecting Carnegie from kidnapping.

Surviving Conflict: Hotel Des Indes Through the World Wars

Austria’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand stayed at the Hotel Des Indes three years before his assassination that triggered the start of the First World War.   Although the Netherlands remained neutral during the Great War, the global strife led to economic calamity, affecting the hotel as well.  It took an intervention by the Dutch government in 1918 to insure the survival of the Hotel Des Indes.  The government bailout of the hotel allowed the Netherlands to offer war negotiators first-class lodging while they immersed in peace talks at the nearby Peace Palace.

Between world wars, in 1929, the hotel hosted diplomats who met at The Hague for the Conference on Reparations, just before the collapse in global financial markets.

Then came World War II. The Netherlands tried to remain neutral at the start, hoping to copy its successful strategy for avoiding World War I’s destruction. Unfortunately, Germany didn’t consider Netherlands neutrality as acceptable, and Hitler demanded its immediate surrender.

He was rebutted initially, so Germany proceeded to have Rotterdam destroyed by German bombers.  Germany promised to unleash the same devastation on The Hague, Amsterdam, and other Dutch cities in the coming days if the Netherlands did not unconditionally surrender. General Winkleman was left in charge of the Dutch government after the queen fled to London.  Facing certain destruction across his country, the general surrendered on May 14^th, 1940, a few doors down from the Hotel Des Indes.

The Germans occupied The Hague and the Wehrmacht moved into the Hotel Des Indes.  A machine gun was placed in the hotel hallway.  A bust of Hitler was brought to the hotel to be placed at the reception area, but the hotel director brazenly objected, and surprisingly the rejection was accepted by the Germans.  The hotel during World War II German occupation became known as the ‘Wehrmacht Hotel’.

LEFT: The Hague Arrival of General Eisenhower Lange Voorhout Palace on Oct. 6, 1945. RIGHT: General Eisenhower and Dutch General Hendrik Johan Kruls at Hotel Des Indes on Jan. 10, 1951 (Credit: Duinen, […] van / Anefo – Nationaal Archief)

After liberation by the Allies, American troops stayed at the hotel.  Britain’s Winston Churchill and General Montgomery were some of the first guests after liberation. There’s a famous photo of General Eisenhower touring The Hague after the war with the Hotel Des Indes in the background, and Ike returned to the hotel in the early 1950s when he became the first NATO commander.

Spectrum of Celebrity Through the Years

Andrew Carnegie wasn’t the only American business titan to be connected to the Hotel Des Indes.  Henry Ford and his family stayed at the hotel in 1930 as he worked on building a Dutch manufacturing facility.  Media tycoon William Hearst stayed at the hotel regularly in the 1930s as he attended art shows looking for Dutch masters works for his extensive art collection.

Charles Lindberg was at the hotel in the 1930s, who after his famous transatlantic flight was the biggest celebrity on the planet.  The Dali Lama was at Des Indes.

Movie stars stayed at the hotel through the years, including France’s Yvette Guilbert in 1902, one of the world’s first movie stars.  Josephine Baker, the first black woman to star in a movie and civil rights activist, stayed at the hotel in 1955.  Iconic Audrey Hepburn signed the hotel guestbook during the mid-1980s. Omar Shariff played in a bridge tournament at the hotel.

Rachmaninoff, of the great composers of classical music, slept at the hotel in 1928.

The most famous ballerina in the world in the 1920s, Anna Pavlova, of The Dying Swan fame, met her premature and unfortunate demise at the hotel in 1931, in the hotel’s Japanese Salon.  Pavlova was traveling, and while staying at the hotel became severely ill.  Doctors told her she had pneumonia, she required an operation, and that she would never be able to dance again if she went ahead with the operation. She refused to have the surgery, saying, “If I can’t dance, then I’d rather be dead”.  She died shortly after in the hotel.

Prince (or the artist formerly known as Prince) set up at Des Indes when he played Rotterdam.  So did Michael Jackson and Bono. The arrival of Mick Jagger brought a mob of hysterical fans in front of the entryway of the hotel.

Incredible Story Within an Epic History

There is one story tied to Hotel Des Indes than impresses above all others, one that does not pertain to a celebrity or notable event.  Instead, it is an amazing story of an individual.

The story belongs to a long-time hotel employee, Kurt Irrgang.  He worked at the hotel for nearly 40 years, but it was his journey over his career that is amazing.

Kurt was born in Germany in 1914 and moved to Belgium when he was a teenager to train for a career in hospitality.  After he graduated from hotel school, he moved to The Hague and started a job as a lobby boy at the Hotel Des Indes.  Kurt married a Dutch woman, she gave birth to twins, and then Germany promptly invaded the Netherlands.  A challenging time to be raising a young family.

But it got worse for Kurt.  When the Germans occupied The Hague and the Wehrmacht settled into the Hotel Des Indes, they came to realize Kurt is German-born.  Protocol dictated that Irrgang be immediately assigned to join the German military.  He was separated from his family and dispatched to the worst front imaginable, the Russian Front.  The last place you would want to be as a German foot solider during World War II.

Toward the end of the war as Germany is collapsing, Kurt is captured by the Russians in Czechoslovakia.  He is sent to a prison camp in Siberia, likely undergoing forced labor, torture, and other trauma that he refused to speak of through his life.  He was released by the Russians a few years after the war’s end, and he made his way back to his family in The Hague.

Kurt returned to the hotel to work and climbed his way up the career ladder to become Matre’d of the Hotel Des Indes.  He officially became a Dutch citizen in 1956.

Kurt became an iconic part of the hotel in the eyes of guests and staff.

Some say history is made by the individual.  Kurt Irrgang’s journey proves they are correct.

Des Indes: Blueprint for Spotting History Hiding in Plain Sight

The story of Hotel Des Indes is one example in one city.  There are hundreds of Hotel Des Indes across America and Europe waiting to be appreciated and decoded.

The Hague is located on the west coast of the Netherlands, approximately 45 miles southwest of Amsterdam. The North Sea is visible on the horizon, above.

Don’t miss hiding-in-plain-sight history and culture during your next visit or trip to wherever life takes you.  It may be where you live and sleep for a few days, or right around the corner.   Travelers from all walks of life will inevitably find something of specific interest to them within the walls of these lodging gems.

Running down the rabbit holes of hotels does not require staying in them.  Simply walk in and look around.   Or grab a drink or a bite to eat.  Many hotels have staff happy to discuss their proud legacies.

Change your travel routine, whether for first-time visits or repeat visits and whether for business or pleasure.  Do a little research prior to find the oldest and most historic hotels.  Invest the time for a quick stop and look around.  You’ll be surprised at what you find.

Hotels offer the opportunity to stumble upon history by accident…but sort of by design.  The best of both worlds.

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[1] Although Amsterdam is the official capital of the Netherlands.  I know, more complicated than it needs to be.  That’s European bureaucracy for you.

[2] This is European royalty we are talking about, after all.

[3] Try that at home and see if it works.  Good luck, if your house is anything like mine.

[4] Mesdag played a key role in the rise of the Haggse School, or The Hague School, of painting.  Their use of somber colors is why they are sometimes referenced as the Gray School.

[5] One hotel guest and conference attendee was Paul Kruger, president of the Republic of South Africa, leader of the peasant rebellion known as the Boer War, and who the famous gold coin Krugerrand is named after.

[6] Does any of that sound familiar?  More than one hundred years later, still working on that thought.

By Nick Deiuliis

The moniker, Alexander the Great, is befitting of the man’s historical resume. Macedonian ruler of the known world, from Greece to India. By age 30, creator of one of the largest empires in history. Undefeated in battle and a brilliant military mind. Visionary leader.

Countless pages over centuries have covered seemingly every aspect of Alexander’s life and campaigns. Historians obsess over Alexander’s military tactics and famous battle sequences. Psychologists opine on his ego, temper, and sexual preferences while physicians diagnose his combat injuries, illnesses, and medical treatments. Logisticians marvel at his army’s supply chain prowess.

Yet there are five critical and intriguing components to Alexander the Great’s epic story that are not properly appreciated. Factors that don’t have much to do with military battles or tactics. Five vital, yet secret, ingredients that were necessary to build the legend.

Most Elite of Upbringings

Aristotle (born 384 BC) is one of history’s greatest minds. The polymath covered subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, and the arts. He attended Plato’s Academy until his late 30s and laid the groundwork for the development of modern science.

The historian Robin Lane Fox noted that Aristotle “wrote books on the constitutions of 158 different states, edited a list of the victors in the games at Delphi, discussed music and medicine, astronomy, magnets and optics, made notes on Homer, analyzed rhetoric, outline the forms of poetry, considered the irrational side of men’s nature, set zoology on a proper experimental course, was intrigued by bees and began the study of Embryology.”

Though Aristotle wrote many elegant treatises and dialogues for publication, only around a third of his original output has survived, and none of it was intended for publication.¹

Shortly after Plato died, Aristotle left Athens and ended up pursuing a crucial career opportunity that impacted world history. Philip II ruled Macedonia, to the north of Greece. The King wanted Aristotle, the best instructor in the land, to tutor Philip’s son, Alexander (not yet known as ‘The Great’).

Phillip built a school in Mieza for Aristotle to instruct young Alexander and a group of young noblemen. The future conqueror received three years of instruction from Aristotle at the academy.²

The archeological site of Mieza located in Macedonia is where Aristotle is believed to have tutored Alexander.

Aristotle prepared for Alexander a special text of the Iliad, which was Alexander’s favorite work. Legend has it that Alexander kept Aristotle’s text on the Iliad under his pillow. Aristotle also wrote pamphlets for Alexander on kingship, colonies, and instructed him on geometry, rhetoric, and the ability to debate a case from one side as well as the other. All of which were tools that would serve Alexander well during his life.

Indeed, Alexander enjoyed the most exclusive of upbringings. His father, Philip II, was King of Macedonia. His teacher was Aristotle. And he attended an elite academy built especially for him.

Not exactly the rearing environment of a common peasant. Yet Alexander as a leader earned the respect of the common soldier through his actions.

Alexander would often lead the attack charge, receive treatment for his wounds after his injured soldiers were cared for, and sleep in the same conditions as his soldiers. That style of leadership is rare, particularly for someone with the privileged background of Alexander.

Family Dysfunction

Alexander the Great experienced a volatile set of family dynamics early in life. An ancient version of a soap opera, reality show, and investigative crime documentary rolled into one.

Alexander’s mother, Olympias, was the wife of Philip II. She was Greek, and since the Greek states were historic rivals of Macedonia, it made the royal arrangement somewhat controversial.

When Alexander was a young man, his father repudiated Alexander’s mother and took as a new wife a Macedonian who had a daughter with Philip and was expecting what was rumored to be a son. If that were true, it would put Alexander’s succession as the next potential ruler of Macedonia, after his father, in jeopardy.

Succession concerns and the risk of not being next in line in the ancient world often resulted in royal homicide. Sure enough, within a year Philip II was assassinated by a bodyguard. The murder catalyzed instant speculation as to who may have been involved in the murder and what the motive was. It placed Alexander into a dangerous dynamic at a critical age.

Depiction of Philip’s assassination by Pausanias in The Story of the Greatest Nations (c. 1900)

The role that Alexander potentially played in his father’s death has been of historical debate for centuries.

Many historians conclude Alexander was an active participant planning his father’s murder. Father and son often fought, at times violently and publicly. Much of the conflict centered on the drama of Philip II repudiating Alexander’s mother and marrying another woman.

But Alexander devising his father’s murder is just one possible scenario.

Aristotle believed the bodyguard who murdered Philip II acted alone and was achieving revenge after Phillip II terminated their homosexual affair.³

Alexander offered his own theory as to who was behind the assassination of his father. He speculated the murder was politically motivated and organized by the Persians, rivals of Phillip II and Macedonia.

And one cannot rule out Alexander’s mother, Olympias, as a prime suspect in planning Philip’s demise. His new marriage humiliated her and hamstrung the political prospects of her son. Interestingly, Olympias ordered that the body of the murderer be taken down from its stake and cremated with honor.

Alexander experienced, dealt with, and successfully navigated through traumatic family drama—positioning him to become king and begin his conquests. Proving once again that what doesn’t kill you often makes you stronger. Or alternatively, if Alexander played a role in his father’s death, proving that sometimes crime pays.

Machiavellian…Centuries Before Machiavelli

Alexander’s upbringing and personal crises at a young age prepared him to become a master at Machiavellian tactics long before the birth of Machiavelli. He had a talent to manipulate politics and shape perception to his liking.

After Alexander would win a major battle, he would often send trophies taken from the enemy (armor, shields, etc.) back to Greece and Athens to be displayed in temples. He would inscribe on the trophies: “Alexander son of Philip and the Greeks”. In parentheses he would write: “Except the Spartans”, and then would continue with “[sends] these spoils from the Persians in Asia”.
Two details of the practice and inscriptions highlight Alexander’s political savvy and group psychology mastery.

The sending of trophies back to Athens adorned with his inscription of being ‘the son of the Greeks’ was public relations genius. Athens and much of Greece were the least reliable allies of Macedonia and Alexander. Alexander’s practice transformed himself into a Greek, whereby it would be more difficult for Greeks or Athenians to not stick with the alliance.

His parenthetical portion of the trophy inscriptions, ‘except the Spartans’, accomplished an even larger public relations feat. Specifically excluding the Spartans conveniently allowed Alexander to rewrite history into a version that was more suited to his goals. Before Alexander, the Spartans were the undisputed regional leaders and champions of Greek liberty against the Persians.⁴ Excluding Sparta in the trophies’ dedications was Alexander’s way to modify history, whereby he displaced the Spartan legacy of being the exemplar of Greek resistance against the recognized enemy, Persia. And inserted himself as the new exemplar.

Welcoming Input, Only to Decide the Opposite

Alexander encouraged debate and input from his senior advisors throughout campaigns. Yet he also had a penchant for deciding a course counter to what those closest to him advised. As far as Alexander was concerned, the consensus be damned.

The Empire of Alexander the Great

Four examples show the dynamic at play.

The earliest decision point involved what to do about Persia’s formidable naval fleet in the Mediterranean. Alexander’s advisers urged seeking a direct naval battle with the Persians and then pivoting to the next step based upon the outcome of the naval encounter.

Alexander disagreed. His strategic vision was beyond what his advisers could see. While the advisers were thinking short-term and tactical victory or setback, Alexander was thinking long-term and aiming for total global domination. He chose to forgo a direct naval battle and instead to take out Persian naval bases along the coast to, as he put it, ‘defeat the Persian fleet from the land.’ It was unconventional thinking and it worked.

A second decision point that illustrated Alexander’s penchant for bucking the consensus and choosing a separate path came after Alexander won his first battle against Darius of Persia. Darius offered Alexander an enticing bribe to cease his campaign: all of Asia Minor. Alexander pushed on and after he won another battle against Darius, the Persian leader upped his offer to include all territory up to the Euphrates River, treasure, and Darius’ daughter’s hand in marriage.

Alexander’s advisors strongly urged him to accept the deal. Darius’ offer was far beyond what the advisors hoped to achieve tactically in the campaign. But Alexander flatly refused, using the justification that he already informed Darius that he, Alexander, was Lord of Asia. Therefore, all Darius’ wealth and lands were already Alexander’s, including Darius’ daughter’s hand in marriage (but only if Alexander wanted to take it).

Alexander’s decision to not accept the offer and continue with the campaign proved a good one. Alexander’s advisors played tactical checkers while Alexander was playing strategic chess.

Two other examples of Alexander astutely dissenting from his advisors’ opinions at crucial decision points pertain to battle tactics.

At the Granicus, advisors thought attempting to cross the river with the Persian army already sitting at the other bank would be disastrous. Alexander was convinced attacking directly across the river would create a psychological advantage for his army and result in victory and proclaimed, “I should feel ashamed after crossing the sea from Europe to Asia if this little stream should hinder us.” He led the charge into the river, which led to victory.

At Guagamela, Alexander’s inner circle debated whether the army should attack at night or daylight. Advisors thought a night attack better, but Alexander felt it could confuse the troops and would not be befitting of the reputation of the army. He said darkness belonged to “robbers and way layers” and “…my glory shall not be diminished by stealing a victory. I am determined on an open attack.” Once again, his decision led to victory.

Oratory to Manipulate, Inspire, and Persuade

Alexander was an extremely talented orator. He was able to connect with and inspire his troops at crucial junctures.

Looking to conquer the known world over the course of years will create times when the army grows weary and frustrated. Alexander’s army, thousands of miles from home and away for years, was not immune to that phenomenon. One of Alexander’s most effective tools for countering poor morale and recharging it was his gift for public speaking.

Alexander and Porus by Charles Le Brun, painted 1673, depicting the Battle of the Hydaspes.⁵

A crucial test of energizing poor morale via oratory for Alexander was presented by his army in India. To manipulate his troops’ feelings and to motivate them to stay, he gave a passionate speech. He focused on his leading from the front, subjecting himself to the hardships of the common soldier, and of the loyalty owed to him.

Alexander said:

“I have no part of my body, in front at least, that is left without scars; there is no weapon, used at close quarters, or hurled from afar, of which I do not carry the mark. I have been wounded by the sword, shot with arrows, struck from a catapult, smitten many times with stones and clubs for you, for your glory, for your wealth.”

He continued with:

“Depart all of you and when you reach home, tell them there that your king, Alexander, victor over the Persians… Tell them, I say that you deserted him, that you took yourselves off, leaving him to the care of the wild tribes you conquered. This, when you declare it, will be no doubt glorious among men and pious in the sight of heaven. Be gone!”

Alexander certainly had a sense for the dramatic and could adeptly use words to sway.

He coupled the speech with elaborate sulking theatrics over the following few days, and by the end of the performance, his army was ready to follow him anywhere and for as long as he liked.

Five Secret Ingredients Helped Transform Alexander into ‘The Great’

Five crucial and underappreciated attributes helped transform Alexander into the legend. The development of his story required much more than military prowess, bravery, and good timing.

It also required:

• An elite upbringing at the foot of his king-father and Aristotle;
• Volatile family dynamics, which tested and introduced him at an early age to the harsh realities of leadership;
• Ability to define vision and manipulate perception through astute public relations and optics;
• Confidence to gather views of trusted advisors but to decide on a different course; and,
• Gifted oratory to sway and inspire during challenging times.

To learn more about the man beyond the military campaigns, check out John Keegan’s The Mask of Command.

A great unconventional work on Alexander is Lance Kurke’s The Wisdom of Alexander the Great: Enduring Leadership Lessons from the Man Who Created an Empire.

The trove of thoughts and views on Alexander the Great seems endless. Indeed, there is still much to learn from the legend, twenty-three centuries later.

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[1] Here’s a pair of questions to ponder: How different would life today or modern history be if we had the benefit of the full writings and learnings of prior great minds like Aristotle?  If you tally up the cumulative knowledge that mankind amassed over the eons and across the great societies, what percentage survived for today?  Most, half, or only a small fraction?  Your answers may lead to fascinating alternative history scenarios, but for a sacking or pandemic here and there.

[2] Ivy League grads’ bragging rights pale next to those other young noblemen at the Mieza Academy, who were instructed by Aristotle and were classmates with Alexander the Great.

[3] It was quite common for male elites to be openly bisexual during Philip II’s time.

[4] Movie buffs may be familiar with Sparta’s resistance to Persia from the film 300, which was a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae in the Greco-Persian Wars.  Sparta’s King Leonidas led 300 fearless Spartans into battle against the Persian King Xerxes’ massive army.

[5] From Britannica: “The Battle of the Hydaspes effectively marked Alexander’s farthest advance on the Indian subcontinent. Faced with larger kingdoms to the east and tired from years of war, his army subsequently mutinied and forced him to turn back toward Macedonia. During the return march, Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BCE, and his empire was subsequently divided among his generals.”