Prussia emerged as a power in the 18th century due to the work done by the Hohenzollern family. , which ruled the Electorate of Brandenburg from the 15th century. This territory later gave rise to the German Empire whose greatness ended in the First World War (1914).
Originally, Prussia was a collection of small isolated states that the Hohenzollerns unified. Lacking natural defenses, they created the best army in Europe to protect themselves.
Origin of the Prussian State
In South Germany, lived the Hohenzollern family who in the 15th century lent money to Emperor Sigismund, receiving in exchange the small territory of Brandenburg (1415).
Over time, this territory increased and the Hohenzollerns became very powerful and even rivals of the other lords.
The Great Elector
A Prussian prince of the indicated family, Frederick William, became one of the Seven Electors of the crown and as his influence was notable, he was given the title of Great Elector .
Years later, the Hohenzollerns inherited the Duchy of Prussia and began the task of enlarging their state into a great nation.
The work of the great elector, Federico Guillermo
Federico Guillermo developed a skillful policy to enlarge the new State. First of all, he took part in the Thirty Years' War and after the Treaty of Westphalia was signed, he received East Pomerania and other territories on the banks of the Elbe, Wesser and Rhine rivers as a reward.
A city called Berlin began to progress rapidly and since it was almost in the center of said territories, it soon became the Capital.
In order to better develop the political plans for the aggrandizement of him, the Great Elector, Frederick William initiated the formation of a first-rate army.
The Kingdom of Prussia
The Great Elector of Brandenburg, for having fought against Louis XIV, during the Thirty Years' War, received the title of “King of Prussia” as a reward. , and since then the new State was formed, later converted into a great nation. Later the powers, when signing the Treaty of Utrecht, at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, recognized the existence of the New Kingdom of Prussia , which very soon became a great power, due to the wise administration of Federico Guillermo I. called the King Sergeant and Frederick II, called The Great .
Frederick William I
For being the founder of Prussia's military power, he was called "The Sergeant King" . Having barely two and a half million subjects, he had an army of 80,000 men. As the recruitment of volunteers cost him dearly, he established that all Prussians were obliged to serve in the army.
For the preparation of officers he founded a Military School , and little by little he managed to give Prussia the best disciplined army in Europe.
Frederick II or Frederick "The Great"
He was undoubtedly the greatest ruler of the Hohenzollern family.
During his youth, he suffered a lot. His father often whipped him, because he did not want to ride a horse and use weapons in military exercises. Federico preferred reading, music and intellectual work. On a certain occasion, to escape from his father's punishments, he made an agreement with a friend, in order to both escape to England. Discovered the maneuver, he was locked in a fortress. The friend was sentenced to death and beheaded.
Being already a monarch, he was a model of industriousness. He got up at four in the morning, worked all day and sometimes dictated to four secretaries.
He had excellent qualities as a warrior, a statesman and a man of letters.
As a warrior he revealed himself achieving great victories in the Seven Years' War (1757-1763) . This war originated from the rapid development of Prussia, which caused the mistrust of France, Austria and Russia. Frederick the Great fought against three of his opponents and after defeating them managed to save his country from a safe division. As a statesman, Frederick advanced the cities of his kingdom and encouraged agriculture in Brandenburg by composting unproductive land.
As promoter of the letters, he knew how to favor great writers. The great philosopher Voltaire lived at his Court for a long time. He was proud to say that he belonged to the group of "Enlightened Despots" .
During his reign, the war against Austria, also called the War of Succession (1740), took place. Maria Teresa, daughter of Emperor Charles VI, inherited the kingdom of Austria, which possessed great wealth. This provoked the greed of Frederick the Great, and war broke out between the two. Frederick seized Silesia, belonging to Maria Theresa. The Austrian queen had no strength to oppose these spoils, but she saved her kingdom due to the bravery of the Hungarians, her vassals, who defeated the invaders. However, Frederick the Great managed to always seize the coveted territory.
Prussia intervened at this time (1772) together with Austria and Russia, in the shameful divisions of Poland.
Through three successive invasions, Federico II managed with his allies that Poland was mutilated 3 times, until it finally disappeared from the map (1795). In these distributions, Prussia acquired territories on the Vistula River, Warsaw and the entire western region.