The Great Elector is most famous for building a strong standing army, with an elite officer corps. His inheritance consisted of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, the Duchy of Cleves, the County of Mark, and the Duchy of Prussia. This was followed by another success against Sweden, when Frederick William cleared Prussia of Swedish forces in what became known as the Great Sleigh Drive. The emperor wished only to protect Germany, and in accordance with this wish he ordered Montecuccoli to act conservatively and engage the enemy only if victory could be assured. By pretending to lead a Swedish column, Derfflinger succeeded in tricking the sentries into opening the gates, after which the Brandenburgers poured through. For the full article, see, https://www.britannica.com/summary/Frederick-William-elector-of-Brandenburg. Don't forget your great guns, which are the most respectable arguments of the rights of kings. Your prince and captain will conquer with you, or die like a knight! In his zeal, the elector suddenly found himself surrounded by enemy soldiers. Sophia Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glcksburg, Philip, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glcksburg, Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Gstrow, Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg, Articles incorporating a citation from the Encyclopedia Americana, Articles incorporating a citation from the Encyclopedia Americana with a Wikisource reference, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia. He began as a successful leader, adding lands to Russia. The Brandenburgers departed for Rathenow on June 25. The Great Elector: Frederick William of Brandenburg-Pr ussia (Profiles In Power) Be the first to write a review. Although Emperor Leopold continued to deny him any assistance, Denmark joined the elector in an alliance that would soon take the war into Sweden itself. Carsten In contrast to the religious disputes that distrupted the internal affairs of other European states, Brandenburg-Prussia benefited from the policy of religious tolerance adopted by Frederick William. A few years earlier, in 1667, he had made that point clear to his son, stressing that the only way for a state to become considerable was to command a strong army. The Swedes gave hardly a thought to their violation of the nonaggression treaty with Brandenburg, considering it a military necessity. However, it was never big enough to allow him to conduct independent foreign Continue Reading Check Writing Quality You May Also Find These Documents Helpful Louis, in turn, invaded Germany proper and became an even greater menace. The Great Elector is most famous for building a strong standing army, with an elite officer corps. Frederick William was livid. Although he rejoined the anti-French alliance in 1674, this left him diplomatically isolated; despite conquering much of Swedish Pomerania during the Scanian War, he was obliged to return most of it to Sweden in the 1679 Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. It was still the Duchy IN : The year 1661, in which Louis XIV assumed the reins of government in France, ushered in an era of vast power Frederick William positioned his 13 light field guns atop the hill in preparation for an enemy counterattack. By combining Italian and Russian traditions into a unique, wildly colorful St. Petersburg style, Rastrelli built many palaces for the nobility and all the larger government buildings erected during Elizabeth's reign. Life of Frederick William, the Great Elector of Brandenburg book. Since 1672, Louis had been paying the Swedes to maintain an army of 16,000 men in Pomerania for the sole purpose of intimidating Brandenburg, but Frederick William felt he had little to worry about from them. By the reign of Frederick I, the title Elector had decreased in importance and status. The forty-eight-year reign of the great elector laid the foundation for modern Prussia, but he was more of a consolidator than an innovator. Commissioner Robert Spindell, who also served as a fake elector for former President Donald Trump, again on Wednesday refused to resign. He cautiously maintained neutrality between the warring Swedes and Habsburgs, started to build a standing army, and added to his territories with the Peace of Westphalia (1648). The elector initially allied with the Dutch during the French-Dutch War (1672-1678) French-Dutch War (1672-1678)[French Dutch War (1672-1678)] , but Louiss victories led Frederick William to abandon the Dutch and join France. He introduced to the country a code of laws. Within months of the treaty, he was searching for an excuse to break it. Finally, the old veteran could take his dishonorable role no longer and left the field. Representing local elites of landowners and merchants, the several estates opposed increasing taxes to fund the military and diplomatic ambitions of the elector, particularly if those taxes were to be spent elsewhere than where they were raised. France promised assistance and subsidies, while Sobieski in turn allowed French recruitment in Poland-Lithuania and promised to aid Hungarian rebel forces who were to distract the Habsburgs from their war against France. 1941), "The Great Elector", Frederick William, 16401688. When a French army attacked Holland, initiating the Franco-Dutch War, Frederick William was quick to pledge his support to the Dutch Republic. Derfflinger opposed the strategy, arguing that his horsemen were too exhausted from the march and the assault on Rathenow, but the elector, backed by Prince Friedrich, overruled him, stressing the need for a decisive campaign. By 1672, the size of the empire presented the young King Charles XI with a dilemma. Frederick William (German: Friedrich Wilhelm; 16 February 1620 29 April 1688) was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia, from 1640 until his death in 1688. In his half-century reign, 16401688, the Great Elector transformed the small remote state of Prussia into a great power by augmenting and integrating the Hohenzollern family possessions in northern Germany and Prussia. The "Great Elector" enjoyed less success, however, in his efforts to, Hohenzollern grasp, despite the initiation of two wars, the second of which was derisively nick-named. When the Holy Roman Empire declared war on France (Reichskrieg), Brandenburg-Prussia again changed sides and joined the imperial forces. The elector had been working to persuade the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold to join him in combating Louis, and he was delighted when the emperor dispatched an army to the Rhine under Raimondo Montecuccoli, a talented commander and a hero of the Thirty Years War. Read reviews from worlds largest community for readers. vOTW"yt:*UVVuL/*VF. Frederick William was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia, from 1640 until his death in 1688. The House of Hohenzollern What were the four By 1688, his various territories had come under more centralized rule, his standing army was the second largest in Germany, and Brandenburg-Prussia had become the leading north German state. "The words of an old hymn come to mind: But we make His love too narrow By false limits of our own; And we magnify His strictness With a zeal He will not own. Elector Frederick William was born in Berlin to George William, Elector of Brandenburg, and Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate. His goal was to make Prussia a powerful military state with an independent economy. There was nothing he could do aside from humbly requesting that Wrangel turn back. Custom and user added quotes with pictures. Even when the chance arose to win a decisive victory at Marlenheim, the Austrian commander dallied. Instead they were enlisted into the army. }[rI"ml %Q 6Z 3 Tugwl0_;{\a="2O.(ppxwg-O7/Sa7Fp7exT His economic endeavors failed to transform Brandenburg-Prussia. Military;Brandenburg. Judging the attacking Brandenburgers to be much greater in strength than they actually were, the Wrangels decided against counterattacking Rathenow and opted to withdraw. In 1672, it remained vital for Brandenburg to tie itself into alliances with outside powers that were willing to provide the subsidies necessary for an enlarged military to exist. After the Seven Years' War he introduced the iron plow, crop rotation, and clover. Browse 66 great elector frederick williamstock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. What was Frederick William the Great Elector known for? Kind thoughts are rarer than either kind words or deeds. The Great Elector: Frederick William of Brandenburg-Prussia. In 1672, the Franco-Dutch War broke out, with Brandenburg-Prussia involved as an ally of the Dutch Republic. He took title of Czar and adopted Byzantine court rituals. The electors men would not be disappointed. WebLocated less than one hour from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Gettysburg, the city of Frederick, Maryland is surrounded by mountain views, wineries, orchards and vibrant Main Street communities. The Slavic Law prohibited women from ruling. Elector Frederick William was born in Berlin to George William, Elector of Brandenburg, and Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate. Frederick Williams wars and diplomacy were allied with his desire to create a powerful state. He was an advocate of mercantilism, monopolies, subsidies, tariffs, and internal improvements. Waldemar knew that the main Brandenburger army was close, but he did not fear an attack. Despite the cannon fire searing through their ranks, the Swedes charged madly, putting the battles outcome in doubt. Despite nonexistent Austrian support and dwindling Dutch subsidies, it was still a difficult decision to make. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. William Henry, Electoral Prince of Brandenburg (16481649). WebFrederick II, byname Frederick the Great, German Friedrich der Grosse, (born January 24, 1712, Berlin, Prussia [Germany]died August 17, 1786, Potsdam, near Berlin), king of Prussia (174086), a brilliant military campaigner who, in a series of diplomatic stratagems and wars against Austria and other powers, greatly enlarged Prussias territories and Charles was the last of all of the Habsburg males. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is popularly known as "the Great Elector"[1] (der Groe Kurfrst) because of his military and political achievements. Contrary to appearances, Montecuccoli was highly upset by his orders. Rallying his men, he raced to the front of the line, crying: Forward! Refugee Huguenots, who fled France after King Louis XIV revoked official toleration of Protestantism, were welcomed into Protestant Brandenburg by Great Elector Frederick William. Initially, a lack of allies forced the Brandenburgers to halt, but 1676 brought a renewal of fortune. No one in Sweden wished to take any unnecessary risks. Join historians and history buffs alike with our Unlimited Digital Access pass to every military history article ever published (over 3,000 articles) in Sovereigns military history magazines. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. They wanted Austria to stay a unified country and not be broken up. Carsten describes how it was the army he had founded that accomplished, in 1871, the triumphant unification of the German Empire and fought the battles of the Third Reich. The army supported Frederick William and his decisions. Frederick William called off further offensives and was content to allow the remaining Swedes to withdraw. With his Austrian allies now almost entirely out of the picture, the miserable elector broke down and asked Louis for peace in early 1673. **d**. The wait was brief. It appeared that the gambling elector was about to be routed. It would be up to another group of Brandenburgers, speeding toward Fehrbellin itself, to block the Swedish escape. This was exactly what Frederick William had expected; he was already ordering his victorious cavalry forward to cut off the Swedish retreat. His master of stables, Emanuel Froben, was struck down, supposedly on account of his riding Frederick Williams gray horse (an exchange in mounts having been made to help ensure the electors safety). A. expunge, B. collate, C. extol, D. prate E. impute. 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