frederick william the great elector quotes

Frederick would later admit to humiliation at his abdication of command[68] and would state that Mollwitz was his school. [125] The victory did not allow Frederick to regain the initiative or prevent Russian and Austrian troops from raiding Berlin in October to extort a ransom from the city. [234] Additionally, the Hohenfriedberger Marsch was allegedly written by Frederick to commemorate his victory in the Battle of Hohenfriedberg during the Second Silesian War. With the exception of his first battlefield experience at the Battle of Mollwitz, Frederick proved himself courageous in battle. [298] So confident in the performance of men he selected for command when compared to those of his enemy, Frederick once quipped that a general considered audacious in another country would be ordinary in Prussia because Prussian generals will dare and undertake anything that is possible for men to execute. WebFrederick the Great exploited the advantages of military evolutions and revolutions to develop a powerful nation-state, Prussia, through the exploitation of economic and social policies forced Prussia advantage of superiority and Improve yourself, find your inspiration, share with friends. [26] Frederick and Katte were subsequently arrested and imprisoned in Kstrin. No one can be great, or good, or happy except through the inward efforts of themselves. [172] Although Frederick was weary of war in his old age, he was determined not to allow Austrian dominance in German affairs. [225] He presided over the construction of canals for bringing crops to market, and introduced new crops, especially the potato and the turnip, to the country. [154] Frederick himself was partly responsible for this weakness by opposing attempts at financial and political reform in Poland,[149] and undermining the Polish economy by inflating its currency by his use of Polish coin dies. [249], Like many European rulers of the time who were influenced by the prestige of Louis XIV of France and his court,[250] Frederick adopted French tastes and manners,[251] though in Frederick's case, the extent of his Francophile tendencies might also have been a reaction to the austerity of the family environment created by his father, who had a deep aversion for France and promoted an austere culture for his state. [162] The newly created province of West Prussia connected East Prussia and Farther Pomerania and granted Prussia control of the mouth of the Vistula River, as well as cutting off Poland's sea trade. [38] These included visits to her on her birthday and were some of the rare occasions when Frederick did not wear military uniform. Regardless, historians in the 21st century tend to view Frederick as an outstanding military leader and capable monarch, whose commitment to enlightenment culture and administrative reform built the foundation that allowed the Kingdom of Prussia to contest the Austrian Habsburgs for leadership among the German states. [1] He was born sometime between 11 and 12 p.m. on 24 January 1712 in the Berlin Palace and was baptised with the single name Friedrich by Benjamin Ursinus von Br on 31 January. [209] He also accepted countless Protestant weavers from Bohemia, who were fleeing from the devoutly Catholic rule of Maria Theresa, granting them freedom from taxes and military service. In the course of the fighting, Frederick's cavalry was disorganised by a charge of the Austrian horse. Frederick's goal was to make Berlin a European cultural centre that rivalled London and Paris in the arts and sciences. Under Frederick William's electoral rule, bureaucracy only existed in a rudimentary form, the historian explains. [3] He also had three younger brothers, including Augustus William and Henry. [107] A month later on 18 June 1757, Frederick suffered his first major defeat at the Battle of Koln,[108] which forced him to abandon his invasion of Bohemia. [189] The coin eventually became universally accepted beyond Prussia and helped increase industry and trade. [155] He also thwarted Polish efforts to create a stable economic system by building a customs fort at Marienwerder on the Vistula, Poland's major trade artery,[149] and by bombarding Polish customs ports on the Vistula. He granted her the Schnhausen Palace and apartments at the Berliner Stadtschloss, but he prohibited Elisabeth Christine from visiting his court in Potsdam. In his youth, Frederick was more interested in music and philosophy than in the art of war, which led to clashes with his authoritarian father, Frederick William I of Prussia. He would restore its fortunes, win its independence and build a powerful, extended state, centred on Berlin, which by the 1670s was strong enough to be chief mover in the league of protestant and imperial forces against Louis XIV. [255], Though Frederick used German as his working language with his administration and with the army, he claimed to have never learned it properly[256] and never fully mastered speaking or writing it. He eliminated the Estates as a political factor in the government of his terri tories, although they continued to meet and to exercise certain functions, without being able to resist the growth of absolute government. [36] Nevertheless, during their early married life, the royal couple resided at the Crown Prince's Palace in Berlin. ", In his 1769 will, Frederick wrote "I have lived as a philosopher and wish to be buried as such, without pomp or paradeLet me be deposited in the vault which I had constructed for myself, on the upper terrace of San Souci. "In his time he was never seen as a great elector, but rather as a difficult person who wanted to get to the top." [90] It was after the signing of the treaty that Frederick, then 33 years old, first became known as "the Great". However, upon ascending to the Prussian throne, he attacked and annexed the rich Austrian province of Silesia in 1742, winning military acclaim for himself and Prussia. Perhaps even more significant, Frederick benefited from the defection of the senior prelate of the German Church, the Archbishop of Mainz, who was also the arch-chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, which further strengthened Frederick and Prussia's standing amid the German states. [260] He considered the German culture of his time, particularly literature and theatre, to be inferior to that of France; believing that it had been hindered by the devastation of the Thirty Years' War. A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in. [247] His openness to philosophy had its limits. [252] He was educated by French tutors,[253] and almost all the books in his library, which covered topics as diverse as mathematics, art, politics, the classics, and literary works by 17th century French authors, were written in French. premier protein recall refund; music theory for dummies cheat sheet; xenolib plugin discord; young teen soles free; intech add a room tent. WebIts ruler, Frederick William (164088), later known as the Great Elector, faced the problem of integrating and defending widely separated possessions, which included the duchy of Prussia, inherited in 1619 but remaining under Polish suzerainty and geographically separated from the electorate of Brandenburg; the counties of Cleves, Mark, and Over time, he was nicknamed Der Alte Fritz (The Old Fritz) by the Prussian people, and this name became part of his legacy. (14.08.2019), Since the last German emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, unceremoniously abdicated in 1918, the heirs of the Prussian royals have been trying to regain properties and riches expropriated after both wars. WebFrederick William, Elector of Brandenburg aliases The Great Elector Frederick William (German: Friedrich Wilhelm) (16 February 1620 29 April 1688) was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia and thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia [11] Frederick and his sisters were brought up by a Huguenot governess and tutor and learned French and German simultaneously. Aftermath [ edit] In this respect, he was not very tolerant. Instructions for His Generals, p.57, Courier Corporation, Letter to Duchess Louise Dorothea von Gotha, 8 May 1760, There is a mistake in the text of this quote. Frederick William was eventually succeeded by Frederick I WebThe Great Elector bequeathed to his son Frederick (after 1701, Frederick I, king of Prussia) a well-organized state, widely respected for its sound finances and efficient army. [106] He was victorious against the Austrian army at the Battle of Prague on 6 May 1757, but his losses were so great he was unable to take the city itself, and settled for besieging it instead. [70], Encouraged by Frederick's victory at Mollwitz, the French and their ally, the Electorate of Bavaria, entered the war against Austria in early September 1741 and marched on Prague. [192], Although Frederick's debasement of the coinage to fund the Seven Years' War left the Prussian monetary system in disarray,[191] the Mint Edict of May 1763 brought it back to stability by fixing rates at which depreciated coins would be accepted and requiring tax payments in currency of prewar value. Unfortunately for the Austrian Emperor Joseph II, the French were unwilling to provide manpower and resources to the endeavour since they were already providing support to the American revolutionaries on the North American continent. [103] This action, along with his initial invasion of neutral Saxony brought him widespread international criticism;[104] but the conquest of Saxony also provided him with significant financial, military, and strategic assets that helped him sustain the war. [316] In an attempt to legitimise the Nazi regime, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels commissioned artists to render fanciful images of Frederick, Bismarck, and Hitler together in order to create a sense of a historical continuum amongst them. Frederick acquired most of Royal Prussia, annexing 38,000 square kilometres (15,000sqmi) and 600,000 inhabitants. According to Luh, this information hails from preliminary work of 19th-century historiography which was seeking a founding father for Germany. He could not be king of Brandenburg as this Because he died childless, he was succeeded by his nephew, Frederick WilliamII. In his grandfather's time, large parts of Brandenburg were still unconnected and many in the region did not want to be ruled. ", "The flutist of Sanssouci: Frederick "the Great" as composer and performer", "Frederick the Great: A singular life, variably reflected", "Friedrich II. [142] He also debased the coinage of Saxony and Poland. [122] Frederick spent the remainder of the year in a futile attempt to manoeuvre the Austrians out of Saxony, where they had recaptured Dresden. [243], Frederick also wrote philosophical works,[244] publishing some of his writings under the title of The Works of a Sans-Souci Philosopher. The defeat ended the Swedish reputation for military invincibility. A man with his heart in his profession imagines and finds resources where the worthless and lazy despair. In spite of his father's desire that his education be entirely religious and pragmatic, the young Frederick developed a preference for music, literature, and French culture. [111] Despite its strong performance, the losses suffered from combat, disease and desertion had severely reduced the quality of the Prussian army. "[54] Such devotion, consequently, had to be tempered by political realities. [127] He won a marginal victory at the Battle of Torgau on 3 November,[128] which secured Berlin from further raids. [159] Frederick took advantage of this situation by becoming the protector of Protestant interests in Poland in the name of religious freedom. The people say what they like and then I do what I like. It was written in Frenchas were all of Frederick's worksand published anonymously in 1740, but Voltaire distributed it in Amsterdam to great popularity. Among them were craftsmen, builders and merchants. [308][f] WebFrederick William was to spend the rest of his life building the Prussian army into Europes best fighting instrument. [7] The political and personal differences between Frederick's parents created tensions,[8] which affected Frederick's attitude toward his role as a ruler, his attitude toward culture, and his relationship with his father. [323] For example, immediately after World War II images of Prussia were removed from public spaces,[324] including Frederick's equestrian statue on the Unter den Linden, but in 1980 his statue was once more re-erected on its original location. [191] In addition, Frederick estimated that he earned about one million thalers in profits on the seignorage. "[295] Yet, these offensive operations were not acts of blind aggression; Frederick considered foresight to be among the most important attributes when fighting an enemy, stating that the discriminating commander must see everything before it takes place, so nothing will be new to him. Frederick himself also proposed marrying Maria Theresa of Austria in return for renouncing the succession. [164] He saw Polish Prussia as barbaric and uncivilised,[165] describing the inhabitants as "slovenly Polish trash"[166] and comparing them unfavourably with the Iroquois. He was born sometime between 11 and 12 p.m. on 24 January 1712 in the Berlin Palace and was baptised with the single name Friedrich by Benjamin Ursinus von Br on 31 January. [192] However, the fixed ratio between gold and silver led to the gold coins being perceived as more valuable, which caused them to leave circulation in Prussia. In August, he fought the Russian forces to a draw at the Battle of Zorndorf, in which nearly a third of Frederick's soldiers were casualties. Electors had not been allowed to do this and it was this drop in their perceived status, that pushed Frederick to deciding that he wanted to be called king of Prussia. WebThe Great Elector is most famous for building a strong standing army, with an elite officer corps. [266] Moreover, it was under his reign that Berlin became an important centre of German enlightenment. He is buried at his favourite residence, Sanssouci in Potsdam. The situation is summed up in a widely translated and quoted aphorism attributed to Mirabeau, who asserted in 1786 that "La Prusse n'est pas un pays qui a une arme, c'est une arme qui a un pays"[50] ("Prussia was not a state in possession of an army, but an army in possession of a state"). [327] However, the originality of his achievements remains a topic of debate,[328] as many were based on developments already under way. If soldiers were to begin to think, not one of them would remain in the army. Frederick William's efforts, however, were not primarily directed at the progress of his geographically dispersed territory but were self-serving. [242] He also attempted to broaden access to opera by making admission to it free. [37] After his father died and he had secured the throne, Frederick separated from Elisabeth. [290], Frederick the Great believed that creating alliances was necessary, as Prussia did not have the resources of nations like France or Austria. He is often admired for his tactical skills, especially for his use of the oblique order of battle,[281] an attack focused on one flank of the opposing line, allowing a local advantage even if his forces were outnumbered overall. [120] Almost half his army was destroyed, and Frederick almost became a casualty when a bullet smashed a snuffbox he was carrying. [5], Frederick WilliamI, popularly dubbed the "Soldier King", had created a large and powerful army that included a regiment of his famous "Potsdam Giants"; he carefully managed the kingdom's wealth and developed a strong centralised government. There are no circumlocutions, he gives factual and historical proof of the assertions he makes, for he is well versed in history."[293]. In 1739, Frederick finished his Anti-Machiavel, an idealistic rebuttal of Machiavelli. The electors succeeded in acquiring full sovereignty over Prussia in 1657. Man is made for error; it enters his mind naturally, and he discovers a few truths only with the greatest effort. With the Russians slowly advancing towards Berlin, it looked as though Prussia was about to collapse. He modernised the Prussian bureaucracy and civil service, and pursued religious policies throughout his realm that ranged from tolerance to segregation. Eventually, Frederick was forced to withdraw to Silesia as winter approached. Forget the sci-fi, what can brain chips really do? [198] In 1781, Frederick made coffee a royal monopoly and employed disabled soldiers, the coffee sniffers, to spy on citizens illegally roasting coffee, much to the annoyance of the general population. [2] The birth was welcomed by his grandfather, FrederickI, as his two previous grandsons had both died in infancy. Tensions eased slightly when Frederick William visited Kstrin a year later, and Frederick was allowed to visit Berlin on the occasion of his sister Wilhelmine's marriage to Margrave Frederick of Bayreuth on 20 November 1731. [220], Frederick was keenly interested in land use, especially draining swamps and opening new farmland for colonisers who would increase the kingdom's food supply. [222] Using improved technology enabled him to create new farmland through a massive drainage programme in the country's Oderbruch marshland. [207] He continued to support them after their suppression by Pope Clement XIV. [196] He commissioned Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky to promote the trade and to take on the competition with France put a silk factory where soon 1,500 people found employment. 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