frederick the great 1712-1786
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Frederick the Great 1712-1786. Background. Frederick was born in Berlin Was a member of the Hohenzollern dynasty Was a rebellious teen and tried to escape his father’s tyrannical rule Had to watch his friend get beheaded. House of Hohenzollern. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Frederick the Great1712-1786
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Background
• Frederick was born in Berlin• Was a member of the Hohenzollern
dynasty• Was a rebellious teen and tried to
escape his father’s tyrannical rule• Had to watch his friend get
beheaded
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• House of Hohenzollern
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• Frederick assumed the throne in 1740 and became king of Prussia
• From 1740-1748, Frederick fought the war of Austrian Sucession to gain Silesia from Austria
• Prussia won and gained Silesia
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• Maria Theresa, Habsburg Empress (Austria)
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Seven Years War
• By 1756, an alliance of Austria, Russia, Sweden and France was forming against Prussia
• The Seven Years War began as Prussia invaded Saxony
• Prussia was getting invaded frequently
• Some consider this the 1st world war
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• Frederick would lead his men into battle
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• Prussia was close to losing but was saved when Empress Elizabeth of Russia died in 1762
• This allowed the anti-Prussian coalition to break up
• Prussia did not gain territory, but kept Silesia
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Later Achievements
• Frederick was considered an enlightened despot• This is an absolute monarch in which
a ruler uses power to make positive social and political changes
• He was a patron of Bach and Voltaire
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• Frederick also split up Poland with other powers
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• Abolished torture• Built canals• Grew new crops (potato and
turnip)• Religious toleration
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• Frederick’s summer palace in Sans Souci (just outside Berlin)