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* HeroesWantRedheads: Meicke, Joss’ LoveInterest, has copper-red, curly hair.
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[[quoteright:800:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joss_3.jpg]]
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->"In the night when the French threw the torch into my parents' home, they had predestined my fate."
->- '''Joss'''
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->"In the night when the French threw the torch into my parents' home, they had predestined my fate."
->- '''Joss'''
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During the Napoleonic Wars: Joss, who is only known by this nickname, grows up as a foundling in the northern German village Siebeneichen (translatable as Sevenoaks). His biological family is suspected to have died during a French town raid, and he was the only one of them who managed to escape. Found by the peasant couple Father Mewes and Mother Marie, he now lives as their son. Through the years he also finds several friends in the village; dreamy Woobie Jeppe and FieryRedhead GirlNextDoor Meicke, and also Shell-Shocked Veteran and now horse breeder Henning Struve, to whom he swears to avenge his family one day.
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During the Napoleonic Wars: Joss, who is only known by this nickname, grows up as a foundling in the northern German village Siebeneichen (translatable as Sevenoaks). His biological family is suspected to have died during a French town raid, and he was the only one of them who managed to escape. Found by the peasant couple Father Mewes and Mother Marie, he now lives as their son. Through the years he also finds several friends in the village; dreamy Woobie {{Woobie}} Jeppe and FieryRedhead GirlNextDoor Meicke, and also Shell-Shocked Veteran ShellShockedVeteran and now horse breeder Henning Struve, to whom he swears to avenge his family one day.
* AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder: After Joss leaves her for the Freikorps, Meicke starts dating and gets even engaged with Toni Stövesand, another village boy. [[spoiler:Subverted, since she only did it to punish Joss for just leaving her.]]
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* AuthorFilibuster: In an epilogue, Klaus Kordon explains the setting, and it is quite obvious that he believes that Napoleon was an evil tyrant.
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* AuthorFilibuster: In an epilogue, Klaus Kordon explains the setting, and it is quite obvious that he believes that Napoleon was an evil tyrant.a real-life EvilOverlord.
* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: Deconstructed. Joss views himself on a mission to avenge his family that was killed by Napoleonic troops, but has to make the experience that he is a far too small number to achieve anything really meaningful.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: This is 1813, and most countries are still absolutist monarchies, so the royals need to do something; with different reception of their respective subjects. Nearly a whole chapter is given to a loving memory about the Prussian Queen Luise, who tried to ease the Peace of Tilsit in a personal talk with Napoleon, only to be rebuked. It is widely believed that this was the stress that caused her untimely demise.
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* YouKilledMyFather: Reason for Joss to fight. And for Konrad Kohlsaat and Burchard Voss.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Richard Gripp is in fact only middle-aged, but looks like an elderly man.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Richard Gripp is in fact only middle-aged, but looks like an elderly man.
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* YouKilledMyFather: Reason for Joss to fight. take up weapons against Napoleonic France (whole family). And for Konrad Kohlsaat (youngest son) and Burchard Voss.Voss (brother).
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Richard Gripp is in fact only middle-aged, but looks like an elderlyman.man.
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* YoungerThanTheyLook: Richard Gripp is in fact only middle-aged, but looks like an elderly
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* LesCollaborateurs: The Lützow Freikorps has to watch out for them all the time, since the French offer large sums on the fighters' heads. [[spoiler:During the Battle of the Nations, Joss' unit encounters one who lures them into a trap; Thies is killed thanks to this trope.]]
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* ItsPersonal: For Joss, and several other Lützowers. Joss wants to avenge his family, Rudolf Irritje the defeat of Prussia at Jena and Auerstedt, Konrad Kohlsaat a severe French looting that led to his infant son starving, and Burchard Voss the murder of his brother and rape of his sister-in-law and his niece (plus the theft of all their jewelry).
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* ItsPersonal: For Joss, and several other Lützowers. Joss wants to avenge his family, Rudolf Irritje the defeat of Prussia at Jena and Auerstedt, Konrad Kohlsaat a severe French looting that led to his infant son starving, and Burchard Voss the murder of his brother and rape gang-rape of his sister-in-law and his niece (plus the theft of all their jewelry).
* MortonsFork: Major von Schill was delivered to one: He would die by the hands of the French, who hated him as a defiant enemy, or be CourtMartialed and sentenced to death by the Prussian army for renegading. He is killed during his hussars' LastStand in the end.
* MostWritersAreWriters: [[spoiler:Joss' later master and teacher, Hermann Navium from Camin, is a publisher and book merchant.]]
* MostWritersAreWriters: [[spoiler:Joss' later master and teacher, Hermann Navium from Camin, is a publisher and book merchant.]]
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* WhamLine: Gundel, after Joss goes back to the Nufer estate to inform her about Thies’ death: “Please don’t think bad of me, but…[[spoiler:I’m with child]]!”
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* WeHaveToGetTheBulletOut: Thies is subject to that kind of operation, and also Richard Gripp was this in the past (it gave him his DiseaseBleach). Justified, since common practice in the setting.
* WhamLine: Gundel, after Joss goes back to the Nufer estate to inform herabout [[spoiler:about Thies’ death: “Please don’t think bad of me, but…[[spoiler:I’m but…I’m with child]]!”
* WhamLine: Gundel, after Joss goes back to the Nufer estate to inform her
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During the Napoleonic Wars: Joss, who is only known by this nickname, grows up as a foundling in the northern German village Siebeneichen (translatable as Sevenoaks). His biological family is suspected to have died during a French town raid, and he was the only one of them who managed to escape. Found by the peasant couple Father Mewes and Mother Marie, he now lives as their son. Through the years he also finds several friends in the village; dreamy Woobie Jeppe and Fiery Redhead neighbor’s daughter Meicke, and also Shell-Shocked Veteran and now horse breeder Henning Struve, to whom he swears to avenge his family one day.
to:
During the Napoleonic Wars: Joss, who is only known by this nickname, grows up as a foundling in the northern German village Siebeneichen (translatable as Sevenoaks). His biological family is suspected to have died during a French town raid, and he was the only one of them who managed to escape. Found by the peasant couple Father Mewes and Mother Marie, he now lives as their son. Through the years he also finds several friends in the village; dreamy Woobie Jeppe and Fiery Redhead neighbor’s daughter FieryRedhead GirlNextDoor Meicke, and also Shell-Shocked Veteran and now horse breeder Henning Struve, to whom he swears to avenge his family one day.
* AuthorFilibuster: In an epilogue, Klaus Kordon explains the setting, and it is quite obvious that he believes that Napoleon was an evil tyrant.
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* CulturedBadass: Thomas Kelch, an artist who fights for the Lützow Freikorps and is frequently seen drawing.
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* CulturedBadass: Thomas Kelch, an artist who fights for the Lützow Freikorps and is frequently seen drawing. He joined the war effort to chronicle the conflict in his pictures later. [[spoiler:Sad enough that it never happens.]]
* DeadGuyOnDisplay: Happened to Henning's regiment leader, Major Friedrich von Schill. After he was killed in battle, his severed head was put on display by the French as a posthumous humiliation.
* DefiantToTheEnd: The hussars of Major von Schill, Henning's old boss. They fought on, even after the official war against Napoleonic France was lost, and only fell in Stralsund, [[LastStand where they didn't go down without a bloody battle]].
* DrowningUnwantedPets: Common practice in the early 19th century, and Meicke defies this for a litter of kittens at seven years of age.
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* FriendToAllLivingThings: Grotmudder Tattermusch. She is the local midwife in Siebeneichen, loves to help people with their medical issues (only requesting ryebread and milk as payment) and her ultimate Berserk Button is animal cruelty, even towards the ugly, disgusting ones like insects or stray dogs.
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* FriendToAllLivingThings: FriendToAllLivingThings:
** Grotmudder Tattermusch. She is the local midwife in Siebeneichen, loves to help people with their medical issues (only requesting ryebread and milk as payment) and her ultimateBerserk Button BerserkButton is animal cruelty, even towards the ugly, disgusting ones like insects or stray dogs.dogs.
** This is also implied for Meicke, who loves animals and saves a litter of kittens from being drowned as a seven-year-old.
** Grotmudder Tattermusch. She is the local midwife in Siebeneichen, loves to help people with their medical issues (only requesting ryebread and milk as payment) and her ultimate
** This is also implied for Meicke, who loves animals and saves a litter of kittens from being drowned as a seven-year-old.
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* MeaningfulFuneral: The funeral of Theodor Körner and the three other fallen fighters in the fight near Gadebusch. Also [[spoiler:Thies is buried in a mass grave on the battlefields around Leipzig. Nevertheless, the Russians still have a little funeral service for their fallen.]]
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* MeaningfulFuneral: The funeral of Theodor Körner [[spoiler:Theodor Körner]] and the three other fallen fighters in the fight near Gadebusch. Also [[spoiler:Thies is buried in a mass grave on the battlefields around Leipzig. Nevertheless, the Russians still have a little funeral service for their fallen.]]
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* NeverLearnedToRead: Joss didn't learn to read and write, since there is no school in Siebeneichen. [[spoiler:Subverted later, when he learns it from Thies. Also Meicke and Jeppe learn from Joss himself later.]]
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* TheirFirstTime: [[spoiler:Meicke and Joss have theirs on a meadow by Lake Siebeneichen after he comes back from war.]]
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* AmbigouslyHuman: Grotmudder Tattermusch, the elderly midwife of Siebeneichen, who lives alone in a forest cottage, knows a lot about healing herbs and seems to be able to see into the future and into the past. Joss also lampshades this, “in the perception of us children, she stayed a witch for a very long time.”
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* AmbigouslyHuman: AmbiguouslyHuman: Grotmudder Tattermusch, the elderly midwife of Siebeneichen, who lives alone in a forest cottage, knows a lot about healing herbs and seems to be able to see into the future and into the past. Joss also lampshades this, “in the perception of us children, she stayed a witch for a very long time.”
* FamilyOfChoice: [[spoiler:Joss declares his true surname to be Marwick and Thies to be his brother. Also, Gundel is his sister-in-law for him in the end, and Thies jr. his nephew. He chooses them as his family to defy DefiledForever for Gundel's sake.]]
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* GentleGiant: Kasimir Schuba, a fisherman Joss and Thies encounter.
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* GentleGiant: Father Mewes, who could be easily mistaken for a hitman. Also Kasimir Schuba, a fisherman Joss and Thies encounter.encounter and stay with.
* GloriousMotherRussia: The Cossacks, Russian warriors who are very proud of their country, are portrayed in a positive light. In general, many characters like the Russians, mainly for finally turning the tide of the Napoleonic Wars for the Coalition's sake in 1812 (the time when Napoleon's army got their ass handed by Russian winter) and creating a chance for winning their freedom back.
* GloriousMotherRussia: The Cossacks, Russian warriors who are very proud of their country, are portrayed in a positive light. In general, many characters like the Russians, mainly for finally turning the tide of the Napoleonic Wars for the Coalition's sake in 1812 (the time when Napoleon's army got their ass handed by Russian winter) and creating a chance for winning their freedom back.
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* TheHealer: Grotmudder Tattermusch. Later also the Nufer’s village doctor.
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* MeaningfulFuneral: The funeral of Theodor Körner and the three other fallen fighters in the fight near Gadebusch.
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* MaternalDeathBlameTheChild: Implied for Jeppe Jessen. Jeppe's mother died during his birth, and he is very lonely and the only good-natured member of his surviving family. He is said to be quite broken inside.
* MeaningfulFuneral: The funeral of Theodor Körner and the three other fallen fighters in the fight near Gadebusch. Also [[spoiler:Thies is buried in a mass grave on the battlefields around Leipzig. Nevertheless, the Russians still have a little funeral service for their fallen.]]
* MeaningfulFuneral: The funeral of Theodor Körner and the three other fallen fighters in the fight near Gadebusch. Also [[spoiler:Thies is buried in a mass grave on the battlefields around Leipzig. Nevertheless, the Russians still have a little funeral service for their fallen.]]
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* SweetPollyOliver: Richard Gripp and Thies once reminisce about a fallen Freikorps comrade named August Renz, who was in fact a woman named Leonore Prochaska. They remember her in admiration.
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* SweetPollyOliver: Richard Gripp and Thies once reminisce about a fallen Freikorps comrade named August Renz, who was in fact a woman named Leonore Prochaska.Prochaska (a RealLife example of this trope). They remember her in admiration.
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* WhamLine: Gundel, after Joss goes back to the Nufer estate to inform her about Thies’ death: “Please don’t think bad of me, but…I’m with child!”
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* WhamLine: Gundel, after Joss goes back to the Nufer estate to inform her about Thies’ death: “Please don’t think bad of me, but…I’m but…[[spoiler:I’m with child!”child]]!”
* WhatMeasureIsAMook: Discussed several times. It is clarified that Napoleon didn't burn Joss' hometown himself, but some of his soldiers did, and are by this reason no better than Napoleon. Later Joss hesitates to kill a French soldier during the Battle of the Nations due to compassion with him.
* WhatMeasureIsAMook: Discussed several times. It is clarified that Napoleon didn't burn Joss' hometown himself, but some of his soldiers did, and are by this reason no better than Napoleon. Later Joss hesitates to kill a French soldier during the Battle of the Nations due to compassion with him.
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''Joss oder der Preis der Freiheit'' (''Joss or The Price of Freedom'') is a historical anti-war novel for teenagers by German author Klaus Kordon.
During the Napoleonic Wars: Joss, who is only known by this nickname, grows up as a foundling in the northern German village Siebeneichen (translatable as Sevenoaks). His biological family is suspected to have died during a French town raid, and he was the only one of them who managed to escape. Found by the peasant couple Father Mewes and Mother Marie, he now lives as their son. Through the years he also finds several friends in the village; dreamy Woobie Jeppe and Fiery Redhead neighbor’s daughter Meicke, and also Shell-Shocked Veteran and now horse breeder Henning Struve, to whom he swears to avenge his family one day.
Then, in the summer of 1813, a unit of the Lützow Freikorps camps in Siebeneichen for a night and offers young male villagers to join. Joss sees his moment for revenge and follows their call. But soon the war shows its true, nasty face. And around Leipzig, the infamous Battle of the Nations draws closer and closer…
----
!! Contains examples of the following tropes:
* AbusiveParents: Jeppe’s father, who is beating his children and trying to raise them to become hardworking peasants by subjecting them to the hardest work possible.
* AmbigouslyHuman: Grotmudder Tattermusch, the elderly midwife of Siebeneichen, who lives alone in a forest cottage, knows a lot about healing herbs and seems to be able to see into the future and into the past. Joss also lampshades this, “in the perception of us children, she stayed a witch for a very long time.”
* ArmyOfThievesAndWhores: The infantry of the Lützow Freikorps is like that. Joss states that many of them had no other reason to join the Freikorps than going into hiding “from the police, from his moneylenders or from the woman they had turned into a mother and didn’t want to marry now.”
* BerserkButton:
** Anything Napoleon-related for Pastor Rohrmoser. It is even the only time he ever sided with the pope.
** Grotmudder Tattermusch always flies of the handle when she witnesses someone being horrible to animals.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Jeppe is one, frequently dreaming himself into his own utopia to flee his horrible reality.
* CoolHorse: Hera, to Henning and Joss. Antonius, to Richard Gripp.
* CulturedBadass: Thomas Kelch, an artist who fights for the Lützow Freikorps and is frequently seen drawing.
* DeadGuyJunior: [[spoiler:“Little Thies”, born in Siebeneichen in 1814.]]
* DeathByChildbirth: Jeppe’s mother, at his birth.
* DefiledForever: Defied. In 1813, most believe in that trope, [[spoiler:but Joss defies it for Gundel by making up a story of her having gotten married to Thies before the latter’s death]].
* DiseaseBleach: Happened to Richard Gripp [[spoiler:after getting wounded in combat]].
* DrivenToSuicide: A Siebeneichen girl named Lotte, in a background story, drowned herself in the Lake Siebeneichen. The reason was fear of ostracization due to an illegitimate pregnancy.
* FieryRedhead: Meicke. Also Rittmeister Rudolf Irritje, the first fighter of the Freikorps group who addresses Joss directly.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Grotmudder Tattermusch. She is the local midwife in Siebeneichen, loves to help people with their medical issues (only requesting ryebread and milk as payment) and her ultimate Berserk Button is animal cruelty, even towards the ugly, disgusting ones like insects or stray dogs.
* GentleGiant: Kasimir Schuba, a fisherman Joss and Thies encounter.
* GoodShepherd: Pastor Rohrmoser, the pastor in Siebeneichen, is a downplayed example. He is described to be deeply compassionate to Joss, goodness in person and in general a good church leader. But there is one person he knows no forgiveness for: Napoleon Bonaparte, who also serves as his BerserkButton.
* HappilyMarried: Father Mewes and Mother Marie are implied to be this.
* TheHealer: Grotmudder Tattermusch. Later also the Nufer’s village doctor.
* HeroesWantRedheads: Meicke, Joss’ LoveInterest, has copper-red, curly hair.
* ItsPersonal: For Joss, and several other Lützowers. Joss wants to avenge his family, Rudolf Irritje the defeat of Prussia at Jena and Auerstedt, Konrad Kohlsaat a severe French looting that led to his infant son starving, and Burchard Voss the murder of his brother and rape of his sister-in-law and his niece (plus the theft of all their jewelry).
** Thies Marwick is a subversion. For him, it is personal too, but mainly because of his concerns about a better future for Germany and Europe. The first step for him is to defeat Napoleon together.
* MeaningfulFuneral: The funeral of Theodor Körner and the three other fallen fighters in the fight near Gadebusch.
* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Most Freikorps fighters think like this. Their first loyalty is to the not-yet unified Germany, although they usually don’t have a good opinion of their royalty.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The Lützow Freikorps is described as this.
** NewMeat: Joss (peasant)
** TheMentor: Thies Marwick (law student)
** TheBigGuy: Konrad Kohlsaat (blacksmith)
** TheLeader: Major von Lützow (nobleman)
** TheHeart: Theodor Körner (poet and playwright)
* RapePillageAndBurn: What the French did to Joss’ previous hometown. His family died in the fire [[spoiler:that means, the ones who were there beside himself)]].
* RevengeIsNotJustice: One of the main aesops of the novel.
* ShellShockedVeteran: Henning Struve is a downplayed example. Crippled and clearly traumatized, but still avid for revenge, winning the war and life in general.
* SweetPollyOliver: Richard Gripp and Thies once reminisce about a fallen Freikorps comrade named August Renz, who was in fact a woman named Leonore Prochaska. They remember her in admiration.
* WarIsHell: Well, where to begin with…first, it makes Joss an orphan and destroys his hometown, then, it kills the promising Warrior Poet Theodor Körner, three other Freikorps fighters and twelve French soldiers, bloody operations must happen and No Quarter is disturbingly common.
* WarriorPoet: Lieutenant Theodor Körner, who is an avid and able soldier frequently writing fresh patriotic poetry. Also composer of bloodthirsty soldier songs. He does this out of true love towards the fine arts, making him also a CulturedBadass.
* WhamLine: Gundel, after Joss goes back to the Nufer estate to inform her about Thies’ death: “Please don’t think bad of me, but…I’m with child!”
* WhereAreTheyNow: The last part of the book gives a summary of that. [[spoiler:Joss becomes the apprentice of a book trader and moves to the next town with Meicke, and both will marry soon. Jeppe chose WalkingTheEarth as his way of life, and Petrus frequently changes home and trade. Gundel lives with Father Mewes and Mother Marie, will inherit their farm, and they raise Thies’ son together.]]
* WorldOfSnark: The Lützowers, and also the Cossack unit Joss and his newfound friends join for the Battle of the Nations.
* YouKilledMyFather: Reason for Joss to fight. And for Konrad Kohlsaat and Burchard Voss.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Richard Gripp is in fact only middle-aged, but looks like an elderly man.
During the Napoleonic Wars: Joss, who is only known by this nickname, grows up as a foundling in the northern German village Siebeneichen (translatable as Sevenoaks). His biological family is suspected to have died during a French town raid, and he was the only one of them who managed to escape. Found by the peasant couple Father Mewes and Mother Marie, he now lives as their son. Through the years he also finds several friends in the village; dreamy Woobie Jeppe and Fiery Redhead neighbor’s daughter Meicke, and also Shell-Shocked Veteran and now horse breeder Henning Struve, to whom he swears to avenge his family one day.
Then, in the summer of 1813, a unit of the Lützow Freikorps camps in Siebeneichen for a night and offers young male villagers to join. Joss sees his moment for revenge and follows their call. But soon the war shows its true, nasty face. And around Leipzig, the infamous Battle of the Nations draws closer and closer…
----
!! Contains examples of the following tropes:
* AbusiveParents: Jeppe’s father, who is beating his children and trying to raise them to become hardworking peasants by subjecting them to the hardest work possible.
* AmbigouslyHuman: Grotmudder Tattermusch, the elderly midwife of Siebeneichen, who lives alone in a forest cottage, knows a lot about healing herbs and seems to be able to see into the future and into the past. Joss also lampshades this, “in the perception of us children, she stayed a witch for a very long time.”
* ArmyOfThievesAndWhores: The infantry of the Lützow Freikorps is like that. Joss states that many of them had no other reason to join the Freikorps than going into hiding “from the police, from his moneylenders or from the woman they had turned into a mother and didn’t want to marry now.”
* BerserkButton:
** Anything Napoleon-related for Pastor Rohrmoser. It is even the only time he ever sided with the pope.
** Grotmudder Tattermusch always flies of the handle when she witnesses someone being horrible to animals.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Jeppe is one, frequently dreaming himself into his own utopia to flee his horrible reality.
* CoolHorse: Hera, to Henning and Joss. Antonius, to Richard Gripp.
* CulturedBadass: Thomas Kelch, an artist who fights for the Lützow Freikorps and is frequently seen drawing.
* DeadGuyJunior: [[spoiler:“Little Thies”, born in Siebeneichen in 1814.]]
* DeathByChildbirth: Jeppe’s mother, at his birth.
* DefiledForever: Defied. In 1813, most believe in that trope, [[spoiler:but Joss defies it for Gundel by making up a story of her having gotten married to Thies before the latter’s death]].
* DiseaseBleach: Happened to Richard Gripp [[spoiler:after getting wounded in combat]].
* DrivenToSuicide: A Siebeneichen girl named Lotte, in a background story, drowned herself in the Lake Siebeneichen. The reason was fear of ostracization due to an illegitimate pregnancy.
* FieryRedhead: Meicke. Also Rittmeister Rudolf Irritje, the first fighter of the Freikorps group who addresses Joss directly.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Grotmudder Tattermusch. She is the local midwife in Siebeneichen, loves to help people with their medical issues (only requesting ryebread and milk as payment) and her ultimate Berserk Button is animal cruelty, even towards the ugly, disgusting ones like insects or stray dogs.
* GentleGiant: Kasimir Schuba, a fisherman Joss and Thies encounter.
* GoodShepherd: Pastor Rohrmoser, the pastor in Siebeneichen, is a downplayed example. He is described to be deeply compassionate to Joss, goodness in person and in general a good church leader. But there is one person he knows no forgiveness for: Napoleon Bonaparte, who also serves as his BerserkButton.
* HappilyMarried: Father Mewes and Mother Marie are implied to be this.
* TheHealer: Grotmudder Tattermusch. Later also the Nufer’s village doctor.
* HeroesWantRedheads: Meicke, Joss’ LoveInterest, has copper-red, curly hair.
* ItsPersonal: For Joss, and several other Lützowers. Joss wants to avenge his family, Rudolf Irritje the defeat of Prussia at Jena and Auerstedt, Konrad Kohlsaat a severe French looting that led to his infant son starving, and Burchard Voss the murder of his brother and rape of his sister-in-law and his niece (plus the theft of all their jewelry).
** Thies Marwick is a subversion. For him, it is personal too, but mainly because of his concerns about a better future for Germany and Europe. The first step for him is to defeat Napoleon together.
* MeaningfulFuneral: The funeral of Theodor Körner and the three other fallen fighters in the fight near Gadebusch.
* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Most Freikorps fighters think like this. Their first loyalty is to the not-yet unified Germany, although they usually don’t have a good opinion of their royalty.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The Lützow Freikorps is described as this.
** NewMeat: Joss (peasant)
** TheMentor: Thies Marwick (law student)
** TheBigGuy: Konrad Kohlsaat (blacksmith)
** TheLeader: Major von Lützow (nobleman)
** TheHeart: Theodor Körner (poet and playwright)
* RapePillageAndBurn: What the French did to Joss’ previous hometown. His family died in the fire [[spoiler:that means, the ones who were there beside himself)]].
* RevengeIsNotJustice: One of the main aesops of the novel.
* ShellShockedVeteran: Henning Struve is a downplayed example. Crippled and clearly traumatized, but still avid for revenge, winning the war and life in general.
* SweetPollyOliver: Richard Gripp and Thies once reminisce about a fallen Freikorps comrade named August Renz, who was in fact a woman named Leonore Prochaska. They remember her in admiration.
* WarIsHell: Well, where to begin with…first, it makes Joss an orphan and destroys his hometown, then, it kills the promising Warrior Poet Theodor Körner, three other Freikorps fighters and twelve French soldiers, bloody operations must happen and No Quarter is disturbingly common.
* WarriorPoet: Lieutenant Theodor Körner, who is an avid and able soldier frequently writing fresh patriotic poetry. Also composer of bloodthirsty soldier songs. He does this out of true love towards the fine arts, making him also a CulturedBadass.
* WhamLine: Gundel, after Joss goes back to the Nufer estate to inform her about Thies’ death: “Please don’t think bad of me, but…I’m with child!”
* WhereAreTheyNow: The last part of the book gives a summary of that. [[spoiler:Joss becomes the apprentice of a book trader and moves to the next town with Meicke, and both will marry soon. Jeppe chose WalkingTheEarth as his way of life, and Petrus frequently changes home and trade. Gundel lives with Father Mewes and Mother Marie, will inherit their farm, and they raise Thies’ son together.]]
* WorldOfSnark: The Lützowers, and also the Cossack unit Joss and his newfound friends join for the Battle of the Nations.
* YouKilledMyFather: Reason for Joss to fight. And for Konrad Kohlsaat and Burchard Voss.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Richard Gripp is in fact only middle-aged, but looks like an elderly man.
