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Prussia (ancient) Prussian : Pr (I) sa; German: Preußen; English: Prussia; Latin : Borussia), is Europe Historical place names , located in Germany North, usually from 1525 to 1701 Duchy of Prussia Between 1618 and 1701 Brandenburg-Prussia Form exists), 1701-1918 Kingdom of Prussia and Prussia Free State .

German unification Before, Brandenburg-Prussia and Austria The same as Germany Holy Roman Empire The two most powerful states in the territory were among the European powers of the time, mid-19th century Kingdom of Prussia acquire Puttan-danish war , Austro-prussian war and Franco-prussian War The victory of the unification of the divide Austrian Empire exterior Germany It was founded in 1871 German Empire .

Prussia sometimes. Germany Modern spirit, culture, order pronoun ^[1] That gave birth to early Germany militarism And also help Germany Protestantism Get rid of Austria The House of Habsburg The rule of...

On February 25th, 1947, The United Nations The Governing Council issued Decree 47, declaring that the Free State of Prussia ceased to exist.

Chinese name: Prussia
Foreign name: Prussia
Abbreviated form: Puktoria
continent: Europe
capital: Berlin
Major city: Konigsberg , Potsdam , Danzig, Stettin, Poznan , Breslau , Katowice Etc.
National Day: January 18, 1701
National song: Long live the winner's crown
Official language: German , Prussian
currency: Silver mark

Time zone: UTC+1
Political system: Absolute monarchy
National leader: Frederick I , Frederick William I , Frederick II , Frederick William III Etc.
Population number: About 43 million
Major nationality: German , Polish
Major religion: Lutheranism
Land area: 352260 km²
National motto: Suum cuique (to each his due)
Time of existence: 1525-1947 Germany Cancel Prussia)
Front body: Duchy of Brandenburg , Duchy of Prussia

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Historical development

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EDITOR

Early history

Legally, this place doesn't belong Germany Holy Roman Empire The boundaries of the scope, only because later Prince of Brandenburg merge Duchy of Prussia , Brandenburg-Prussia As a whole First German Empire Part of it.

In the early Middle Ages, this part of Prussia was a wilderness, inhabited by the Old Prussians Prussian Belong to The Baltic language family , and Latvia Harmony with the people Republic of Lithuania People belong to the same race. In 928, Brandenburg was founded The Duke of Saxony Henry the Bird catcher founded the city, which has since passed from family to family and changed hands.

In the 12th century, German colonization began Baltic Sea The East Coast.

In 1170, Pomerania Sorby Slough The Duke established the first colony in Prussia, i.e Danzig Nearby Oliva cloister In 1224 the monastery was burned down by the Old Prussians.

In 1226, Kingdom of Poland Duke Conrad, son of the king and head of the Duchy of Mazovia, The Teutonic Knights Their territory was also attacked by the Old Prussians, and as an opportunity, The Teutonic Knights In the Prussian region launched nearly 200 years of the eastern campaign, has been established Torlunn , Marimburg , Kulm, Elpin and other forts, conquered Prussian areas, Prussia became the territory of the Teutonic Knights, Germans, Poles, Republic of Lithuania People and other races from Europe immigrated. The Teutonic Knights forced him to convert to Christianity and use German.

The Teutonic Knights The region of Prussia under his rule was nominally a papal domain, but the Pope had only nominal rights suzerainty . To attract settlers, the Teutonic Knights relied Hanseatic League A series of laws were built on its territory Free city .

The year 1379 The Teutonic Knights join Hanseatic League .

The year 1370 Poland Royal death, 1386 Kings of Poland The daughter of Hedwig married the Grand Duke of Lithuania, with Poland Republic of Lithuania The union then launched a series of attacks against the Teutonic Knights, who were holding their access to the sea.

On July 15, 1410 The Battle of Tanenberg In the middle of the war, the Teutonic Knights were defeated by the Polish-Lithuanian coalition and forced to sign The first Peace of Torun In addition to the compensation of 6 million Groschen, the city of Danzig was placed under Polish sovereignty.

In 1466, the Teutonic Knights were defeated again Thirteen Years' War , in The Second Peace of Torun The forced cession includes Danzig And Marimburg, among others West Prussia . These areas were called "Royal Prussia". The Teutonic Knights retained the remnants of Prussia, but were forced to serve the Polish king and became Polish Client state .

After the 16th century, the Prussians assimilated into the Germans, used Prussian Also gradually disappear.

In 1512, Albert from Brandenburg was elected Teutonic knighthood The General commander. In 1525 he declared his conversion to the Lutheran religion, thus severing his ties with the titular Master of the Order Roman The Vatican contacted and subsequently announced that it would The Teutonic Knights Secularization, changed to Duchy of Prussia (Dukal Prussia), Albert himself Dukes of Prussia And become subject to Poland A secular monarch under the highest authority.

When Albert's son, Albert Frederick, died childless, the Duchy of Prussia was ruled by the husband of his eldest daughter, Duchy of Brandenburg John Sigismund (genus The Hohenzollern family Inherited, established Brandenburg-Prussia The duchy. The move is The Hohenzollern Dynasty It laid the foundation for future development.

It's from 1660 Sweden - Poland During the war, Brandenburg elected an emperor Frederick William By" Treaty of Oliva Poland's suzerainty over Prussia was abolished, the Duchy of Prussia was recognized by Sweden, Poland, and other countries, and the domestic hierarchical council was suppressed, establishing a centralized government Political system .

Found a state

In 1701, Brandenburg elected Emperor Friedrich III, Frederick William Son) supported the Austrian Habsburg empire The French Bourbon Dynasty Declare war in exchange for the title of king. On January 18th, Frederick III Crowned at Konigsberg King of Prussia Frederick I (Friedrich I), and has since expanded Kingdom of Prussia Over 200 years of illustrious history.

Rise and expansion

Inheriting the Teutonic tradition of military despotism, Prussia's army was always highly disciplined, Educational quality Well known, especially Frederick II (i.e. Frederick the Great Known for his bravery in battle. He succeeded to the throne in 1740, and seven months later attacked Silesia War of the Austrian Succession .

Through the war, Prussia gained Silesia, the rich industrial region of Austria. Frederick II He established the personal honor of "military genius" and transformed Prussia into a military state. Frederick II was also a slave Voltaire Where accepted enlightenment Ideas, improvement of the judicial and educational systems, encouraged Freedom of religious belief And foster the development of science and art.

By the time of Frederick II's death in 1786, Prussia had become one of the great powers of Europe, and its administrative institutions were among the most efficient and clean in Europe.

When Frederick II's nephew, Frederick Wilhelm II, succeeded to the throne, Outright purchase the Ansbach principality and Bayreuth The principality and the second and third partition of Poland.

French Revolution After the outbreak, Prussia participated Coalition against France He was defeated by the French and was forced to agree to the annexation of Prussian territory west of the Rhine by France in 1795. son Frederick William III (enthroned in 1797) joined in October 1806 War against France He was subsequently defeated at Jena Napoleon He was forced to flee to Konigsberg.

In 1807, Prussia and France concluded a peace treaty at Tilsit on the Neman, in which Prussia ceded 160,000 Square kilometer Land, including most of the territory of Prussian Poland (Second, No Three partitions of Poland Income, and The first partition of Poland The southern half of the acquired territory), and Elbe All the territory to the west and 130 million in reparations franc .

After the defeat of 1806, Prussian Prime Minister Karl Stein began to introduce reforms, including engaging citizens in politics to awaken them nationalism Emotion; Freeing the serfs; Carry out Local self-government ; Reorganizing the central government.

In 1809 Berlin Founded Friedrich Wilhelm University ( University of Berlin ), and at the same time Gerhard von Scharnhorst Reform of the Prussian army began. Prussian patriotism was high thereafter.

The winter of 1812, Napoleon The army retreated from Russia, and Prussia joined again the following year Coalition against France On March 17, 1813, he declared war on France, and on October 24, Prussian, Austrian, and Russian forces joined forces Blucher And Gneisenau under the command Leipzig rout French army .

The Prussian army in 1815 Waterloo (the battle of Waterloo) Defeat the French again.

On the basis of Congress of Vienna The territorial adjustment of Prussia's territory from Momel The river extends to the Rhine, becoming German Confederation The only powerful country in which Neid-speaking inhabitants predominate, as well European powers One of them.

In 1834 Prussia was established in Germany German customs union With the exception of Austria and Hamburg, all the German states joined the League.

The European Revolution of 1848 During, Pu Wang Frederick William IV (Friedrich Wilhelm IV) proclaimed a "liberal government". convene Constituent assembly And refused to accept the "Parliament of the German Confederation" Emperor of Germany "Title. But after the European revolutions of 1848, Frederick William IV A return to authoritarian rule.

1857 Frederick William IV Mentally ill, with his brother William as regent.

The year 1861 Frederick William IV Death, regent enthroned, said William I .

On September 22, 1862, William I appoint Bismarck As Prime Minister. When Bismarck came to power, he began to plan German unification Great undertaking. Bismarck advocated the establishment of a general Austria The "Little Germany" that was excluded.

Prussia defeated in 1864 Denmark Take Schleswig-Holstein. The year 1866 Austro-prussian war Defeat Austria and pull it out of Germany. Prussia annexed Hanover It was founded in 1867 The North German Confederation . The year 1871 Franco-prussian War Defeat France, unify Germany, establish German Empire Prussia continued to exist as a large and important state in the Empire.

Franco-prussian War

William I on 18 January 1871, that is Kingdom of Prussia 170th anniversary, in France The Palace of Versailles The Hall of Mirrors became king German Empire The emperor, proclaimed the establishment to Kingdom of Prussia chief German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich), the so-called Second German Reich (Das Zweite Reich).

In 1888, William I Son of Frederick III After 99 days on the throne, his grandson died Wilhelm II Enthroned as the third emperor of the German Empire. Its rule was dominated by Germany World War I Ended in failure.

On November 7, 1918, a revolution broke out in Bavaria and its king abdicated. Berlin Then a revolution broke out, demanding the abdication of the Kaiser. meanwhile Wilhelm II in Belgium The German army in SPAR headquarters After learning of the revolution, he tried to give up the title of Emperor of Germany and retain the title of King of Prussia, but the army commander Hindenburg urged him to abdicate completely.

To avoid further disruption, Chancellor of Germany Max von Baden The Prince announced before noon on 9 November that the Kaiser had abdicated, and handed over his duties as Prime Minister on the same day German Social Democratic Party Leaders Friedrich Ebert . Wilhelm II went into exile Netherlands , German Empire and Kingdom of Prussia Perish. On November 11, Germany surrendered to the Allies.

History 1919-1947

On account of Berlin Take place The Spartacus Regiment Social Democratic Party Provisional government Between the Civil War, 1919, Albert in Weimar The National Assembly convened and on 10 February adopted the Provisional Laws of the German Republic, i.e Weimar Constitution . According to the Weimar Constitution, Prussia became a German state, i.e. Prussia Free State (Freistaat Preussisch;) The territory of the former Kingdom of Prussia was the territory of local self-government.

In the 1920s, the Prussian Free State had many governments German Social Democratic Party And the leadership of the Catholic Central Party. In 1932, The Nazi Party Winning the German Reichstag and Prussian state elections, Hermann Goring He became President of the German Reichstag and Chancellor of the Prussian state, and took control of Prussia Ministry of the Interior And the police. The Nazi Party came to power on January 30, 1933, and subsequently abolished local self-government in Germany, Prussian constitution Was abolished, the state assembly and Legislative body Disbanded, only retained Administrative unit .

World War II In, Allied countries and The Soviet Union After many meetings, the leaders of Prussia reached a consensus that Prussia was the birthplace of German militarism, German officer corps and Junkers The stronghold of German despotism and aggression source And must be eliminated. American President Roosevelt is here Tehran Conference Churchill argued that "Prussia must be made as small and weakened as possible," and that "Prussia, the criminal core of German militarism, must be separated from the rest of Germany." The Yalta Conference and The Potsdam Conference Establish a general East Prussia The annexation of Poland and the Soviet Union, as well as the abolition of the Prussian establishment in post-war Germany principle Opinion.

On February 25, 1947, the Allies attacked Germany Martial law The Allied Kontrol Kouncil formally decreed the abolition of the Prussian establishment. (Decree No. 46) The territories of the former Prussian state were incorporated into Poland and the Soviet Union, as well as into Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union Occupied area . The property of the former Prussian state government was divided between the Allies and the Soviet Union.

The year 1949 German Democratic Republic After its establishment, the two states of Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt, as well as the eastern half of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, were established in the former Prussian territory (the state system was abolished in 1952 and the district was created). in Federal Republic of Germany The states formed in the former Prussian territory included North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein . In addition, Lower Saxony , Rhineland-Palatinate , Hesse , Baden - Wurttemburg and Saarland Neidu Arihara The Kingdom of Prussia and the territory of Prussia. In being incorporated Poland and The Soviet Union The German population of Prussia had been largely removed.

Development path

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EDITOR

Spring up

Among the German states, the only power that could compete with Austria was Prussia. Prussia was one of the most extensive, powerful and important of the German states. Since the 17th century, it has influenced the whole of German history.

The Prussian state grew by expanding its territory.

The ruler of Prussia was The Hohenzollern family . As early as the 10th century, the Hohenzollern family ruled Switzerland A castle on the mountains of Sauron in the north. In the 12th century, the representatives of this family became Nuremberg Lord of the city.

A representative of the family in 1415 Frederick I from Holy Roman Emperor There was the acquisition of Brandenburg territory and Elector The title of. Located on the northeastern border of Germany, Brandenburg was often at war with neighboring Slavs, and its army gained a lot of military experience.

During the 16th century Reformation, Elector of Brandenburg Accepting Lutheranism and seizing the land property of the Catholic Church, Brandenburg became an important Protestant state.

By the beginning of the 16th century, the Elector Johann Sigismund had acquired in his wife's name the Duchy of Klefz and the marquises of Marque and Ravensburg in the lower Rhine.

In 1618, the Elector acquired Poland as a client state East Prussia Thus, he was promoted from Elector of Brandenburg to Elector of Brandenburg-Prussia. In order to gain East Prussia, he was willing to pay tribute to the Polish king.

Thirty Years' War At the end (1648), he was elected Emperor Hou Frederick William Annexed the east Pomerania And several small territories in the Weser and Elbe basins. In the same year, he took advantage of the accession of a new king of Poland to get rid of his ministers to Poland Genus relation .

By 1701, the Elector Frederick I rejoin War of the Spanish Succession For the condition, from Holy Roman Emperor It acquired the title of King of Prussia. Thus Brandenburg, Elector of Prussia, became King of Prussia.

in Seven years' War Prussia also captured Silesia from Austria.

The year 1772 Partition of Poland When, and again West Prussia ( Gdansk And Torun), thus connecting Brandenburg to East Prussia. The original territory of Brandenburg was only 23,751 square kilometers; by 1772, the territory of the Kingdom of Prussia had increased to 194,891 square kilometers.

The rise of Prussia had an economic premise.

It was on the basis of economic prosperity after the 17th century that the country became strong. The Prussian economy prospered for two reasons:

First, Brandenburg is in the right place Economic development To its advantage. Trade routes shifted from the Mediterranean to Atlantic The coast, while causing the decline and stagnation of the entire German economy, contributed to the economic prosperity of Brandenburg. The shift in trade routes forced some parts of South Germany and China to look for export to the North Sea coast, and Brandenburg became a necessary route.

Second, The Hohenzollern Dynasty The policy of protecting industry and commerce promoted the development of the Prussian economy. In order to increase Fiscal revenue As early as the reign of Elector Frederick William (1640-1688), it began to reward the development of industry and commerce.

The year 1685 French government After the Edict of Nantes was lifted, the Huguenots fled abroad. Frederick William ordered that French exiles be taken in and given preferential treatment. By 1703 some 20,000 French Huguenots and 13,000 Protestants from other countries had settled in Brandenburg. They were mainly skilled craftsmen and able merchants, and thus brought capital and technology here. These new immigrants set up Woolen fabric interwoven handshop The silk is processed and produced Velvet Candles, silk ribbons and other articles. However, under the conditions of serfdom, the source of free labor was very limited. To solve the labor problem, Frederick Wilhelm used Criminal offender And prisoners, Vagrant And beggars as labor for new industries. His grandson Frederick William I (1713-1740) continued this policy, which he specifically rewarded Military industry For example woolen Industry.

Prussia grew from small to large, from weak to strong, also because it pursued a militaristic policy.

The election coincided with the accession of Emperor Frederick Wilhelm Thirty Years' War Brandenburg was occupied by the Swedish army. He knew firsthand that armies were the foundation of a nation, so he decided to learn from Sweden and build one A standing army .

In 1653, he married Junkers Agreement reached: allow Juncker to exercise power over farmers Police power and Jurisdictional power ; Juncker agreed with the Elector to impose a "military tax" in order to create a standing army. In this agreement, the Elector also agreed to make Junker an officer in the Standing Army. From then on, Junker formed an indissoluble bond with the Prussian army. From Frederick Wilhelm onwards, the Prussian state became a powerful military machine. By the time of Frederick William I, the Prussian army had almost doubled in size to 85,460 men, equivalent to 4% of the country's population. In Europe, Prussia had the 13th largest population, but the fourth largest army, and three-quarters of the state's revenue was spent on the military. Blind obedience was practiced in the army, and officers from Junker's family could whip their soldiers at will, and some soldiers often committed suicide because of the mistreatment of officers. Military discipline is strict in peacetime, but when it comes to war, officers condone soldiers to burn, kill and pillage.

Prussian militarism was closely linked to the Junkers. The Junkers actively support the policy of militarism because it brings them many benefits: first, militarism and aggression will give them access to new lands. Second, as the country expands, Administrative agency It has expanded, providing more opportunities for Mr Juncker's sons to hold office. Third, strengthen Military force It also increased the number of officers to provide more officer posts for the sons of Juncker.

The Junkers have a strong Economic power Their economic power is based on serfdom. German" Serfdom, second edition It was most prominent in Prussia. From the 16th century to the first half of the 17th century, the peasantry in Prussia, especially east of the Elbe, became herding again. They were completely tied to the land and forced to provide it to the landowners Servitude rent And service rent. Serfs worked four to six days a week on their Lord's land. In 1710 an official reported: "Rent, servitude, taxes, the stationing of soldiers and tribute It is difficult for the people to sustain the constant increase. The serfs were always poor and getting poorer, as always, until at last they had no choice but to flee..."

The Prussian bureaucracy was also built by the army.

Originally from some part of Prussia Power of taxation In the hands of the territorial council, but Friedrich William taxed by force. He had sent troops under threat of force to force Cleaves and Marko to accept the new tax. Then he made the new tax de facto permanence Tax, thereby depriving the hierarchical council of its most important function - the right to collect taxes. Finally, since the taxes of all localities were mainly used for the expenses of the army, he entrusted the affairs of taxation to the army, and for this purpose formed a military headquarters with the military under it Finance department He sent officers everywhere to collect taxes. The officers carried out their work in the manner of military orders, quickly turning Scope of work It extended to the entire economy and pushed aside existing administrative structures, including territorial assemblies and municipal self-government.

Through the military headquarters, Frederick Wilhelm established a unified bureaucracy Administrative system And the soul of this system is the army.

In 1723 he established the "Supreme General Administration of Finance, Military and Royal Lands" directly under the King, as the highest administrative body for the management of the country. The "army king" ruled the country the way he ruled an army, believing that a despot knew best what his people needed. "I am king, so I can do whatever I want," he once said. Under his rule Prussia developed into a highly centralized despotic state, with barracks style discipline and hierarchy Dominate the whole Social life . The so-called "Prussian spirit" was by this time fully formed, and its formula was absolutism Add militarism.

Historical background

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EDITOR

Germany is a nation disjunction uncertain Of the country. The Holy Roman Empire was a loose confederation of vassals in name only. At its peak, it consisted of thousands of states. After hundreds of years of struggle, Germany finally achieved its first grand national unification by Prussia in 1871, but the country was divided again due to the defeat of the two wars and was not reunited until 1990. It can be said that a German history is a German history Ethnic division The history of unification, division, and reunification. In that sense, National problem (or the quest for national unity) became the whole of Germany Modern and contemporary history One of the main lines. The reason why we speak of the rise of the Kingdom of Prussia as historically progressive is that the great cause of German reunification was finally accomplished by Prussia. So, in the middle of a Europe surrounded by great powers and a Germany full of vassals, Prussia, which was not much in population and territory, has gradually grown from weak to strong and developed step by step with what "magical power"?

From 1618 to 1648, Continental Europe The feudal monarchs fought a long "Thirty Years' War" on German soil. This war enabled the English bourgeoisie to escape the intervention of the European feudal monarchs and win the victory, but brought about the complete decline of Germany. As the main theatre of this brutal war, five-sixths of the German countryside was destroyed and the population was reduced by more than a third. Farmers were left with nothing and were struggling with starvation and death. End of war After that, Germany was still only a nominal "state" divided, broken, and full of vassals. Under the Treaty of Westphalia, the victors of the Thirty Years' War, France and Sweden, had the right to guarantee the internal and foreign independence of the German states, and every state had the full right to make treaties with any country in Europe. Thus the division of Germany was finalized. The extent of the division of Germany after the Thirty Years' War is illustrated by the following data: there were 360 independent states and 1,500 semi-independent territories within Germany at that time. Most of the states were small, with Westphalia averaging just over 20 square miles each. But the princes of all these states, regardless of their size and size, were conceited and established their own complete system of despotism, State institution Sound, with an army. An army sometimes consists of only 12 soldiers.

In this unprecedented situation of national division, a Prussia with an orderly society, an authoritarian center, an efficient government, and a capable army stood out. Remember that the rise of any country in modern Europe is not a warm, gentle and beautiful journey, in that turbulent era of the jungle, Prussia was destined from the beginning to use fire and sword to pave its way to the throne.

peculiarity

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EDITOR

(1) Practice Military-first politics Attaching importance to national defense

emerging Kingdom of Prussia A small, weak country, nicknamed by the great powers" can A pot in the pile ", at any time facing the danger of national destruction. Therefore, from the beginning of the establishment of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701, successive rulers took strengthening the army as their main means of survival and development.

Prussian militarism Very prominent, 1740 Frederick II Under his iron-fisted rule for more than 20 years, the number of Prussians increased from 70,000 to 200,000, accounting for 9.4 percent of the country's population. Military expenditure Spending eats up four-fifths of the entire government budget each year. At the time, Prussia had only the tenth largest area in Europe and the thirteenth largest population, but its army was the fourth largest in Europe. And this figure was higher in the successors of Frederick II Wilhelm II There were 235,000 people there again. Prussian militarism has been described as follows: "For other states, the state has an army; For Prussia, it was the army that owned the state."

Prussia's militarism was so stark that its belligerence contributed directly to Bismarck's "war of words." Iron and blood policy "Was introduced, and then became twice World war The reason.

(2) Junker Long-term control State power And become the only class capable of leading the great cause of national reunification

Prussia was a Junker state, where the civic class had very little power. This is partly due to the destruction of the workshops caused by the war Handicraft industry Development is slow throughout the country Economic aggregate They accounted for less than 10% of the total, and their market was largely dependent on feudalism maharaja the Living consumption And government military expenditures; On the other hand, by the end of the 18th century, Britain and France had long since overcome guild When the tradition is bound, Germany The handicraft industry is still controlled by the industry, ancient laws and regulations are still strictly enforced, and all routes that can promote competition and innovation are ruthlessly blocked by feudal fetters. The financial kind dependency As well as the inherent deficiency of their own strength, the German bourgeoisie was politically cowardly and subservient to the feudal power.

The peasants were also powerless against the powerful feudal autocracy. Germany had a great breakout Peasant war But it was brutally suppressed, and Thirty Years' War It was completely destroyed Peasant class As the last force of resistance, the landowners became the sole masters of the countryside, and serfdom, in which the peasants were forced to work as slaves, became the common system in Germany, and especially in Prussia.

Marx and Engels had intended to unite the scattered workers' groups in Germany into a national one Political organization In order to advance the revolution. But economically backward and politically dispersed Germany did not have such conditions. The German working class was still very immature, and most of them still are artisan And basically follow bourgeoisie Left. And because of the power of feudalism, and Bourgeois liberal The revolution of 1848 was suppressed throughout Germany, and the workers' movement remained at a low ebb for a long time.

Since neither the bourgeoisie nor the peasants are capable of accomplishing the unification of Germany, the forces are still very weak proletariat Far from being politically mature, this task historically fell to the Prussian aristocracy Landlord class (Juncker) on the body.

The Junker economy runs the country Economic lifeline , Junkers Monopolize grain exports and get away with it Export duty . in Prussian army Mr Juncker holds all the military posts. Prussian serfdom Unlike early serfdom, it is Commodity production The result of development. As food and various agricultural products become increasingly important commodities and prices rise, Agricultural production Become profitable. So the Junker landlords began to seize the land of the peasants and merged it into large estates, facing Market development Commodity production of a capitalist nature.

Serfdom embodied only Prussia State system One aspect of this, and its deeper significance, is that it highlights Prussia's highly centralized state Absolute monarchy Characteristic. And this Political system Assurances were essential to the rise of any modern European power. Peter I subordinate Russia Well, Louis XIV So did France, and so did Prussia.

After the failure of the 1848 revolution, although Prussia did not like Austria That restores purity monarchy Instead, the alliance between the landlord class and the big bourgeoisie was maintained, but the nobility remained in this alliance Leading position And the king still had great power. There is a parliament, but The House of Lords The House of Lords was composed of dignitaries appointed by the king, while the House of Commons was composed of dignitaries appointed by the King. House of Representatives And with the aid of inequality Three-tier electoral system The majority of the aristocracy and the big bourgeoisie was guaranteed, so that the Prussian absolute monarchy was continued and even consolidated under the guise of democracy.

Formation reason

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EDITOR

Serfdom strengthened Juncker's political dominance

from Social development From the point of view, serfdom was barbaric and backward Mode of production . Serfs not only worked for landlords without compensation, but also provided their own livestock and farm implements, and their property was arbitrarily deprived Personal freedom He was imprisoned in the landlord's estate and was not allowed to move. It is generally believed that the existence of serfdom is a serious impediment to the development of productive forces. But if we look at this system in the historical context of Prussia's rise, we find something unusual. Today one can criticize Frederick II for "strengthening the military of the Junkers in Prussia. Autocratic system "And the introduction of slave education to its subjects" is a backward step in history, but it ignores the most basic fact that the backbone of the Prussian kingdom at that time was the aristocracy, and the strength of the aristocracy lay in the possession of vast estates and the exploitation of serfs. From this point of view, without serfdom, there would be no Juncker, and without Juncker's support, a strong Prussian kingship would be nothing but an empty phrase.

Promoting mercantilism and focusing on economic development

The main rivers of Germany heading north are Rhine , Weser , Elbe , Oder They all flowed through Brandenburg territory, which gave Prussia an economic advantage Geographical position . The Prussian rulers also regarded industry and commerce as an important wealth, and they developed it Canal Building Bridges and roads and unification Monetary system , implement Protective duty Measures to develop the economy. Prussia also focused on developing overseas markets, and in 1788 it had exported more than 11,000 tons of pig iron to Britain. By the 1780s, Prussia had established three trading companies: Mediterranean Eastern Trading Company, China Trading Company and Bangladesh Trading Company.

Immigrants were encouraged to take in Protestants

Martin Luther's Reformation and the victory of the German Protestant League in the Thirty Years' War made Prussia a safe haven for religious persecutors in Europe. By 1703, about 20,000 Huguenots from France had settled in Brandenburg, making up one in nine of the city's inhabitants at the time. These men were skilled craftsmen or merchants with a certain amount of capital, and the result was that French industry and commerce suffered greatly, while Prussia benefited. In addition to French immigrants, immigrants from other countries also entered the country in large numbers. According to statistics, by 1740 Prussia had a population of 2.4 million, of which foreign immigrants alone accounted for a quarter, up to 600,000. Brandenburg was the hardest hit of the Thirty Years' War, and immigration contributed greatly to its revival, bringing Prussia to fruition earlier than any other German state Economic recovery With upsurge.

Rulers have a strong sense of anxiety and are less likely to fall into corruption

At that time Royal houses of Europe The prevailing style of extravagance was very different, and generations of Prussian rulers lived a puritanical life of near-masochistic thrift in order to save precious military and government spending. For example Friedrich II Father of William I During his reign, Prussia's foreign envoys were "famous" in Europe for their meagre and sordid qualities. And prominent royals, princes and princesses, or Is the princess and even the king himself, its food cooking is poor, the food is simple and weak, almost to the degree of hunger. The frugality had reached such a point that William I was called "Beggar King" behind his back.

His successor, Frederick II, was even more of a king Goujian Tough and hard, he worked hard with extraordinary energy, sleeping only four hours a day. You have to do everything yourself. He also called on the people to be thrifty and set an example, absolutely forbidding palace extravagance. He himself wore only a soldier's uniform and had only one dress in his life. Twenty years after the death of Frederick II, Napoleon in Battle of Jena Defeated the Prussians, came to the Potsdam the Frederick II Before the grave. Napoleonic Riding crop Pointing to the tombstone, he said, "If he were alive, we wouldn't be standing here."

The ruling class was able to follow the trend and push forward reforms in a timely manner

The Prussian ruling class was not as conformist as the feudal aristocracy in other European countries, stubbornly resisting all changes. They are good at assessing the situation and pushing forward reform from the top down (of course, also forced by the situation), and firmly control the leadership position of reform, so as to conform to the trend of history, but not to lose their power. with The Austrian Habsburg Dynasty Unlike the superficial reforms, most of the Prussian Kings were able to stick to the reforms, rather than give up the achievements of their predecessors, so as to ensure the Prussian general policy coherence And the whole country has always maintained an upward momentum.

Take the example of Prussian serfdom reform, Napoleonic Wars During this period, Prussia suffered a series of defeats and nearly collapsed. The fiasco of the war and the humiliation of the peace treaty made the Prussians see more and more clearly the decline of serfdom society from the contest between feudal Germany and capitalist France. A number of deeply British and French Bourgeois ideology Influential men of insight clamored for reform of the old feudal order. In this grim situation, Prussia embarked on difficult reforms. In October 1807, presiding over state affairs Baron Stein Promulgated the "Emancipation of Peasants" Edict of October ", so that Prussia finally from Feudal serfdom A major step has been taken on the road to bourgeois society.

But the first round of reforms was not thorough, and this made the Prussian liberal bourgeoisie very unhappy with Juncker's continued occupation of large amounts of land and manpower, and they were once again in the European Revolution of 1848 Back to The republic was against the monarchy. In order to collude with each other and coordinate interests in order to consolidate power, The Junker landlord class In March 1850, the government enacted the Law regulating the relations between landlords and Peasants, which finally completed the serfdom reform that had begun in 1807. As a result of the reform, the capitalists got what was necessary for the development of large industry Cheap labor The bourgeoisie was satisfied with the monarchy; By collecting high ransoms from the serfs, large amounts of ceded land and wealth were quickly accumulated Junker In their hands, the landlord class also made a fortune; The peasants alone went bankrupt, lost their land and livestock, and became semi-proletarians in large numbers, and then wage workers in the capitalist factories and Junkers' estates. This "experience" of the Prussian ruling class came to pass in 1861 Tsarist Russia The serfdom reform provided an excellent "example" to follow.

The awakening of the German national consciousness

The most important factor in the rise of Prussia was the human factor. Since the 16th century, because of the division, Germany has not been one in the eyes of Europeans Political entity , while German nation It is also considered to be an inactive people. It was this long-term humiliation and contempt that inspired the enterprising spirit of the Germans and internalized it into the source of strength for the rise of Prussia.

It is also because of this spirit that they are prompted to learn advanced things from foreign countries and vigorously set up education. In this respect, the Kingdom of Prussia's achievements are most celebrated by posterity - for implementation nationalism Education had been compulsory in Prussia since 1717 National education It was the first in the world to be implemented China compulsory education Of the country. In 1763, Frederick II issued the Statute of Schools, which made it compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 14 to attend school, and appointed veterans as headmasters to prepare students Military training . All this laid a solid foundation for the formation of a disciplined and highly qualified Prussian army in the future. It was introduced in 1809 by Humboldt after he became Prussian high Governor of education Educational system The reform also became the scientific, Cultural development The cornerstone, while founded in 1810 University of Berlin As the first in the world New university And influenced countries throughout the nineteenth century Higher education Development.

In Prussia, military service and education were considered the two things of citizenship Basic obligation . According to statistics, in the second half of the nineteenth century, among the major European countries, Germany Illiteracy rate Is the lowest, whether Germans are reading, writing, Computing power Up, or Scientific theory In terms of practical application, they should be ahead of European countries.

Be good at using diplomatic means to maximize the interests of the country

Whether it was Frederick II of Prussia in the early days, or a later prime minister Bismarck They were both regarded as some of the most astute diplomats of their time. Although these men were "perfidious and dishonest" to achieve their ends, it is undeniable that without their diplomatic skills, it is hard to imagine Prussia surviving and growing in a Europe surrounded by great powers.

Uniting Allies and isolating opponents was Prussia's most basic foreign policy. For example, it started operating in 1834 Customs union It was a great achievement of Prussia, which not only promoted economic development, but also made the whole Germany begin to converge to it politically, which not only strengthened Prussia's ability and determination to lead the reunification of Germany, but also gradually excluded Austria from Germany politically and economically, which could be said to kill two birds with one stone. The customs union is somewhat similar to the European Union (EU), which was established in 1993, and the countries (states) eventually move towards a unified national community through political and economic integration. Prussia's mastery of cozying up to the German states, the material benefits of their membership in the Customs Union, and the fact that none of them had developed even close to the level of Prussia, made Prussia the centre of bourgeois aspiration in these States. These bourgeois regarded Prussia as their economic vanguard and future political backer. Thus Prussia began to take the lead in Germany.

The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars

The military victories of 1805-1807 allowed Napoleon to occupy and control most of Germany, and the Kingdom of Prussia served as a vassal of France against Britain and Russia. In order to safeguard and realize the interests of the French big bourgeoisie, Napoleon carried out a war against Prussia Military occupation Political domination and diplomatic manipulation were at the same time in accordance with France Great bourgeois revolution In the past, a series of reforms were pushed through locally. Such as the abolition of the privileges of the church and the nobility; Abolish serfdom and relieve peasants of their feudal obligations to landlords; Get rid of the old Rules and regulations The abolition of guild regulations and so on.

Although Napoleon's bourgeois reform in Germany failed to persist in the end due to the frequent wars and the strong obstruction of the anti-French forces, this move has already had a profound impact on the future development of Germany. It is precisely because Napoleon violently swept away the feudal separatist forces and fostered the growing capitalist relations that Germany has a real sense of Modern industry It also enabled the German national bourgeoisie to develop considerably. Engels once said: "The creator of the German bourgeoisie was Napoleon... He is the representative of the revolution in Germany, the revolutionary principle spreader It's old Feudal society Gravedigger ".

To sum up, it is through such a special development path that Prussia can rise rapidly and complete the unification of modern Germany in just one hundred years, so Prussia has sometimes become a synonym for German spirit and culture. Prussian roads "The evolution of the history, but also in a sense, continue to give us warnings and enlightenment.

Internal affairs and foreign affairs

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EDITOR

Territorial territory

Ancient Prussia consisted only of West Prussia, centered on Danzig, south of present-day Lithuania, west of the mouth of the Vistula River in northeastern Poland, and formerly East Prussia (now Russia) Kaliningrad Oblast ) of the territory. Occupied Prussia in 1295 The Teutonic Knights Pomerania and Danzig were purchased. The territory of Newmark was purchased from the Elector of Brandenburg in 1308, and Prussia bordered the Holy Roman Empire. In the 15th century, Danzig and West Prussia Ceded to Poland.

The year 1618 Duchy of Prussia Incorporate into Duchy of Brandenburg Until 1701, when the Kingdom of Prussia was founded, its territory was the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia Berlin As the center, including Brandenburg, Pomerania Newmark and Altmark, as well as the Hohenzollen-Sigmalingen region in southern Germany. In the 18th century, Prussia acquired the former Pomerania from Sweden, Poland, and Austria. Posen Silesia and other regions. After three partitions of Poland, Prussia gained new East Prussia , South Prussia, Danzig, Torun, and Kingdom of Poland Western and central, including the Warsaw area. In 1806, after Prussia's defeat to Napoleon, it was forced to cede Poland, and France was formed here The Grand Duchy of Warsaw . Napoleon After the defeat, in 1815 Congress of Vienna Prussia lost Bayreuth, Ansbach, Neuchatel (to join Switzerland), East Friesland, Hildesheim, and other territories. The Grand Duchy of Warsaw All but a small territory in the west, centered around Posen, was annexed by Russia. As compensation, Prussia received Kingdom of Saxony Two-fifths of the country, as well as western Germany Hanover The Diocese of Munster, Westphalia and the Rhineland on the east and west sides of the Rhine, and Saarlouis, Saarbrucken And other territories.

In the 19th century, after the war, Prussia annexed Hesse-Rhine, Schleswig , Holstein The kingdoms, Duchies and free cities of Frankfurt. By the time of the creation of the German Empire in 1871, the Kingdom of Prussia had 22 provinces, including Bavaria, Baden, Wurttemberg Outside most of present-day German territory and Western and northern Poland, as well as in Franco-prussian War Taken from France Alsace and Lorraine .

After World War I, the provinces of Posen, West Prussia, and Danzig of Prussia were ceded to Poland, the region of Mermel was ceded to Lithuania, the northern part of Schleswig was returned to Denmark, and the southern part of the Rhineland was incorporated into the Saar Region. Alsace and Lorraine Return to France. After World War II, according to the Allied Oder-Ness line, east of the line East Prussia The annexation of Silesia and Pomerania to the Soviet Union and Poland; The western part of Prussia was incorporated into West Germany and the central part into East Germany, and geographically organized Prussia ceased to exist.

External relations

In 1862, Bismarck Take up the post of Kingdom of Prussia Prime minister Foreign minister After that, he launched a series of attacks Denmark , Austria The war. In 1867, led by Prussia Rhine To the north, 22 German states and three free cities were formed North German Confederation And became France's great rival in Europe. Napoleon III Trying to prevent the unification of Germany through war, Bismarck was determined to achieve the unification of Germany through war.

In July 1870, Napoleon III declared war on Prussia. After the beginning of the war, France suffered a series of defeats, and on September 1," Look like a battle Napoleon III surrendered with 100,000 troops. In November, the Federation of Southern Germany signed a treaty of association with Prussia, under which France ceded Alsace and Lorraine to Germany, with an indemnity of 5 billion francs, to be paid in three years and the German occupation forces began to withdraw. In May, the two countries officially signed the" Frankfurt peace Treaty ", establish the above content. In order to establish and ensure the success of the victory against France, Bismarck organized a new anti-French alliance after the war, and in 1873 established the "German-Austrian Russian". Alliance of the Three Kings "Based on the new Strategic pattern It is known as" Bismarck system ".

In the Franco-Prussian War, Germany was unified, and in the center of Europe, a strong and aggressive German empire emerged alongside a weakening Russia, France, Great Britain, and Austria, making Europe more powerful Balance of power Begin to waver. However, Britain, France, Germany, Austria and Russia are still the main powers that influence the form of Europe and the world, and it is still a multipolar state of group competition. Therefore, the "Frankfurt pattern" is also called "Frankfurt. Multipolar pattern ". This pattern has been roughly maintained for about 40 years!

Imperial lineage

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EDITOR

intro

Kings of Prussia

Kingdom of Prussia Konigreich Preußen (German: Konigreich Preußen) was an important period in German history when the head of state was called the King of Prussia (German: Konige von Preußen), to which all Prussian Kings belonged The Hohenzollern Dynasty (German HausHohenzollern).

In 1701 AD, at the time Brandenburg is big Elector and Dukes of Prussia (German: Markgraf von Brandenburg-Herzögevon Preußen He was supported by Friedrich III Austria The Habsburgs declared war on the French Bourbons in exchange for Holy Roman Empire Emperor Leopold the First The admission makes Duchy of Prussia (German: Herzogtum Preußen Was elevated to the Kingdom of Prussia. On January 18, Frederick III was at Konigsberg (now Russia Kaliningrad He was crowned King Frederick I of Prussia. After that, he took an active part in the War of the Spanish Succession and continued to expand his territory, acquiring Lingen, Moers, Haute-Gelden, Neuburg, etc., in addition to buying Teklenburg and Teklenburg Quedlinburg For Prussia European hegemony Lay the foundation. Thus began the distinguished history of the Kingdom of Prussia for more than 200 years.

In 1850, German Confederation The Parliament offered the King of Prussia the title of Emperor, but this was refused. The year 1871 Franco-prussian War After the end, a unified state was established with Prussia as the center German Empire (German: Deutsches Kaiserreich King of Prussia, 18 January 1871 William I In France Paris suburban The Palace of Versailles coronate Emperor of Germany (German: Deutsches Kaiser Thus the King of Prussia was also Emperor of the German Empire.

In 1990, East and West Germany merged and became known as Germany.

On February 25th, 1947, The United Nations The Governing Council issued Decree 47 declaring the state of Prussia officially extinct and ceased to exist.

The following are the Kings of Prussia. Prussia was elevated to kingdom status during the reign of Frederick I, whose promise to help the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I led the emperor to remove his title candidate Propose to be king. Prior to this, Prussia had established the Duchy of Prussia in Poland, which was later merged with the Electorate of Brandenburg.

List of Kings

Frederick I (German: Friedrich Wilhelm von Hohenzollern) reigned from 1701 to 1713

Frederick William I (German: Friedrich Wilhelm I) reigned from 1713 to 1740

Frederick II ( Frederick the Great (German: Friedrich II) reigned from 1740 to 1786

Friedrich Wilhelm II (German: Friedrich Wilhelm II) reigned from 1786 to 1797

Frederick William III (German: Friedrich Wilhelm III) reigned from 1797 to 1840

Frederick William IV (German: Friedrich Wilhelm IV) reigned from 1840 to 1861

William I (German: Wilhelm I) reigned from 1861 to 1888

Frederick III The Hundred Days Emperor (German: Friedrich III, full name Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl) reigned in 1888

Wilhelm II (German: Wilhelm II) reigned from 1888 to 1918

Heir to the throne

Wilhelm II 1918-1940

Crown Prince William 1940-1951

Louis Ferdinand Prince 1951-1994

Georg Friedrich Prince 1994 to

Territorial change

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EDITOR

The ancient Prussian region includes only the present Republic of Lithuania To the south, Poland Northeast part Vistula West of the river mouth, to Danzig centered West Prussia District, as well as Russia Kaliningrad The original East Prussia The territory of the district. Purchased by the Teutonic Knights who occupied Prussia in 1295 Pomerania The Danzig region. 1308 Purchase of Newmark from the Elector of Brandenburg, Prussia as well Holy Roman Empire The mainland borders. In the 15th century, Danzig and West Prussia were ceded to Poland.

In 1618, the Duchy of Prussia was incorporated into the Electorate of Brandenburg, and until 1701, when the Kingdom of Prussia was founded, its territory was the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia Berlin It includes Brandenburg, Pomerania, Newmark and Altmark, as well as the Hohenzollen-Sigmaringen region in southern Germany. In the 18th century, Prussia successively moved from Sweden , Poland and Austria Acquired former Pomerania, Posen, Silesia and other regions. Three partitions of Poland Later, Prussia acquired New East Prussia, South Prussia, Danzig, Torun, and the western and central parts of the Kingdom of Poland, including Warsaw Area. In 1806 Prussia was defeated Napoleon Later, it was forced to cede the Polish region, and France was founded here Duchy of Warsaw . After Napoleon's defeat, in 1815 Congress of Vienna On, Prussia lost Bayreuth , Ansbach , Neuchatel (later added Switzerland ), East Friesland, Hildesheim Other territories, the Grand Duchy of Warsaw except the west Posen A small area around the center was annexed by Russia. As compensation, Prussia received Kingdom of Saxony Two-fifths of the country, as well as western Germany Hanover , Munster Dioceses, on both sides of the Rhine Westphalia and Rhineland , and Saarlouis, Saarbrucken And other territories.

In the 19th century, after the war, Prussia annexed Hesse-Rhine, Schleswig , Holstein The kingdoms, Duchies and free cities of Frankfurt. By the time of the creation of the German Empire in 1871, the Kingdom of Prussia had 22 provinces, including Bavaria, Baden , Wurttemberg Outside most of present-day German territory and Western and northern Poland.

World War I After, originally belonged to the Kingdom of Prussia Posen West Prussia and Danzig were ceded to Poland, Momel The region was ceded to Republic of Lithuania , Schleswig Northern restitution Denmark The southern part of the Rhineland was incorporated into the Saarland. World War II After the Allied forces laid down the Oder River - Neisse The line, east of the line East Prussia Silesia and Pomerania were annexed The Soviet Union and Poland ; The western part of Prussia was incorporated W.GERMANY Central merge East Germany In a geographical sense Organized system Prussia no longer exists. On 25 February 1947, the Governing Council of the United Nations issued Decree 46, declaring that the state in the name of Prussia was officially extinct and not recognized.

Educational culture

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EDITOR

The Kingdom of Prussia, in addition to building up its army and completing the cause of German reunification, in Cultural education His contribution was also praised by later generations. In order to implement nationalist education, in 1717, the Kingdom of Prussia began to implement compulsory national education, which was the first country in the world to implement compulsory education, and also laid a solid foundation for the high-quality Prussian army in the future.

The year 1809 Wilhelm von Humboldt After serving as the Prussian high Commissioner of education, he began to reform the Prussian education system, which became the cornerstone of the scientific, technological and cultural development of Germany for the next two hundred years.

It was founded in 1810 University of Berlin It was the first new university and influenced the development of higher education in the 19th century.

Road to unification

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EDITOR

In 1834, Prussia was established in Germany German customs union , except Austria And outside Hamburg, all of it German states All join the alliance.

In 1848, during the European Revolution, King Frederick William IV A "liberal government" was declared. He called a constituent assembly, refused to accept the title of "German Emperor" and the constitution of the German National Assembly, and intended to force the majority of the states to accept him as a confederate Lord while Austria was busy extinguishing the revolution.

In 1850, under the threat of Russian and Austrian military force, Frederick William IV gave up his plan to become a hegemon and returned nicely German Confederation Within.

In 1853, Crimean War The collapse of the Russian-Austrian alliance, which had lasted nearly 50 years, and the two sides turned against each other; Add in 1852 by Napoleon III tenable Second French Empire It was particularly hostile to Austria and was determined to strike at it, so that a free international space suddenly appeared before Prussia's eyes.

In 1857, Frederick William IV fell ill psychosis With his brother William as regent.

In 1861, Frederick William IV died and assumed the throne as regent William I .

In 1862, he was Military reform The need for budget and tax issues clashed with Congress, the proposed resignation, but in the former ambassador to France Bismarck The proposal to withdraw the order. Bismarck expressed support for military reform, saying that if appointed Prime Minister, he would do anything to force through reform and a new army Military service system . On 22 September, Wilhelm appointed Bismarck as Prime Minister.

After Bismarck came to power, he began to plan the reunification of Germany. Bismarck advocated the creation of a "little Germany" that excluded Austria. Prussia was defeated in 1864 and again in 1866 Puttan-danish war Strike out Denmark And at Austro-prussian war Strike out Austria And led in 1870 The North German Confederation And the German states to the south, in Franco-prussian War Defeated France in China. William I was enthroned on 18 January 1871 (the 170th anniversary of the founding of the Kingdom of Prussia) in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, France, becoming German Empire The emperor proclaimed the German Empire, headed by the Kingdom of Prussia.

Because Prussia had two-thirds of the population and three-fifths of the territory of the German Empire, and was far superior to other European kingdoms and duchies in military, economic, industrial and other aspects of the Empire, the German Empire became an enlarged version of the Kingdom of Prussia. The states enjoyed internal and financial autonomy, but left diplomatic, military (except for Bavaria), customs and other powers to the German Empire Central government . The history of Prussia was thus incorporated into the history of the German Empire.

Discussion of the rise

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EDITOR

In the complex world of modern Europe, Prussia was once a very small country, a member of the broken German Federation, poor and backward, and for a time a client state of Poland. When Europe erupted Industrial revolution When Prussia was still a Agrarian country It still maintained serfdom, and its industrialization process was later than that of Britain and France, and it was a Landlocked state Not much Overseas trade It was surrounded on all sides by the European powers of the time. However, beginning in the 18th century, in less than 100 years, Prussia rose rapidly, first as a European power, and then as a unified German state Military power , in World War I Its industrial strength was also greater than that of Britain and France combined. How did Prussia rise?

Let us solve this mystery: the real influence and the cause of Prussia's rise were four princes - elector Frederick William, Frederick I, Frederick William I, and Frederick II. The achievements of these four rulers laid a good foundation for the strength of Prussia.

It was Frederick II, known as "the Great", who really brought Prussia into the world of European power. After Frederick II ascended the throne, he worked hard in government and governance. He would get up at four or five every morning and work until late at night. He lived a very simple life, and he demanded that his officials strictly observe the law, found Corrupt practice Severely punished. Therefore, in Europe at that time, corruption was common in other countries, and only Prussia's officials were clean.

In order to raise Prussia to the position of great power, Frederick II may be said to have adopted the most direct and unconcealed method, namely war. During the lifetime of Frederick II, through two famous wars, the Cilician War and the Seven Years' War, he captured a large amount of land and greatly increased his power. In 1772, Frederick II collaborated with Austria and Russia to partition Poland, seizing 36,000 square kilometers of land. A senior French official (i.e Mirabeau "Other countries have an army, but Prussia has an army that owns a country!" 【 militarism 】

In addition to war, diplomacy was also an important method of Frederick II, especially when the expected objectives of the war were achieved, Frederick II would immediately sign a peace treaty with the enemy to ensure success, such as the Treaty of Breslau in 1742. However, as soon as the situation turned against Prussia, Frederick II immediately broke the peace treaty and went into battle. In this way, through constant warfare and diplomatic efforts to seize territory, Frederick II established his personal reputation as a "military genius" who transformed Prussia into a military power.

Frederick II also adopted Enlightenment ideas from Voltaire, improved the judicial and educational systems, encouraged freedom of religion, and fostered the development of science and the arts. By 1786, Prussia was one of the great powers of Europe, and its administration was the most efficient and clean in Europe.

On August 17, 1786, Frederick II died, revered as "the Great". He had no children and was succeeded by his nephew, Frederick Wilhelm II.

evaluate

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EDITOR

If asked World War II After the end of the reflection, what is the most thorough liquidation of the word? You might remember Fascism , Nazi or Japanese militarism . In fact, the real answer is a very unfamiliar word for many people - Prussia. ^[1]

Prussia is Europe Historical place names The Kingdom of Prussia, founded here, was once the most powerful state in Germany. In the 19th century, the Kingdom of Prussia passed three times Dynastic war Germany was united, and the king of Prussia was crowned Emperor of Germany. Prussia fulfilled the long cherished wish of the Germans to complete national unification. However, if you take a map of Europe in the 21st century, you will not find Prussia, because Prussia was completely liquidated by the Allies after World War II, and there is not a hair left. ^[1]

In fact, as early as the end of World War II, the word has been on the Allies Blacklist . In 1943, the Big Three of America, Britain and the Soviet Union met for the first time in Tehran, British prime minister Churchill curses: "Prussia is the root of all evil!" U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt also said, Prussia wants to make it as small and weak as possible. It was also at this meeting that the leaders of the three countries had agreed that Germany would be allowed to exist after the war, but that Prussia, as part of Germany, must be wiped off the map. ^[1]

After the end of World War II, the Allies put their money where their mouth was and made the capital of East Prussia Konigsberg Its surrounding area was transferred to the Soviet Union and renamed Kaliningrad. The remainder of East Prussia was ceded to Poland. The Prussian area west of the Od-Nice was divided, along with the rest of Germany, into four parts, occupied by the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France. In occupied German land, everything reminiscent of Prussia was erased, place names changed, people expelled, and palaces demolished. Moreover, in Soviet-controlled East Prussia, some of the famous Junker (Prussian aristocrat) tombs were demolished and filled in. ^[1]

On February 25, 1947, the Allied Control Council of Occupying Germany issued No. 46 Provisional law "The Central Government of the State of Prussia and its subordinate organs at all levels shall be dissolved with immediate effect." On the same day, the Governing Council of the United Nations issued Decree 47, declaring that "the State bearing the name of Prussia is officially extinct and not recognized." In theory, both laws are still in effect. According to these decrees, Germany was not even allowed to form a new state under the name of Prussia - although unified Germany still occupied part of the territory of historic West Prussia. ^[1]

Hatred is often rooted in fear, so why is the word Prussia so feared, even characterized as the "source of all evil"?

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