General Notes

Frederick II (of Prussia), called The Great (1712-86), king of Prussia
(1740-86); during his reign, he was considered among the most notable of
enlightened despots in 18th century Europe.
Frederick was born in Berlin on January 24, 1712, son of King Frederick
William I and grandson of Frederick I. As crown prince he was trained, under
his father's supervision, to become a soldier and a thrifty administrator.
Frederick, however, encouraged by his mother, Sophia Dorothea of Hannover, and
his tutors, showed a preference for courtly life, music, and French
literature. Frederick William, failing to understand the tastes of his son,
developed an open dislike for him. At the age of 18, Frederick decided to
escape to England; his proposed plan was discovered, and he was arrested,
imprisoned, temporarily deprived of his status as crown prince, and forced to
witness the execution of one of his two confederates. After he had
subsequently applied himself diligently to fiscal and military affairs and had
consented to a marriage in 1733 with Elizabeth Christine, daughter of
Ferdinand Albert II of Brunswick, Frederick was reinstated to his position as
crown prince. He then went to live for seven years on his estate at
Rheinsburg, where, in his leisure time, he studied philosophy, history, and
poetry and corresponded with the French philosophers, notably Voltaire. In his
Antimachiavell, written during that period and published by Voltaire in 1740,
Frederick idealistically opposed the political doctrines of the Italian
statesman and philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli, favoring peaceful and
enlightened rule.

King and Military Leader
On the death of his father in 1740 Frederick became king and embarked almost
immediately on a policy of Prussian aggrandizement. When Maria Theresa became
archduchess of Austria in that same year, Frederick demanded the cession of
duchies of Silesia in return for Prussian recognition of the Pragmatic
Sanction, which gave the Austrian Habsburg dominions to Maria Theresa. Refused
by Austria, Frederick invaded Silesia, commencing the War of the Austrian
Succession. He led his forces to victory at Mollwitz in 1741 and at Chotusitz
in 1742; in the latter year, by the Treaty of Breslau, Maria Theresa was
obliged to yield the Silesian territory demanded by Prussia. Frederick
acquired East Friesland (now a region of Germany) in 1744, on the death of the
last ruler without heirs of that principality, and in 1745 he fought and won a
second war with Austria, terminated by the Peace of Dresden, which assured
Prussia the possession of Silesia.
By this time Frederick was recognized as an able military leader, and the
position of Prussia in Europe had risen considerably. The military greatness
of Frederick was demonstrated during the Seven Years' War, fought from 1756 to
1763. Frederick and his forces, aided only by financial assistance from Great
Britain, which was at war with France, opposed the armies of Austria, Russia,
Sweden, Saxony, and France. The Peace of Hubertusburg in 1763 awarded Prussia
no new territory, as it merely confirmed the boundaries that had existed
before the war; at the end of the war, however, Prussia was established as a
rival to Austria for domination of the German states. Frederick made an
alliance with Catherine II of Russia, in 1764, and by the first partition of
Poland in 1772 he received Polish Prussia, exclusive of Gdansk (Danzig) and
Torun (Thorn), thus uniting the regions of Brandenburg and Pomerania. By the
Treaty of Teschen in 1779, after the War of the Bavarian Succession, a short
conflict with Austria, Prussia was awarded the Franconian principalities of
Bavaria; Austria retained only a part of Lower Bavaria. A further step was
made toward destroying Austrian dominance in 1785, when Frederick gathered the
German princes into a union of princes, the Furstenbund, to preserve the
constitution of the Holy Roman Empire.

Administrator
Frederick was extremely sympathetic to the American Revolution and was an
admirer of George Washington. He was one of the first sovereigns to conclude a
commercial treaty with the United States. He did not, however, limit his
activities to the international scene; internal affairs flourished during his
reign. His rule was absolute; he was a ubiquitous administrator, constantly
checking the work of his officials, from whom he exacted the utmost in
conscientiousness. Under his rule new methods of agriculture and manufacturing
were introduced. Marshes were drained, providing new lands for cultivation and
colonization and the institution of serfdom, while not abolished, was somewhat
liberalized. Under Frederick's personal supervision the efficiency and size of
the army were increased. He reviewed the troops frequently, concerned himself
with the discipline of his officers and men, and wrote works for his generals
on the science of warfare. In 1747 Frederick, who was particularly interested
in the equitable distribution of justice to all classes, issued a new
codification of Prussian law, the Codex Fridericianus.

Patron of Culture
Frederick continued to patronize the arts and sciences throughout his life.
The Academy of Sciences again became an important center of learning during
his reign, and elementary education progressed as under no previous Prussian
sovereign. In his favorite residence, the palace of Sans Souci, Frederick held
court, but always entertained with judicious economy. Contemptuous of the
German language and culture, Frederick spoke French at court and patronized
French writers, many of whom, including Voltaire, paid him visits in Berlin.
Frederick himself was a musician, spending many hours with his flute. He was
also a prolific writer; his complete works were published in 30 volumes
between 1846 and 1857. He died at Sans Souci on August 17, 1786.