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For all Frederick loathed the military rigidity of his father, by 1786 (the year he died) Prussia had a 195,000-strong army—a huge force for the small kingdom that had become the envy of Europe...
- Who Was Frederick II?
- Early Life
- Frederick The Great
Frederick II inherited the Prussian throne in 1740 and established control of Silesia in 1745. The Seven Years' War threatened to destroy Prussia's status, but ended with Silesia still in Frederick's control. During his time on the throne, Frederick increased Prussia's territories and military power. He died in 1786.
Frederick was born into the House of Hohenzollern on January 24, 1712, to Frederick William I of Prussia and Princess Sophia-Dorothea — the sister of George II of Great Britain. The couple enjoyed a political marriage and not much else. Frederick William was authoritarian and quick-tempered; Sophia was well-educated and loved the richness of life. ...
In 1741, Prussia consisted of scattered territories across central Europe and few significant allies save for Great Britain. Sensing weakness in the Austrian Empire, Frederick deceived Habsburg Queen Maria Theresa to allow his armies to occupy Lower Silesia in exchange for protection from France, Spain and Bavaria. He then proceeded to invade key a...
On his father’s death (1740), Frederick became king and asserted his leadership. He seized parts of Silesia during the War of the Austrian Succession, strengthening Prussia considerably. He invaded Saxony in 1756 and marched on into Bohemia. Frederick was almost defeated in the Seven Years’ War (1756–63), until his admirer Peter III ...
Originally planning to write four volumes, Carlyle realized that he would need six, as the first two only took the history to 1740 and the death of Frederick's father Frederick William I. After the 1858 journey he expressed hope that the book would be finished in two years, but it ended up taking seven.
- English
- Thomas Carlyle
- 1858–1865
- Frederick the Great
Three days after Frederick was confirmed to be suffering from cancer, his father Emperor William I died aged 90 at 8:22 a.m. on 9 March 1888, upon which Frederick became German Emperor and King of Prussia.
- 9 March 1888 – 15 June 1888
- Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
The death of the Hapsburg Emperor Charles VI and the accession of Maria Theresa provided Frederick with the opportunity of renewing ancient but questionable claims to some Silesian territories. He invaded Silesia (December 1740) and initiated the War of the Austrian Succession , which involved the electors of Bavaria and Saxony as well as the ...
In 1857 a stroke resulted in paralysis. From this time on, with the exception of brief intervals, the King’s mind was clouded, and his brother William (afterward emperor) took on the duties of government, becoming regent in 1858. Frederick William died at Sanssouci Palace in 1861. Hans Herzfeld.
