There are extremely complicated reasons why Germany became the origin of the two world wars. One of them cannot but be mentioned. He was the famous Prussian monarch Friedrich II, also translated as Frederick II, in the 18th century. Historically known as Frederick the Great.
Friedrich II was the second son of the famous "Soldier King" Friedrich Wilhelm I. He was born in Berlin in January 1712. Due to the early death of his eldest brother, he was appointed crown prince. He was a man with a complex character. In him, fanaticism and rationality, rudeness and elegance coexisted paradoxically. The study of Frederick the Great must start with the rise of Prussia.
Germany in the 17th century was a weak and fragmented country, composed of large and small states. During the Thirty Years' War, it became the main battlefield for the major countries in Western Europe. At the end of the 17th century, among many states, Prussia and Austria became powerful. The ruler of Prussia at this time was Frederick William I. He was one of the ablest rulers in German history, although he was overshadowed by the brilliance of his son Frederick. William I was short and stocky. If he had put on civilian clothes, he would have been an out-and-out peasant. He imposed heavy taxes on the people with an iron hand, but he did not squander it at all. He used the money to build roads, renovate the countryside, and especially use it to build the army. He is hands-on and diligent in everything he does. He personally reviews the country's budget and does not approve even an extra penny. He promoted militarized education across the country and pioneered German militarism. He only believed in his officers and troops throughout his life and was known as the "Soldier King". When he died in 1740, he left his son a large amount of money and a well-trained army. The funny thing is that the "Soldier King" wields swords and guns every day, but has never fought in a war.
The "Soldier King" insisted on training his son to be a soldier and tried his best to instill in him military and national administrative knowledge. As a boy, Friedrich II was alert, intelligent, rich in musical talent, and loved to chant. Poems and poems. However, William I was disapproving of his son's literary and musical ambitions, and sarcastically called his son a "fife player."
The young Friedrich was deeply influenced by his mother. His mother Sophia had been influenced by French culture for a long time and left her endowment to Friedrich. He has been an admirer of French culture all his life, especially French Baroque culture and Enlightenment culture. He received French education in the court. His most trusted teachers and ministers were all French. He completely looked down on German culture and his German language He spoke poorly and could hardly write in German, and his articles were almost entirely written in French.
He hated uniforms and training soldiers, which he called a "damned duty and responsibility." For this reason, there was a sharp conflict between father and son. In August 1730, 18-year-old Friedrich and his best friend, Lieutenant Carter of the Guards, attempted to flee to England, but were intercepted in transit.
The "Soldier King", filled with anger, decided to kill as a warning to others. According to the custom at the time, he and his friends who supported his escape were sentenced to death. But the minister who handled the matter violated the will of the "Soldier King" and only ordered his friend to be executed, but imprisoned him and forced him to watch the execution through the window.
Under the heavy pressure of his father, Friedrich "closed himself up and thought about his mistakes" in the palace. A year later, father and son each made concessions and met each other. In 1732, he succumbed to his father's will and became engaged to Princess Elizabeth Christina of Bevern, whom he did not love. Sadly, Friedrich remained indifferent to the queen who admired and was friendly to him throughout his life. In 1736, he separated from his wife. He lived in seclusion in the Rheinsberg Palace in the north of Berlin. There was a Chinese-style villa, a Chinese-style fisherman's cabin, and a Chinese-style courtyard built in the palace, which was deeply loved by Friedrich.
From this year to the age of 28, he spent half of his time working in his father's army, and the other half of his time studying philosophy, history, literature, listening to music and participating in social activities. When he was 26 years old, he wrote to Voltaire, the French Enlightenment thinker whom he admired enthusiastically, and Voltaire readily accepted his greetings. After that, the two often exchanged letters in the form of prose and poetry, and Voltaire also helped him revise and polish his French manuscripts. This period of time had a significant impact on his life.
He is indeed a bit "too willful" as his father often scolded him. He is restless, disobedient, and stubbornly opposed to everything his father arranges for him. In his early years, he borrowed money, chased women, loved music, and hated military life. His character was more French, in stark contrast to the Prussian dullness.
He was frail and sickly in his early years and was publicly humiliated and flogged by his father. All this formed his sensitive and changeable character. He hates his father, despises life, has gone through ups and downs, and is a cynical cynic. Like Bismarck, Hitler and other misanthropes, he was unhappy in his marriage and gradually became indifferent to women. He devoted his affection to the dog, and throughout his life he was always with the dog, whether in bed or in a chair. When these dogs died, he built monuments in their tombs to commemorate them, and hoped that he would be buried among these dogs after his death. However, his world-weariness was eventually diluted by a sense of honor, which made him return to To the human world.
Like all those who pursue power, he claimed that he never liked fighting for power. Even in his correspondence with Voltaire, the great French Enlightenment thinker, he followed the fashion of the time to flaunt his French virtues. But deep down in his heart was a desire for honor. He wrote in a letter to his friend: "I am in the prime of life, I pursue honor, really, I can't say anything to you! I am curious, in a word, a potential Instinct tortures me day and night. I want my name to be in the newspapers and appear in history. What a great satisfaction it is! It tempts me to do everything." It is known that he has been separated from his wife for many years. And he has no interest in other women. Now he will devote all his energy to gaining honors.
The historical background at that time gave him the opportunity to pursue fame. The fragmented Germany needs to be unified, and only a few powerful states can undertake this mission. After several generations of emperors, Prussia passed into the hands of this heir and was already a prosperous country. He can take advantage of this precious opportunity to take risks. At this moment, if he fully demonstrates his political intelligence, he will undoubtedly achieve great success. In this way, he began to think about war. "I like war because it brings honor," he wrote.
The opportunity came to pull the trigger. In October 1740, the Holy Roman Emperor and Austrian Emperor Charles VI died without heirs, and his eldest daughter Maria Theresa came to the throne. Friedrich despised the queen from the bottom of his heart, perhaps out of his inner inferiority. The reason why Friedrich launched the war was to express his opposition to the queen's inheritance.
In December 1740, Frederick II led 25,000 troops to invade Austrian Silesia, and the war began. Theresia was not afraid in the face of danger. She said: "Although I am a poor queen, I have a man's heart." After stabilizing the internal situation, she quickly organized an elite army to resist. In May of the following year, Prussia signed the Treaty of Niffenberg with Bavaria, Saxony, France, Spain and other countries, forming a military alliance with the purpose of carving up Austria. Britain, Russia and the Netherlands supported Austria. The war started on the European continent and spread to British and French colonies in America and India. In April 1741, the queen's army was defeated by Frederick's Prussian army at Morwitz, and Austria was in a dangerous situation. Pressure from all sides forced the empress to agree to peace talks, and Friedrich gained most of the rich and fertile Silesia he had long coveted. The First Silesian War ended.
Since Friedrich fired the first shot in the war, he discovered the charm of war, which can bring honor and wealth. He is determined to continue in this direction. The famous saying is "might makes right". He saw that the army was a tool to obtain land and honor, so he began to frequent the military camp, watching the soldiers drill with interest, slowly repeating his father's path.
He appears to be more far-sighted and intelligent in politics, but he is selfish and can deceive everyone to serve his purpose. He has no love for his people and no enthusiasm for life. He does things to his subordinates solely for the sake of his own rule. He publicly declared: "If I am determined to be an honest man, I will definitely be able to do it. If I want to deceive people, then just be a liar." In the summer of 1744, he was worried that Austria would take advantage of the situation to regain Silesia and invade Austria again. The second time The Silesian War breaks out. In 1745, the Prussian army won the battles of Hohenfriedberg, Hennersdorf and Kesselsdorf. In December, the two sides signed the "Treaty of Dresden", Prussia captured the entire Silesia, but recognized Maria Theresa's right to the throne.
The period from 1746 to 1756 was a period of relative peace as Frederick II engaged in his military reforms to adapt to the needs of external expansion.
He divided Prussia into several military districts and imposed mandatory conscription in each district. This was a universal compulsory military service system, and the main service members were rural residents. In order to ensure the development of industry and commerce, citizens and factory workers usually did not perform military service, but only had to pay a kind of service tax, so they almost said nothing about this compulsory conscription system.
He continued to expand his army, and by 1751 the number of troops had reached 200,000. This still did not satisfy his confidence in the number of troops, and he also purchased soldiers from other states. To maintain this growing army, military spending accounts for four-fifths of national income. He was not wasteful in other aspects, but he spared no expense on the army and used the most advanced weapons and equipment at the time. This army was undoubtedly a decisive factor for the Prussian country to embark on the path of European power.
Friedrich II broke the system in which the sons of Junker landowners monopolized military officers. He appointed officers based on their performance, and rewarded them based on their merits, with clear rewards and punishments. The officers of some "technical" arms, such as the artillery and engineering corps, are mostly filled by educated and educated people from bourgeois families. He appointed people on merit, and the five famous marshals under his command, von Seydlitz, von Winterfeldt, James Kettle, von Knee, and von Dessau, were all not Prussians, and some were not of noble origin. , they not only had outstanding military exploits, but also made outstanding contributions in the reform of the army, thus becoming the "historical heroes" of the Prussian country. Their bronze statues were erected in the square in the center of Berlin until the end of World War II when they were moved to other places as "militarists".
For the training of soldiers, he has no new ideas. He still continues to use rigid drills and harsh stick discipline, but now he has added the education of "national interests" and accepted the training of the early German Knights. Traditional spiritual education, or to put it further, is the education of the ancient Germanic spirit. He decreed that the deserter could not confess, receive Holy Communion, or enter his parents' home. The results of education were verified in the war. In the protracted and very arduous wars that followed, the German army rarely had soldiers mutiny or escape from battle. They desperately sacrificed for their king and their "motherland". This is how the concept of "motherland" penetrated into the hearts of the Prussian people.
A poet once commented on Friedrich: A man who lives with a gun on his back may shoot at any time. In 1756, Friedrich pulled the trigger again and participated in the "Seven Years' War" (1756-1763).
This was a war between Britain and the Prussian Alliance and France, Austria, and the Russian Alliance to compete for colonies and European hegemony. The German states were divided into two factions. A few German states such as Hanover joined the Anglo-Prussian Alliance, and most German states such as Saxony joined the Franco-Austro-Russian Alliance. The strategic intentions of the main participants in the war were different. Britain tried to attack and weaken France, expand its colonies, and establish maritime hegemony; Prussia attempted to annex Saxony and turn Poland into a dependent state; Austria attempted to weaken its rival Prussia and recapture Silesia. The main battlefield in Europe was It's in Germany.
When the war broke out, the Prussian army consisted of about 200,000 people, well-trained and strong in combat effectiveness. Friedrich decided to take a preemptive strike and attack Saxony first. In August 1756, he invaded Saxony and kicked off the war. He won a series of victories one after another, first occupying Saxony, defeating the Austrian army at the Battle of Prague and the Battle of Loewy Knee, and defeating the French army at the battles of Rossbach, Krefeld, and Minden. However, after 1759, the situation reversed, especially in the Battle of Kunelsdorf, where the Austrian army, with the support of its allies, defeated the Prussian army. In 1761, he fell into a desperate situation.
He said in a letter to a friend: "Two horses were killed under me, but I am still alive. This is my misfortune. My army of 48,000 people There are only 3,000 men left in the army. To tell you the truth, I think it is all over and I will never regain my father's land. Farewell!"
Berlin fell to the Austrians for a time. , at this time his mood is getting worse and worse, and now only a miracle can save him. The miracle finally happened.
At this time, due to the death of Russian Empress Elizabeth, her heir Peter III turned to an alliance with Frederick II and saved Prussia. In 1763 the Peace of Hubertusburg was concluded between Prussia, Austria and Saxony.
After the Seven Years' War, Prussia firmly established its status as a great power and formed a center of power in Germany to compete with Austria. A "dualist" rule emerged in Germany. Friedrich II was therefore honored as "The Great King" and "The Sun of Germany" by later German chauvinists.
After the Seven Years' War, he did not learn any lessons from the war. He continued to pursue militaristic policies under the banner of "national interests" and continued to expand his living space outwards. Prussia's territory expanded rapidly. In 1777, the prince of Bavaria died without heirs. The imperial emperor, Joseph II of Austria, attempted to obtain part of the territory of Bavaria and the Upper Pfar through exchange based on the old inheritance rights. However, King Friedrich firmly opposed the increase in Austrian power. . In order to compete for Bavarian territory, the War of Bavarian Succession took place in March 1778. The old and frail "King" once claimed that he would no longer "leap his horse across the sword", but as soon as the war began, he mounted his war horse and personally commanded the troops to fight the Austrian army. In May 1779, through French mediation, the two sides signed a peace treaty. Austria obtained the Bavarian territory between the Dolu, Rhine and Salza rivers, and Prussia obtained Ansbach and Bayreuth. In 1785, King Friedrich organized an alliance of princes, including Saxony, Hanover and other states, to confront Emperor Joseph II.
At this time, Friedrich became the idol of many Germans. They made pilgrimages to the Potsdam palace where he was located. Although these people often received a few words of reprimand, some people called him a "loving father". and "Benevolent King", thinking that he is the leader of German reunification. In the early morning of August 17, 1786, the 77-year-old Friedrich died of edema and pneumonia on the arm of his cavalry attendant. He left a powerful army behind him. Engels once praised the Prussian army as a model army in Europe. More importantly, he left a tradition of militarism to future Germany: the first is despotism, which is absolute to democracy and public opinion. Exclusion, using strict bureaucratic police rule and military control, the king alone has the final say; the second is the supremacy of the military, spending national financial resources to build an outward expansion army, he believes that war solves problems, and might is justice; the third is that he Germany has been given the spirit of honor, loyalty, obedience, bravery, diligence, etc. These spirits are beyond reproach in themselves, but once they serve the war, they suit the needs of militarism. These traditions had a profound impact on future generations, and later Wilhelm II and Hitler followed his example. The military legacy of Friedrich II had a huge impact on Germany, Europe and the world. He wrote "Instructions to Generals", "On the Art of War" and "History of the Seven Years' War". His main thoughts There are: The art of war is reflected in both military strength and strategy. Anything that cannot be accomplished by military strength must be accomplished by strategy. Strategy is a "detour" that can achieve the goal better than taking the "straight path"; implementing maneuvers and cutting off the enemy's supply is The basis of strategy; courageous action is the prerequisite for victory; advocates attack to win, and believes that defense is the most wrong principle; emphasizes strict training, requiring troops to drill under the supervision of sticks to the extent of mechanical accuracy and order, and the ability to form formations and act immediately ,etc.