General Notes

He was the son of Frederick William II, born in Potsdam. He was given
military training in his youth and from 1792 to 1794 fought against France
during the French Revolution. In 1797 he succeeded to the throne and set
about rebuilding the economy and the army, which had suffered during the
reign of his father. He kept Prussia neutral in the Napoleonic Wars until
1805, when persuaded by Russia and the aroused spirit of his people, he
joined the Grand Alliance against France. Prussia was defeated at Jena and
Auerstadt in 1806. By the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807, various Prussian
territories were ceded to France. Through the efforts of the administrators
the Prussian army was reconstituted between 1807 and 1812 and participated
in the victorious campaigns against Napoleon from 1813 until 1815. In this
period Frederick William promised the Prussian people a constitution. At
the close of the war in 1815, however, he joined the Holy Alliance and
participated in the Alliance's repression of liberal movements in Europe.
Within Prussia, he accomplished the reorganization of parts of the
administrative system and consented to formation of the Zollverein, or
customs union.