How did Frederick Williams describe the 360centry day 20marks
Answers
Frederick William – or the self-titled ‘Great Elector’ – took Brandenburg-Prussia from obscurity to become one of Europe’s most dominant powers. Such was the impact of Frederick William, that Prussia was to dominate the previously all-powerful Sweden in the Baltic. Frederick also ensured that Russia remained a lesser power during his reign.
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.
The noble class of Brandenburg-Prussia were called Junkers. These men were landowners who ruled like feudal masters. They had huge powers over the people on their estates and had little regard for the family that ruled Brandenburg-Prussia.
In 1619, Brandenburg-Prussia was ruled by George William. His title as Elector belied the fact that he was incompetent and all but allowed the Junkers to do as they wished. George William relied too much on their advice – which was invariably centred around how they could keep and enhance their position within Brandenburg-Prussia.
George William had to cope with an invasion of Brandenburg-Prussia by Gustavus Adolphus of Swedenduring the Thirty Years War. During this war, Brandenburg-Prussia was pillaged and much damage was done to a state that was poor before the war. By the time George William died in 1640, Brandenburg-Prussia was very weak and was probably one of the poorest of states in the Holy Roman Empire.
The population of Brandenburg-Prussia fell to 600,000 by the end of the war. In Brandenburg, cannibalism is reported to have occurred such was the shortage of food. Her military power was non-existent as was her status in Europe. In 1640, Brandenburg-Prussia was described as a “pathetic remnant.” This was the ‘sandbox’ that Frederick William inherited.