The Formation of Prussia

1
Section 5.25

• The Formation of Prussia

2
Hohenzollerns

• Frederick William (The Great Elector)- 1640-1688
• Frederick I (The Ostentatious)-1688-1713
• Frederick William I (The Soldier King) 1713-1740
• Frederick II (The Great) 1740-1786)

3
The Territorial growth of Brandenburg-PrussiaGeog
raphic Factors

• Prussia rises from patchwork quilt of Germany
• Key Characteristic Militarism
• military values permeated all spheres of life
• Why?
• Geography
• Not a promising location for building a nation
• flat open plain, no prominent physical or
  natural frontiers, shut off from sea
• the sandbox of the HRE
• Territories separated (Brandenburg, Prussia,
  lands on the Rhine)
• Devastated and depopulated during 30 Years War
• Brandenburg had suffered greatly during 30 Years
  War
• population of Berlin fallen from 14 to 6 thousand
  since the war started
• Estates (representative assemblies) greatly
  weakened

4
Frederick William the Great Elector(1620-1688)Po
litical Developments

• Member of Hohenzollern Family
• An Elector (of the HRE)
• A prestigious position but had no other political
  power
• Took power in 1640
• Ignored traditional powers of the Estates
• Estates had Power of the Purse
• FW forced each region to pay permanent tax
  without their consent
• Purpose was to pay for a standing army
• Directed Brandenburg toward a militaristic
  culture
• Created an Army of being
• keep army but not use it
• Speak softly and carry a big stick policy
• 1688
• Population of 1 million
• Army of 30 thousand

5
    The Prussian Military StatePolitical
Developments

• Why was he able to do this?
• War created state of crisis
• Sweden and Poland (1648)
• Wars of Louis XIV
• Crimean Tartars (1656-57)
• Junkers and Bourgeoisie divided
• FW gave royal authority over peasants to nobles
• Taxed towns heavily

6
Frederick William I (1713-1740)

• the soldier-king
• Established Prussian absolutism
• Created a military cult in society
• Uncouth, disdained French culture, workaholic
• cheap except with military, Spartan lifestyle
• Focus on the military
• always appeared in uniform
• loved tall soldiers and collected special unit
  b/t 6 and 7 feet tall
• increased size from 40 to 83, 000
• left surplus of 7 mil Thalers
• Strict economic policies led to accumulation of a
  large war chest

7
Army and Prussian SocietyPolitical and Cultural
Factors

• Frederick William I
• State of Service
• absorbed the landed aristocracy (Junkers) into
  the army as officers
• virtually all Junkers were in military
• Built a Prussian identity that unified the
  various regions
• Duty, obedience, service, sacrifice become
  characteristic of the culture

8
Army and Prussian SocietySociopolitical
Developments

• Weakened middle class exists
• FW (Elector) heavily taxed them
• FWI used them to administer his government
• Government worker civil service
• Little money or land
• But known for its honesty and duty to the state
• FW I used them to create efficient bureaucracy

9
(No Transcript)