Frederick The Great Birthday & Fun Facts

Frederick The Great Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

Frederick II

Place Of Birth

Berlin, Germany

Age

311 years old

Birth Date

January 23 1712

Frederick The Great Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Former King of Prussia

Education & Qualifications

Current Partner

Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern

Children

Parents

Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Frederick William I of Prussia

Siblings

Princess Friederike Sophie Wilhelmine of Prussia, Prince Augustus William of Prussia, Prince Frederick Henry Louis of Prussia

Frederick II, or Frederick The Great, was the King of Prussia who was born on January 24, 1712, in Berlin, Germany.

He ruled Royal Prussia from 1740 up until he died in 1786. One of the most well-known accomplishments that hold great significance is his military success during the Silesian Wars.

Frederick II was also greatly appreciated for his contribution to the First Partition of Portland and his deep patronage of the arts and the Enlightenment. Frederick The Great was the last Hohenzollern monarch. He ended up with the title of the  King in Prussia. He even declared himself the King of Prussia after the annexation of Polish Prussia from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1772.

Under the rightful and expansive rule of Frederick The Great, Prussia successfully increased its boundaries to the greatest of lengths. It was recognized and acknowledged as one of the biggest and strongest military powers in all of Europe.

Despite being more interested in philosophy and arts rather than the necessary art of sword fighting and war and politics, Frederick The Great was able to come up with brilliant war strategies when Prussia got their new king and ruler, which was himself, and he just wanted to decide something good for himself and his kingdom. Frederick II soon found himself to be an influential military theorist. Frederick The Great used his own experience on the battlefield to drawing up extensive and intricate plans while taking strategy, tactics, mobility, and logistics as well into consideration.

Enlightenment Absolutism was vigorously supported by Frederick The Great. He was a strict believer in the philosophy that "the ruler should be the first servant of the state". Frederick The Great was Prussia's ruler, who was responsible for changing the entire bureaucracy of the kingdom. He made sure not to leave out civil service even as a King. However, despite accepting many immigrants from different nationalities and faiths to come and take shelter in Prussia, he still showed some hostility towards the Catholics in Silesia and Polish Prussia.

Frederick II or Frederick The Great in the family of kings. Frederick The Great is said to be born sometime between 11 p.m. and noon. The birthplace of the then King of Prussia, Frederick The Great, was the Berlin City Palace.

All the sons and daughters of the King of Prussia, William Frederick I, were tutored by  Madame de Montbail, a French woman.

Who was Frederick The Great’s partner?

Frederick II was born to Crown Prince Frederick William I of Prussia and his wife, Sophia Dorothea of Hanover. Frederick The Great was baptized Friedrich by Benjamin Ursinus von Bär on 31 January. Frederick II, or Frederick The Great, was immensely talented and popular. Even greater news was that his grandfather Frederick I took a liking to him as both of the two grandsons who were born before he listed their battle to life in just their infancy. When Frederick I passed away in 1713, Frederick William I became the King of Prussia and, as a result, made Frederick II the crown prince. Frederick The Great has nine siblings, including Princess Friederike Sophie Wilhelmine of Prussia, Prince Augustus William of Prussia, and Prince Frederick Henry Louis of Prussia. He was also the protective older brother of six sisters whom he loved dearly.

Best Known For…

Frederick II, or Frederick The Great, is most well known for his contributions to the First Partition of Portland and many other significant adjustments and changes he brought forward during his reign as the ruler of Prussia.

The second instance came to be widely known as the Katte affair. After Kieth left Frederick II with a gaping hollow as the only remains of their once-blooming but destroyed friendship, Frederick II found himself befriending Hans Hermann von Katte, a Prussian officer. Despite being several years older than Frederick, the two kindled an unlikely friendship. This friendship did indeed have traces of being more than just mere friendships, but due to the lack of verbal evidence, it can only be assumed that the two were perhaps involved romantically together. Frederick II attempted to run away with Katte and other soldiers but was eventually caught at Kustrin. The two were soon met with an accusation of treason by the King himself, which forced Frederick II to give up on his title as the next king in line to Augustus and even made him witness the beheading of his dear friend and perhaps lover Katte. The crown prince, Frederick II, remained in Kustrin for the next year and only came out to attend his sister Wilhelmine's wedding. After finally returning to Berlin, the young crown prince was made to marry Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern on February 26, 1732.

During his younger days, Frederick the Great had a keen interest in philosophy and music, followed by the art of war which resulted in frequent issues with his authoritative father, Frederick William I. Though, after his ascension to the throne of Prussia, Frederick the Great attacked and annexed the wealthy province of Silesia in Austria in 1742. Frederick the Great managed to win widespread military acclaim for the kingdom of Prussia and himself. He then became a prominent military theorist who drew his analysis from his complete experience on the battlefield and encompassed the issues related to tactics, strategy, logistics, and mobility.

Frederick the Great supported enlightened absolutism and stated that a ruler should initially act as the state’s servant. Frederick the Great played a vital role in the modernization of the civil service and bureaucracy, taking care of the judicial system and allowing the men from the lower realms of the societal structure to elevate to the post of bureaucrats and judges. Frederick the Great also made arriving in Prussia easier for migrants from different nationalities.

But sadly, Frederick the Great put into effect various oppressive measures that affected the devout Catholics in Polish Prussia and Silesia. Frederick the Great also supported artists and philosophers whom he favored, encouraging the freedom of literature and press in the society leading to an excellent environment for people to reside in.

• Frederick The Great was inspired by French culture and did not like the German language.
• As a punishment for his planned escape to Great Britain, his father executed an accomplice om Frederick's presence. Further, he was placed as a junior official in local administration. He was further stripped of his military rank.
• Frederick the Great invaded the Habsburg empire for long-term benefits in Central Europe.
• Frederick the Great led the Austrian troops with great skill after his Austrian succession to challenge the ascension of Maria Theresa.
• On the insistence of Prince Eugene, Frederick William married his son Frederick II to Elizabeth Christine from a German princely family. At the same time, he resented the political marriage but finally agreed.
• When Frederick the Great was engaged in wars, his brother Augustus William and sister Wilhelmine died.
• Frederick the Great is credited with revamping the Berlin Academy.

We would love your help! If you have a photo of Frederick The Great either of them alone or a selfie that you would be happy to share, please send it to [email protected].

If you have knowledge or information that you think would help us improve this article, please contact us.