Frederick the Great | Biography, Wars and Reign of Frederick II, King of Prussia (1712-1786)

The last couple of episodes we looked at Prussian society and its development and progression. We left off at the death of Prussia’s Soldier King in 1740, a man that dedicated his entire life to building up Prussia’s notoriously large military apparatus renowned for its discipline. The curiosity of his reign was that he felt his army was too valuable to use in battle. And as such, this week, his son Frederick II, King in Prussia, ascends to the Prussian throne at the age of 28, inheriting a giant war-chest stocked with gold and an army that was polished, well-trained and battle-ready. Young Frederick wasted no time and immediately put this army to the test... Not for a legitimate or righteous cause, but simply because he could. During this King’s reign, Prussia would finally manage to force itself among the ranks of the European Great Powers. After all, there is a reason why this King became known as Frederick the Great.
Welcome to the complete history of Prussia.
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:16 A New King (1740-1748)
6:51 After Silesia (1748-1756)
9:44 The Seven Years' War (1756-1763)
17:24 Later Reign and partition of Poland (1763-1786)
20:58 Final Years
Watch my documentary series:
►History of Prussia playlist: • History of Prussia
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The content of this video covers events, people or concepts via a lecture-style presentation that is educational and historical in nature. Every video is original content by House of History. The events relating to conflict in this video are portrayed in their historical context without either value judgment or an ideological message attached to it. There is no intent to shock, upset or disgust. The goal of my channel is to make interesting lecture-style videos, no more, no less.
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If you have any feedback, questions or criticism feel free to leave a comment. Your opinion truly aids me in improving the content of the channel! If you have a question, feel free to leave a comment and I will either write a reply, answer your question in a Q&A video, or make an entire video about it!
Sources:
Blanning, Tim. Frederick the Great: King of Prussia. Penguin UK, 2015.
Clark, Christopher M. Iron kingdom: the rise and downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947. Harvard University Press, 2006.
Photos, paintings and imagery: Public Domain, Wikicommons
#HouseofHistory #History #Prussia

Пікірлер: 64

  • @grandadmiralzaarin4962
    @grandadmiralzaarin49623 жыл бұрын

    Napoleon is said to have remarked to his men on passing Frederick's tomb, "Had this man still been alive today, we could never have entered here."

  • @Franky566

    @Franky566

    Жыл бұрын

    Napoleon also said at waterloo "I made one mistake: i should have burnt Berlin."

  • @miguelclarkeottovonbismarck

    @miguelclarkeottovonbismarck

    Ай бұрын

    He also is attributed with "A wolf loses no sleep over the opinions of sheep."@@Franky566

  • @MrChopstsicks
    @MrChopstsicks3 жыл бұрын

    Even though Prussia is the most militaristic state of the time. It has produce the most progressive policies. Public schooling hundred years before all of other Europe. And the first social security system implemented in Prussia.

  • @KubusSc7

    @KubusSc7

    3 жыл бұрын

    Not "even though" but you should say "because of that". Militarism doesn't rule out progressivism. Only when your state is secure, when you don't have to fear attacks from your neighbour, do you have the freedom to evolve. Prussia wasn't a state that had freethinkers despite it's military might...it had freethinkers BECAUSE of it's military might.

  • @hellfyfighter

    @hellfyfighter

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@KubusSc7 Thats simply not true. Look at our power houses today. China, USA and Russia. Messed up internally.

  • @KubusSc7

    @KubusSc7

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@hellfyfighter What do they have to do with how nations grew from 16th till 19th century? USA is a artificially created construct that didn't have to fear invasion or even an attack from anyway. China is a communist union turned state. Their power comes from their ideology, not their military power. Russia was always a military powerhouse, but after the socialist revolution they got messed up internally. You cannot compare nations/states from today with nations from even 100 years ago.

  • @martinmuller3244

    @martinmuller3244

    2 жыл бұрын

    It is not so much the millitary, as it is that Frederick was prepared to stand for something, the Prussian state, and that he considered himself it's first servant. Germany had sunk so low in the proxy wars between France and England that being frugal and to submit yourself to the state as an elector was actually inspiring and worthy of emulating.

  • @nillynush4899

    @nillynush4899

    2 жыл бұрын

    How nebulous that "progressive" word is. Modernity has been granted to us, with its decadence and horror, thanks to ""progress"".

  • @TheSuperhoden
    @TheSuperhoden2 жыл бұрын

    I just bought multiple books regarding him, the 30 years war, his battles and the rise and fall of Prussia/Germany. Cant wait to read them

  • @louisritter7906
    @louisritter79063 жыл бұрын

    Long awaited! Good work!

  • @HoH

    @HoH

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @canthama2703
    @canthama27033 жыл бұрын

    Oscar, what an incredible episode, the challenges and turns of events were truly amazing, congrats for another great job done on this The Complete History of Prussia series.

  • @HoH

    @HoH

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you - I appreciate the enthusiasm and am glad you find the series interesting!

  • @Back4Fungame
    @Back4Fungame Жыл бұрын

    the political and mental duality of frederick never ceases to amaze me, he truly was "monster and musensohn"

  • @stevenv.surawski1178
    @stevenv.surawski11783 жыл бұрын

    A Great historical story on Fredrick the Great

  • @FeanaroNoldoran
    @FeanaroNoldoran3 жыл бұрын

    I've become even more of a Kaiserboo watching the series.

  • @jimbojangles9056
    @jimbojangles90562 жыл бұрын

    This channel is great, love how you find stories of unique individuals. Keep up the good work.

  • @Albukhshi
    @Albukhshi Жыл бұрын

    @ 11:17 Those are Prussians. The man on the right is from La Noble's Freikorps (the symbol on his hat has FR--Fredericus Rex). The man on the far left is a member of the Feldjaeger. The other two men's units escape me atm, but they're both from Freikorps.

  • @davidzufort5546
    @davidzufort55463 жыл бұрын

    Greatly made and well researched! Very informative. I was wondering if you would discuss the Ascanian and Luxembourg dynasties that also ruled Prussia before Hohenzollerns?

  • @HoH

    @HoH

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! I briefly touch upon the Ascanian dynasty in my prehistory of Prussia video (either that or the colonization of Prussia). I could expand more on those dynasties but it is difficult to find footage to go with the vid.. perhaps I will release a video expanding on it in the future but as for now I am hesitant with time periods that I cannot find much quality footage/imagery of

  • @davidzufort5546

    @davidzufort5546

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@HoH Glad to hear you are thinking about a seperate video! I fully undrstand, that footage might be a problem for this topic. Anyway, I enjoyed watching this episode very much and I am excited for the next one!

  • @berserker4940
    @berserker4940 Жыл бұрын

    Amazing content

  • @HistoriaenCeluloide
    @HistoriaenCeluloide3 жыл бұрын

    How do you make a nation great?: Discipline and will

  • @Aeyekay0
    @Aeyekay03 жыл бұрын

    Good video

  • @lesseirgpapers9245
    @lesseirgpapers92452 жыл бұрын

    Great objective video.

  • @andrewternet8370
    @andrewternet83703 жыл бұрын

    A biography on Frederick the Great, and you don't include the introduction of the potato to Europe? He's called the Potato King for a reason! Despite this, I found this video quite well done- I never knew the annexation of Poland and assumed it fell during the Napoleonic Wars. Keep it up!

  • @KubusSc7

    @KubusSc7

    3 жыл бұрын

    @E Fig And one king has power over all of europe's nations? He doesn't. Frederick II introduced the potato to Prussia, therefore to north german lands. He ruled that his farmers had to start farm it instead of sticking to grain only.

  • @johnfleming7879
    @johnfleming78792 жыл бұрын

    I read about Frederick The Great when I was a kid from The History of Nations, I was impressed then, and I still am- he was supposed to say positive things about George Washington's actions in the Seven Years War- he said he showed promise

  • @jamesweikel2594
    @jamesweikel25942 жыл бұрын

    I would love to learn more about Friedrich II and his campaigns of the war of austrian succession

  • @GregPotemkin
    @GregPotemkin Жыл бұрын

    By and large good video, but there is a slight mistake. At approx 2:50 Ivan VI is referred to as the Tsarina Anna's infant son. He was, in fact her infant great nephew.

  • @dindu551
    @dindu5512 жыл бұрын

    This was a phenomenal script. Please get better using visual aids to help us visualize the content. Your writing is very tight and the narrative is dense with information. Frankly it's hard to keep up because the info load is so heavy and everyone is dumb now

  • @wardaddy6595
    @wardaddy65953 жыл бұрын

    Colored maps of the HRE in the 17th century look like my kitchen floor when the dog gets sick .

  • @LCMM2150
    @LCMM21503 жыл бұрын

    Comentário para ajudar o canal.

  • @levinb1
    @levinb13 жыл бұрын

    Jawohl!

  • @MrRobfullarton
    @MrRobfullarton3 жыл бұрын

    When will Kings and Generals cover Leuthen and Rossbach?? Its a shame they cover some many obscure and boring conflicts these days!!

  • @xornxenophon3652
    @xornxenophon36525 ай бұрын

    Germany: I fear a war at two fronts; it will not work out! It will all end in utter desaster! Prussia: A war at three fronts at the same time? Well, it cannot be helped, but at least it will not be boring!

  • @kathyaschenbach8081
    @kathyaschenbach8081 Жыл бұрын

    My Grampa's family were direct descants of one of these Prussian Kings. I have the names of quite a few of the Princes.So I am fascinated with the history There is a castle still standing in Germany that had been occupied by the family.There is stories included with my paperwork that (a German friend of mine translated it and she said they were Knights).

  • @ohNojames
    @ohNojames Жыл бұрын

    He acted how I play EU4.

  • @64maxpower
    @64maxpower3 жыл бұрын

    Where are you from? You have a pleasing accent

  • @HoH

    @HoH

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'm Dutch, but try to hide it😜

  • @dragooll2023

    @dragooll2023

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@HoH The dutch have to be the less patriotic bunch in europe

  • @NeoMicy
    @NeoMicy3 жыл бұрын

    Only critic is that you dont mention the miracle of house Hohenzollern or the first miracle. But great work again1

  • @secordman
    @secordman2 жыл бұрын

    Great Britain were the winners in 1763, so the status quo didn't apply to them.

  • @francisebbecke2727
    @francisebbecke2727 Жыл бұрын

    He had a pretty horse.

  • @Thomas_Name
    @Thomas_Name Жыл бұрын

    It is thanks to Frederick that so many cackling evil normaltrash died on the battle field. You have to respect that 👌

  • @babyfacenilsson6380
    @babyfacenilsson638011 ай бұрын

    Pretty good vids, but your speech is painful...

  • @frederickthegreatpodcast382
    @frederickthegreatpodcast3823 жыл бұрын

    Was Frederick the Great a homosexual?

  • @Real46

    @Real46

    2 жыл бұрын

    Certainly not. People were normal at the time, and aberration of nature would be treated as such and would have no place between civilized citizens. Beside, such considerations only appear in decadent civilizations, and that was not the case at the time.

  • @queenbee7266

    @queenbee7266

    Жыл бұрын

    very likely. He has more quotes expressing his distaste for women than he has in support. The runaway affair and the lack of female courtiers in his personal palace, statues of homoerotic couples (eg achilles and patroclus, orestes and pylades) to compare to his executed 'friend'(Katte) and his poems, strongly suggest he was one. It's also interesting to note that men of his time suspected it as such too.

  • @xsqu1

    @xsqu1

    Жыл бұрын

    No, he was straight

  • @rennor3498

    @rennor3498

    Жыл бұрын

    He was like Napoleon, never having any affectionate success towards women and prefering the company of men in a platonic way. Probably because he valued a highly militaristic lifestyle and his inner circle was filled with army officers, philosophers and musicians, all of whom where male,

  • @RLoshbough
    @RLoshbough Жыл бұрын

    Love from East Tennessee Oscar my brother from another mother

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