General Notes

Frederick William (1620-1688), elector of Brandenburg (1640-1688), called the
Great Elector, who laid the foundations for a strong Prussia in the 18th
century.
The son of Elector George William, Frederick William was born in Berlin. He
succeeded to the electorate during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), when
Swedish forces were occupying Brandenburg. Concluding an armistice with
Sweden, he was able to repair some of the war's damage to the country. He
remained neutral until the Peace of Westphalia ended the war in 1648; by that
treaty he received eastern Pomerania, along the Baltic Sea, and some smaller
territories. Over the next 30 years, by alliances, wars, and systematic
strengthening of his army, Frederick William acquired more lands and power for
Brandenburg. In 1656, during the war between Sweden and Poland, he switched
his allegiance from Poland to Sweden and back to Poland in return for the
latter's recognition of his suzerainty over East Prussia, until then a Polish
dependency. In the Treaty of Oliva of 1660, France recognized his sovereignty
over the Duchy of Prussia. In 1675 he defeated invading Swedish forces at
Fehrbellin and conquered western Pomerania, long coveted for its important
seaports, but at the insistence of France, Sweden's ally, he relinquished the
territory at the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1679.
Frederick William centralized government administration by removing the
taxation of the estates and giving them to the government, and improved almost
every area of public affairs, especially industry and commerce. After he
revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685, he admitted large numbers of Huguenots,
who used the technological skills they had acquired in France, to develop
Prussian industry. He also created the Prussian navy, founded colonies in
western Africa, and established the Royal Library in Berlin. When he died, he
left a well organized state for his son Frederick I.