How did Frederick Williams describe ‘The 360- Century Day’?
Answers
Frederick William became Elector of Brandenburg-Prussia in 1640. Before this year, and for a number of years after it, Brandenburg-Prussia was seen as a joke in eastern Europe. It was referred to as the ‘sandbox’ of Europe and the state played a small part in the Thirty Years War.
The electoral title had originated in the 15th Century. The ruling family of Brandenburg-Prussia was the Hohenzollern family. This family had been German military adventurers with no connection to Brandenburg-Prussia. In the 16th Century, the area was conquered by the Grandmaster of the Teutonic Order of Knights – lead by the Hohenzollerns. This was a crusading order that conquered the Baltic and subjugated the people of Brandenburg-Prussia. The Hohenzollerns were near enough colonial lords who had little love for the people of Brandenburg-Prussia.