He died in 1786 - childless, he was succeeded by his nephew, Frederick-William II - the architect of the famous Brandenburg Gate and Marmorpalais in Potsdam. During his reign, Prussia became a safe haven for immigrants fleeing religious unrest in Europe, while simultaneously passing Acts such as the First Partition of Poland in 1772 that connected Prussia's Brandenburgian territories with the rest of the Kingdom. These wars were part of the Seven Years' War, during which Prussia's rivalry with Austria was cemented.įrederick II understood that he was a 'servant of the State', focussing dually on domestic issues as well as on the immensely powerful army. In the first year of his reign, however, he showed his military prowess: Prussian troops crossed the border into Silesia, sparking the first of the Silesian Wars. Frederick II was the first King of Prussia (the previous title being King in Prussia, the only title allowed by Leopold I of the Holy Roman Empire), and took elements from both his grandfather and his father - he was described as an enlightened absolutist, and had spent his princehood focussing on philosophy and the Arts. Better known as Frederick the Great, his reign was described by his friend Voltaire as having taken Prussia from "Sparta in the morning, to Athens in the afternoon". He developed the Prussian bureaucracy and military to the point where he was able to expand the borders of to include Pommerania and many territories west of the River Memel.įrederick William died in 1740, and was succeeded by his son, Frederick II. He was known as the Soldier-King, and the name is well-earned, despite his troops seeing action only once. While most people know Prussia as a military state, Frederick (now styled as King Frederick I) was a great lover of the Arts, and lead the kingdom into a period of artistic style much to the chagrin of the treasury.įrederick's son, Frederick William, did not take after his father. Prussia was, as most people know, the leading German state during the 18th and 19th centuries, and became a Great Power almost immediately after becoming a kingdom under the leadership of Elector Frederick III (after whom Friedrichstraße, in Berlin, is named).
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