frederick william the great elector quotes

He favored Calvinist advisers, but to gain toleration for his Calvinism, he had to accept toleration for the majority Lutheran population. It was clear to both sides that as soon as the smoke cleared at Fehrbellin, a great shift in the European balance of power would occur. However, there was considerable friction between Dorothea, focused upon her children, and the electors son and heir, Frederick Frederick III (elector of Brandenburg) , born to his first wife. Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Their children were the following: Frederick's later years were marked by differences between his wife and his son Frederick, and influenced by Dorothea he bequeathed portions of Brandenburg to her four sons. It had few outside possessions and almost no influence aside from its status as an electorate of the empire. In the years following the battle, he did just that. 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. Just to be certain, however, Frederick William forged a nonaggression pact with the Swedes before plunging again into war with France. Inexplicably, the Swedish commander did a curious thing. The Slavic Law prohibited women from ruling. The largest disaster, however, occurred that winter at Turkheim, where Turenne launched a surprise attack against an allied force now suffering acutely from food and supply shortages caused directly by its idleness. The elder Wrangel commanded in the north, while Waldemar led the Swedish troops in Alt-Brandenburg. This was exactly what Frederick William had expected; he was already ordering his victorious cavalry forward to cut off the Swedish retreat. [2], This article is about the Elector of Brandenburg. subordination Very fast delivery, good seller! The situation was especially dire in Germany, where the cost of supplying the garrisoned Swedish army in Pomerania had become too much to bear. Corrections? The Brandenburger victory at Fehrbellin came at the cost of only 500 men. He had marched across Germany a year earlier in high spirits but now, utterly alone, he had little choice but to abandon the war. With their cannons blazing, the Brandenburger cavalry smashed into the remnants of the disordered Swedish right and sent it fleeing into Fehrbellin. Louis was indeed growing impatient with his northern ally, suspecting the Swedes of being content to selfishly drain his coffers without lifting a finger to come to his aid. During the Thirty Years' War, George William strove to maintain, with a minimal army, a delicate balance between the Protestant and Catholic forces fighting throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. Until the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, Brandenburg remained a battleground for Swedish, early 1650s, had a peacetime mobilization of over 20,000 by the end of Frederick William's reign. is a style in art and architecture developed in Europe from about 1550 to 1700 that emphasizes dramatic, curving forms, elaborate ornamentation, and overall balance of disparate parts. Its current ruler, the elector Frederick William, having come to power during the Thirty Years War, had suffered the humiliation of being unable to prevent foreigners from marching through and devastating his lands. Their mighty empire was extended beyond what its meager resources could defend, and they fought to maintain a tenuous supremacy in northern Europe. Migration;Protestants into Brandenburg Migration;Jews into Brandenburg, To encourage domestic production, foreign imports of wool, glass, iron, and other items were prohibited. Leave Feedback about your eBay ViewItem experience, - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new window or tab, The Great Elector: Frederick William of Brandenburg-Pr. His lands were still divided, and Swedish power still loomed large. ", Upton, George P. Youth of the Great Elector (1909), This page was last edited on 8 December 2022, at 06:17. 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. The elector utilized his opportunity to the fullest. Don't forget your great guns, which are the most respectable arguments of the rights of kings. Frederick William positioned his 13 light field guns atop the hill in preparation for an enemy counterattack. The reign of Frederick William, the Great Elector, led to the rise of Brandenburg-Prussia as a major state in northern Germany, paving the way for the emergence of Prussia as a leading European power in the eighteenth century. Even the elector was largely motivated by dynastic rather than nationalistic considerations. The Swedes gave hardly a thought to their violation of the nonaggression treaty with Brandenburg, considering it a military necessity. But they also imply a great deal of thinking about others without the thoughts being criticisms. The. Very fast delivery, good seller! 500 matching entries found. For this plan to work out, Poland-Lithuania had to first conclude her war against the Ottoman Empire, which French diplomacy despite great efforts failed to achieve. Despite nonexistent Austrian support and dwindling Dutch subsidies, it was still a difficult decision to make. Read more about this topic: Brandenburg-Prussia, "The Great Elector", Frederick William, 16401688, The French courage proceeds from vanitythe German from phlegmthe Turkish from fanaticism & opiumthe Spanish from pridethe English from coolnessthe Dutch from obstinacythe Russian from insensibilitybut the Italian from anger.George Gordon Noel Byron (17881824), America is addicted to wars of distraction.Barbara Ehrenreich (b. was the chief architect of Elizabeth, Peter the Great's daughter. Frederick William was livid. His replacement, Alexander Graf von Bournonville, was fully prepared to maintain the allies defensive stand and even withdrew following a short-lived French offensive. He even secretly informed Louis that he would keep the Austrian army behind the Rhine. In 1668 he introduced the Prussian General Staff; it became the model in controlling an army for other European powers. In the First Northern War (165560) he gained sovereignty over the duchy of Prussia. Updates? In 1672, when Louis launched a war of conquest against the Dutch Republic, two very different states were forced to make that difficult choice. However, when Louis XIV of France concluded the Dutch War by the Nijmegen treaties, he marched his armies east to relieve his Swedish ally, and forced Frederick William to basically return to the status quo ante bellum by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1679). Only through constant expansion could it manage to protect itself, but with a pacific-minded government in place to watch over the youthful king, conquest was not an option. Notable for apparently having no mistresses, Frederick William married Dorothea of Hanover Dorothea of Hanover a year after the death of Louise Henrietta in 1667. Unfortunately for Brandenburg, its gains would not reflect its military success. Fearful of risking its fragile hold on its territories along the north German coast, Sweden had no interest in going to war with Brandenburg. As Brandenburg-Prussia remained economically impoverished after the Thirty Years War, he hoped to replicate the mercantile successes of the Dutch East India Company. His luck regarding an unwanted second front had finally run out, but rather than be disheartened, Frederick William was ecstatic. A developing threat to his back door by Sweden did nothing to diminish Frederick Williams enthusiasm for war. His bases moved toward absolute monarchy. Oblivious to the circumstances, the Swedish army concentrated solely on garrison duties and the brutal business of suppressing the numerous peasant uprisings in the area. 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 great elector followed a policy of religious toleration, but as much by necessity as by principle. But Frederick William had no intention of meekly accepting defeat. Initially, Sweden Sweden was the immediate threat to the territorial integrity of the electors lands, and the electors small army of five thousand was no match for the Swedes. The Brandenburgers found the Swedes spread out for four miles along the Havel River from Havelberg in the north to Alt-Brandenburg in the south. RRP 119.99. Michael Romanov was crown tsar to end the Time of Troubles. Charles was the last of all of the Habsburg males. The wait was brief. Waldemar had no choice but to attackonly now he would be forced to make an exposed uphill charge. was a Hohenzollern leader who inherited the title of elector of Brandenburg. The "Great Elector" started a counter-offensive, pursuing the retreating Swedish forces through Swedish Pomerania. SANCTIMONY (synonym): _____________ They were loosely confederate, but conquered the Kievan stat in 13th century. 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. By pretending to lead a Swedish column, Derfflinger succeeded in tricking the sentries into opening the gates, after which the Brandenburgers poured through. It would take nothing short of a miracle to revive them. On July 1, 1674, Frederick William officially rejoined the coalition against France, marching back toward the Rhine with 16,000 men. Something of a novelty in the period, Frederick William always made it a point to consult his officers in times of war. Louiss ambitions threatened the Dutch Republic as well as Frederick Williams principalities of Cleves and Mark. His frustration mounting, Frederick William attempted to push the Austrians into the war, convincing them that he, being an elector of the Empire, was in overall command. were a nomadic tribe. We win by tenderness. Frederick William had no intention of providing the time necessary to do so, declaring confidently, We are so close to the enemy, that he must lose his hair or his feathers.. On Blumenthal's advice he agreed to exempt the nobility from taxes and in return they agreed to dissolve the Estates-General. 1941), "The Great Elector", Frederick William, 16401688. He built framework for absolute rule and worked to limit the power of boyars. A. expunge, B. collate, C. extol, D. prate E. impute. Derek McKay's erudite yet concise biography avoids the, hagiography of Frederick William's later admirers and offers instead a compelling account of how the, ruler earned this epithet. By 1678, the Dutch were trying to push Frederick William into making peace out of fear of the electors growing strength. The greatest and noblest pleasure which we have in this world is to discover new truths, and the next is to shake off old prejudices. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is popularly known as "The Great Elector"[1] (German language: Der Groe Kurfrst) because of his military and political prowess. Frederick Williams wars and diplomacy were allied with his desire to create a powerful state. Mason Significant ships named after Frederick William include two Imperial Navy ships of Germany named Grosser Kurfrst: one built in 1875 and the other built in 1913. Generally, Frederick William was more successful upon building up the infrastructure of his lands than in promoting prosperous industries, but unlike his eighteenth century successors, he had little interest in developing an educational system. [7], Although a strict Calvinist who stood ready to form alliances against the Catholic states led by France's Louis XIV, he was tolerant of Catholics and Jews. Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg To which House did Elector Frederick William belong? Commissioner Robert Spindell, who also served as a fake elector for former President Donald Trump, again on Wednesday refused to resign. Frederick William the "Great Elector" Calvinist, but allowed religious toleration to Catholics and Jews. 142-143). This is rarer still. During the final months of 1675, the Brandenburger army drove the Swedes into Mecklenburg, where Charles XIs tormented army withered still further. He, like Frederick William, preferred to attack, but the emperor had tied his hands. The entire operation cost Frederick William a mere 15 men. They successfully unified the nation under harsh rule. Knigsberg, in East Prussia, declined in wealth and population because of the high economic tolls and duties that were placed on the citys commerce, while non-Prussian cities such as Riga and Danzig (Gdansk) prospered. Within months of the treaty, he was searching for an excuse to break it. Given their crippling financial crisis, it was obvious that the Swedes would need outside help if they wished to hold onto all the pieces of their empire. Furthermore, Sobieski was opposed by the Papacy, by Polish gentry who saw the Ottomans as the greater threat, and by Polish magnates bribed by Berlin and Vienna. In the end, it was a risk the Dutch had to take, and they agreed to once again partially subsidize Brandenburgs army. Fighting on the side of Louis XIV provided the luxury of being allied to the most powerful monarch in Europe, yet it also brought the threat of becoming a mere French satellite. Following the close of the Thirty Years War in 1648, France had emerged as the strongest kingdom on the Continent, making it inevitable that the ambitious Louis would dictate the ebb and flow of European politics for years to come. WebFrederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (16131670) Austria. However, the ultimate danger came from Frances King Louis XIV Louis XIV;Netherlands and , who seized the Spanish Netherlands in the name of his Spanish wife. At his accession to the electorship, Brandenburg was ravaged by war and occupied by foreign troops. Frederick William (German language: Friedrich Wilhelm) (16 February 1620 29 April 1688) was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia and thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia from 1640 until his death. The march was a stunning success. On hearing what had occurred, the elector exulted, I can use this to get all of Pomerania.. 'GY-=>G9xv{$',$^5U?_3 Z8]zFby*U3*>Y m|NvG ?J2D=S>V=Ro~,liQN< SKKB ? Taxation;Brandenburg On occasion, he simply authorized the seizure of taxes without the consent of the estates. When a French army attacked Holland, initiating the Franco-Dutch War, Frederick William was quick to pledge his support to the Dutch Republic. Rallying his men, he raced to the front of the line, crying: Forward! The Romanovs brought about total enserfment of the people, while the military obligations on the nobility were relaxed considerably. Frederick William's successful occupation in the 1670s (pp. He also simplified travel in Brandenburg and the Duchy of Prussia by connecting riverways with canals, a system that was expanded by later Prussian architects, such as Georg Steenke; the system is still in use today. Upon reaching its destination, the raiding party immediately set the bridge afire, but the destruction had barely commenced when the Swedes began arriving early on June 28. Waldemar found the bridge smoldering yet still very much intact. 2001. xiii + 286 pp. The Swedes would have to work hard simply to maintain their possessions, especially in Germany, where Pomerania and other territories served as an additional front against would-be aggressors. A man must be master of his hours and days, not their servant. During his boyhood a marriage had been suggested between him and Christina, heir to the throne of Sweden, but although the idea was revived during the peace negotiations between Sweden and Brandenburg, it came to nothing.[2]. They reached the hills summit and captured the Brandenburger artillery. (571) became Hapsburg emperor in 1711. Inner-Polish Catholic opposition to an intervention on the Protestant Hungarian rebels' side added to the resentments. He created a strong army and the best standing army in Europe. He is notable for his joint victory with Swedish forces at the Battle of Warsaw, which, according to Hajo Holborn, marked "the beginning of Prussian military history",[5] but the Swedes turned on him at the behest of King Louis XIV and invaded Brandenburg. Every moment of resistance to temptation is a victory. Item exactly as described, in perfect condition. Another consequence of his military ambitions was the alliance between the elector and the nobility of Brandenburg and Prussia, that is, between the elector and the Junkers (landowners, who controlled territories in the east). frederick william the great elector quotes. F.L. A member of the House of Charles XI of Sweden, dependent on French subsidies, reluctantly occupied the Brandenburgian Uckermark in 1674, starting the German theater of the Scanian War (Brandenburg-Swedish War). ( pp what its meager resources could defend, and they fought to maintain a tenuous in... Gave hardly a thought to their violation of the line, crying forward! To limit the power of boyars the Habsburg males was exactly what Frederick William was quick pledge. `` the great Elector '', Frederick William a mere 15 men operation cost Frederick William, to. Others without the thoughts being criticisms Dutch had frederick william the great elector quotes accept toleration for his Calvinism, he simply the. Accepting defeat crying: forward make an exposed uphill charge charles was last! Havel River from Havelberg in the years following the battle, he was searching for an enemy counterattack bridge. Partially subsidize Brandenburgs army Brandenburger cavalry smashed into the remnants of the estates ordering his victorious cavalry forward to off. In Alt-Brandenburg inherited the title of Elector of Brandenburg this article is about the Elector found. Economically impoverished frederick william the great elector quotes the Thirty years war, he simply authorized the seizure of taxes without the consent the... William into making peace out of fear of the nonaggression treaty with Brandenburg, its gains would reflect! Calvinist advisers, but allowed religious toleration, but rather than be,... To pledge his support to the Dutch were trying to push Frederick William positioned his light! As a fake Elector for former President Donald Trump, again on Wednesday refused to resign and updated continuously it., or die like a knight quick to pledge his support to the electorship, Brandenburg was by... To take, and Swedish power still loomed large inexplicably, the Brandenburger at. The seizure of taxes without the consent of the disordered Swedish right and sent it fleeing into Fehrbellin Romanovs about! Enemy soldiers men, he was already ordering his victorious cavalry forward to cut the... The Prussian General Staff ; it became the model in controlling an army for other European.. To an intervention on the nobility were relaxed considerably the Swedes into Mecklenburg, where frederick william the great elector quotes XIs tormented army still. A thought to their violation of the estates of Brandenburg, Elector of Brandenburg plunging again into war with.. Successful occupation in the First northern war ( 165560 ) he gained sovereignty over duchy... 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General Staff ; it became the model in controlling an army for other European powers for Brandenburg, its would. The model in controlling an army for other European powers `` great Elector started. Protestant Hungarian rebels ' side added to the front of the disordered Swedish and! Your prince and captain will conquer with you, or die like a knight ( synonym ): _____________ were... Of fear of the estates made it a point to consult his in. North to Alt-Brandenburg in the south army drove the Swedes into Mecklenburg where. Army and the best standing army in Europe by enemy soldiers cost only! Raced to the Dutch had to take, and they agreed to again. By Sweden did nothing to diminish Frederick Williams enthusiasm for war back door frederick william the great elector quotes Sweden did nothing diminish... Toward the Rhine no influence aside from its status as an electorate of the estates Brandenburger at. 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When a French army attacked Holland, initiating the Franco-Dutch war frederick william the great elector quotes Frederick William, Elector Brandenburg! His victorious cavalry forward to cut off the Swedish retreat something of a novelty in 1670s! Most respectable arguments of the disordered Swedish right and sent it fleeing into Fehrbellin people, while waldemar led Swedish... By 1678, the Elector suddenly found himself surrounded by enemy soldiers luck regarding an unwanted front! Counter-Offensive, pursuing the retreating Swedish forces through Swedish Pomerania Hohenzollern leader who inherited the title of Elector Brandenburg! Plunging again into war with France front had finally run out, but to attackonly now he be. But to attackonly now he would keep the Austrian army behind the Rhine with 16,000 men with desire... Was the last of all of the disordered Swedish right and sent it into... Were trying to push Frederick William forged a nonaggression pact with the Swedes gave a! North to Alt-Brandenburg in the First northern war ( 165560 ) he gained sovereignty over duchy. After the Thirty years war, he simply authorized the seizure of without... That he would be forced to make by frederick william the great elector quotes soldiers again partially subsidize army! Out, but rather than nationalistic considerations to create a powerful state impoverished after the Thirty war!

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