Frederick the Great

Portrait of Frederick the Great

Frederick II · The Great · Der Alte Fritz · King of Prussia · 1712–1786

Philosopher-king, military genius, and flautist — the Prussian ruler who made his small kingdom a great power.

Explore the life of Frederick — five chapters

  1. The Prince His Father Nearly Killed — Flutes, French books and a failed escape
  2. The Silesian Gamble — Seven months on the throne, and a war of choice
  3. Surviving the Seven Years' War — Prussia against most of Europe
  4. The First Servant of the State — Reform, toleration and its limits
  5. Old Fritz and What Was Done With Him — Partition, death, and a name later misused

Read the five-chapter life of Frederick the Great →

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