Gavin Howe
Frederick the Great, also known as Frederick II, was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He is known for transforming Prussia from a European backwater to an economically strong and politically reformed state. He achieved this through various means, including currency reform, supporting local businesses, improving industries, and reorganizing the tax structure. Frederick also pursued religious tolerance, encouraged immigration, and laid the foundations for a Prussian primary education system. He worked with his Grand Chancellor Samuel von Cocceji to reform the judicial system, making it more efficient and moving towards greater legal equality for all citizens. These reforms culminated in the Prussian Law Code of 1794, also known as the Prussian Common Law, which was completed after Frederick's death.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Rule | Believed in the idea of enlightened absolutism |
| Economy | Transformed Prussia from a European backwater to an economically strong and politically reformed state |
| Religion | Tolerated all faiths in his realm, but Protestantism was the favored religion |
| Education | Laid the foundation for the Prussian primary education system |
| Military | Reorganised the Prussian Army |
| Social Equality | Removed special courts for special social classes |
| Death Penalty | Limited which crimes could be punished by death |
| Torture | Abolished most uses of judicial torture |
| Free Speech | Increased freedom of speech in the press and literature |
| Trade | Abolished internal tolls to create a free trade area within Prussia |
| Taxation | Introduced a system of indirect taxation |
| Immigration | Encouraged immigrants of diverse backgrounds to come to Prussia |
| Bureaucracy | Modernised the Prussian bureaucracy and civil service |
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What You'll Learn
Encouraging religious freedom
Frederick the Great, also known as Frederick II, was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was a prolific writer and thinker, and his ideas on government, law, and liberty were significant.
Frederick is known for transforming Prussia from a minor German state to a major European power. He is also known for his military successes, reorganisation of the Prussian Army, and the First Partition of Poland. Frederick's domestic policies were influenced by his belief in ""enlightened despotism", a break from his father's emphasis on religious obligation.
Frederick promoted religious tolerance throughout his realm to attract more settlers to Prussia. He repeatedly emphasised that nationality and religion were of no concern to him to encourage immigration. This policy allowed Prussia's population to recover quickly from the losses suffered during Frederick's wars.
In terms of religious freedom, Frederick took advantage of Poland's religious dissension to increase Prussian control. Poland was predominantly Roman Catholic, but approximately 10% of the population were non-Catholic dissenters with substantial rights. As these rights were increasingly reduced, Frederick became the protector of Protestant interests in Poland in the name of religious freedom.
In addition to his emphasis on religious tolerance, Frederick also made significant reforms to the judicial system. He worked with his Grand Chancellor Samuel von Cocceji to make the system more efficient and move towards greater legal equality for all citizens. Frederick abolished most uses of judicial torture and limited the death penalty, which could only be carried out with a warrant signed by the King himself. He also increased freedom of speech, press, and literature.
Overall, Frederick's encouragement of religious freedom and his other reforms contributed to the transformation of Prussia into a politically and economically strong state.
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Reforming the judicial system
Frederick the Great, also known as Frederick II, was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He is known for transforming Prussia from a European backwater to an economically strong and politically reformed state.
Frederick's father, Frederick William I, laid the foundation for his military exploits by building a well-trained professional army. However, Frederick's interests in his youth leaned more towards music and philosophy, which led to clashes with his authoritarian father. Despite this, Frederick admired his father as a ruler and acknowledged the debt he owed him.
Frederick's greatest achievements were in the areas of government, law, and liberty. He reformed the Prussian judicial system, making it more efficient and moving towards greater legal equality for all citizens. He worked closely with his Grand Chancellor, Samuel von Cocceji, to implement these reforms. Von Cocceji's efforts resulted in a more extensive codification of the law and the acceptance of the principle that the law should protect the poor and weak. All judges in higher and appellate courts had to pass a rigorous examination before being appointed.
Frederick also abolished special courts for special social classes, allowing men of lower status to become judges and senior bureaucrats. He encouraged immigrants of diverse backgrounds to come to Prussia, promoting religious tolerance and freedom. While Protestantism was the favoured faith, he tolerated Jews and Catholics in Prussia, although his actions were not entirely free from prejudice.
In addition to judicial reforms, Frederick also modernised the Prussian economy, administration, education, finance, and agriculture. He organised a system of indirect taxation, which provided the state with more revenue, and protected Prussian industries with high tariffs and minimal restrictions on domestic trade. He also increased freedom of speech in the press and literature.
Frederick's reforms laid the foundation for Prussia's transformation and established a legacy of efficient governance and respect for human rights.
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Improving the economy
Frederick the Great, or Frederick II, was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. During his reign, he transformed Prussia from a European backwater to a major military power and an economically strong and politically reformed state.
Frederick's economic policies focused on achieving self-sufficiency and confidence in Prussia's national abilities. He inherited a country dominated by the rules and laws of mercantilism, which involves importing more than is exported and relies on owning precious metals. To counter this, Frederick supported local businesses and industries, encouraging the manufacturing of goods that would otherwise be imported.
One of Frederick's notable economic achievements was the modernisation of Prussia's economy, administration, and finances. He organised a system of indirect taxation, advised by French experts, which brought more revenue to the state than direct taxation. He also established new regulations for tax officials to reduce graft and corruption.
In addition, Frederick protected Prussian industries with high tariffs and minimal restrictions on domestic trade. He also followed the recommendations of Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky, a successful Prussian merchant, in the fields of toll levies and import restrictions. Gotzkowsky was commissioned to promote trade and open a silk factory, employing 1,500 people.
Another significant aspect of Frederick's economic strategy was currency reform. In 1750, he appointed Johann Philipp Graumann as his confidential adviser on finance and other domains. Graumann's currency reform lowered the silver content of the Prussian thaler, aligning its metal content with its face value and standardising the coinage system. This kept Prussian coins in circulation within the country, increasing industry and trade.
Frederick also focused on land use and agriculture. He drained swamps and opened new farmland for colonists, increasing the kingdom's food supply and creating 60,000 hectares of new farmland. The conquest of Silesia furthered these efforts by providing access to fertile agricultural lands and raw materials for various industries, including steel, armaments, and textiles.
Overall, Frederick's economic policies and reforms laid the foundation for Prussia's transformation into an economically strong and stable state.
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Transforming Prussia's global standing
Frederick the Great, also known as Frederick II, was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. During his reign, he transformed Prussia from a minor German state to one of the great states of Europe.
Frederick's most significant accomplishments include military successes in the Silesian Wars, reorganisation of the Prussian Army, the First Partition of Poland, and patronage of the arts and the Enlightenment. He was an avid believer in the mercantilist model, and his protectionist policies supported local businesses and created an economically confident Prussia.
Frederick's father, Frederick William I, laid the foundation for his military successes by assembling a well-drilled professional army. However, Frederick clashed with his father due to his own interests in music and philosophy. Despite this, Frederick admired his father as a ruler and acknowledged the debt he owed him.
Frederick's military exploits amazed Europe and the world. He invaded Silesia in defiance of Austria, a country with a much larger and more powerful army. He also took advantage of Poland's religious dissension to exert Prussian control and signed an alliance with Catherine the Great, placing her former lover on the Polish throne.
In addition to his military achievements, Frederick made significant contributions to the ideas of government, law, and liberty. He established an effective bureaucracy that became a model for the 19th century, and his laws promoted religious and social freedoms. He modernised the Prussian civil service and promoted religious tolerance to attract more settlers in East Prussia. He also laid the foundations of the Prussian primary education system, which was considered one of the best in Europe at the time.
Overall, Frederick's reforms and successes as a military commander greatly enhanced Prussia's global standing, transforming it from a European backwater to a major power in Europe.
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Establishing an efficient bureaucracy
Frederick the Great (Frederick II) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He is known for transforming Prussia from a European backwater to an economically strong and politically reformed state.
Frederick's greatest achievement was perhaps the creation of an effective government bureaucracy, which became the model for the nineteenth century. He modernised the Prussian bureaucracy and civil service, making it possible for men of lower status to become judges and senior bureaucrats. He also reformed the judicial system, working with his Grand Chancellor Samuel von Cocceji to make it more efficient and move towards greater legal equality of all citizens. For example, they removed special courts for special social classes and required all judges in higher and appellate courts to pass a rigorous examination.
Frederick's administration of Silesia after its acquisition in the 1740s was notably efficient, and its resources helped him during the Seven Years' War. He also organised a system of indirect taxation, which provided the state with more revenue than direct taxation. He protected Prussian industries with high tariffs and minimal restrictions on domestic trade, and abolished internal tolls to create a free trade area within Prussia. He encouraged immigrants of diverse backgrounds to come to Prussia, and his general economic policies reflected standard Continental opinion concerning royal responsibility for national prosperity.
Frederick's father, Frederick William I, laid the foundation for his military exploits by assembling a well-drilled professional army for Prussia. Frederick himself was more interested in music and philosophy than war, which led to clashes with his authoritarian father. However, he admired his father as a ruler and acknowledged the debt he owed him. He continued his father's conservative policies, justifying them in terms of "enlightened despotism". He pursued religious policies that ranged from tolerance to segregation, and while Protestantism remained the favoured faith, he allowed religious freedom and tolerated Jews and Catholics in Prussia.
Overall, Frederick's efficient bureaucracy and strong economic foundation transformed Prussia into a major military power in Europe.
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Frequently asked questions
The Prussian common law, or the Prussian Law Code of 1794, was a unified law code for the entire Prussian realm. It balanced absolutism with human rights and corporate privilege with equality before the law.
Frederick the Great helped transform Prussia from a European backwater to an economically strong and politically reformed state. He worked with his Grand Chancellor Samuel von Cocceji to reform the judicial system, making it more efficient and accessible to men of lower status. He also increased freedom of speech in the press and literature.
Frederick the Great implemented economic policies that protected Prussian industries with high tariffs and minimal restrictions on domestic trade. He also reorganised and rationalised the Prussian tax structure, resulting in increased royal income.
Frederick the Great tolerated Jews and Catholics in Prussia, but his actions were not without prejudice. While he allowed religious freedom, Protestantism remained the favoured faith and Catholics were not chosen for higher state positions.
Frederick the Great laid the foundations for the Prussian primary education system. He issued a decree for the first Prussian general school law, which significantly expanded the existing schooling system and required that all young citizens be educated by mainly municipality-funded schools from the age of 5 to 13 or 14.
