AGE OF
ABSOLUTISM
RISE OF PRUSSIA
RISE OF PRUSSIA 1415-1648
PRUSSIA 1417-1614
EUROPE 1648
FREDERICK WILLIAM
THE GREAT ELECTOR
BORN 1620 , KING 1640, DIED 1688
FIRST MAN TO BEGIN MODERN
PRUSSIA
BUILT A SMALL BUT EFECTIVE ARMY
CREATED THE “BRADENBURG
PROGRAM”=== HAVE AN ARMY,
CONSERVE IT,GAIN ENDS BY
DIPLOMACY
FOREIGN POLICY GOALS
1.SOLIDIFY SOVEREIGNTY IN PRUSSIA
2. GET POMERIANIA
3. ROUND OFF PRUSSIAN TERRITORY
RECEIVED THE TITLE OF KING FROM
THE HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR IN
RETURN FOR THE USE OF 8,000
PRUSSIAN SOLDIERS
PRUSSIAN MILITARY
ARMY DESIGNED AS A DEFENSIVE
MEASURE
 ARMY SIZE VERY LARGE COMPARED
TO THE SIZE OF ITS POPULATION
 THE ARMY WAS THE FIRST OF ALL
PRUSSIAN INSTITUTIONS
 ARMY WAS MAINTAINED BY TAXES
 THE ARMY COLLECTED THE TAXES
 ARMY WAS A LARGE PART OF THE
PRUSSIAN ECONOMY

PRUSSIAN TAXES
1.EXCISE TAXES
2.SALT TAXES
3.OLD LAND TAXES
 PRUSSIA IMPORTED PRODUCTIVE
AND TECHNICAL WORKERS
 LANDED ARISTOCRACY(JUNKERS)
ABSORBED INTO THE MILITARY AS
OFFICERS
 ARMY USED TO IMPLANT ALL
PRUSSIAN PSYCHOLOGY INTO
PRUSSIAN TERRITORY
PRUSSIAN PSYCHOLOGY
1.SENSE OF SERVICE TO THE KING
2.DUTY
3.OBEDIENCE
4.SERVICE
5.SACRIFICE
PRUSSIAN POPULATION VERY
SUPPORTIVE OF MILITARY
PRUSSIA 1614-1688
FREDERICK III ELECTOR
AND FREDERICK I KING
OF PRUSSIA
BORN 1657, KING 1688, DIED 1713
 INHERITED A 300,000 MAN ARMY
 CROWNED KING BY AUSTRIAN
EMPEROR 1701
 SPENT LARGE SUMS OF MONEY ON
PALACES AND STRENGTHENING THE
ABSOLUTE MONARCHY OF PRUSSIA

CHARLOTTENBURG
CASTLE
BUILT BY
FREDERICK I FOR
QUEEN SOPHIA
CHARLOTTE
CHARLOTTENBURG CASTLE
THE GOLD GALLERY
THE
CERAMIC
ROOM
THE RED
CHAMBER
FREDERICK WILLIAM I
BORN 1688, KING 1713, DIED 1740
 THE SERGEANT KING
 REPRESSED ESTATES OR
PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLIES
 TO APPEASE THE JUNKERS THEY
WERE PROMISED COMISSIONS IN
THE ARMY AND A FREE HAND OVER
THE PEASANTS


PRESERVED THE JUNKER CLASS BY
FORBIDDING THE SALE OF NOBLE
LAND TO ANY PERSON WHO WAS
NOT A NOBLE
PERSONAL
CHARACTERISTICS
DISDAINED CULTURE
 HATED TO SPEND MONEY ON NONMILITARY ITEMS
 CUT HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES BY 3/4
 SPENT 2447 THALERS ON HIS
CORONATION WHILE HIS FATHER
HAD SPENT 5,000,000
 A WORKAHOLIC
 SUPERVISED THE COUNTRY LIKE IT
WAS HIS PRIVATE KINGDOM

FIRST PRUSSIAN KING TO ALWAYS
APPEAR IN PUBLIC IN MILITARY
UNIFORM
 COLLECTED A SPECIAL UNIT OF
GUARDS CALLED THE POTSDAM
GUARDS( MINIMUM HEIGHT 6FT)
 FOUGHT ALMOST NO WARS
 LEFT 7,000,000 THALERS IN THE
TREASURY ON HIS DEATH

PRUSSIA 1688-1748
FREDERICK II THE GREAT






BORN 1712
KING 1740
DIED 1786
RAN AWAY FROM
HOME 3 TIMES TO
TRY AND GET
AWAY FROM HIS
STRICT FATHER
PATRON OF ARTS
AND LETTERS
FIRST SERVANT OF
THE STATE
A MILITARY GENIUS, NAPOLEON
BONAPARTE’S IDOL
 WROTE 33 VOLUMES OF MATERIAL
 A LOVER OF FRENCH CULTURE
 INVITED VOLTAIRE TO LIVE AT HIS
COURT(3YRS)
 EXPANDED PRUSSIA AND PRUSSIAN
POWER
 USED THE PRUSSIAN ARMY AT ONE
POINT TAKING ON
AUSTRIA,RUSSIA.SWEDEN,FRANCE,
AND SAXONY DURING THE 7 YEARS
WAR

TOOK SILESIA FROM AUSTRIA
 DOUBLED THE POPULATION BY
CONQUEST ADDING 3,000,000 PEOPLE
 POPULATION 6,000,000 WITH AN
ARMY OF 200,000
 CHAMPION OF RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM(BUILDING A MOSQUE IN
POTSDAM
 ADDED INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY TO
PRUSSIA
 MADE PRUSSIA THE DOMINANT
MILITARY FORCE ON THE
CONTINENT

PRUSSIA 1748-1772
SAN SOUCI
PALACE
ENTRANCE
HALL
THE OVID ROOM
MUSIC
ROOM
ART
GALLERY
VOLTAIRE’S ROOM
THE
LIBRARY
FREDERICK II
THE GREATS
TOMB
AT SAN SOUCI