Prussia and Frederick the Great
With many resources which waited only for developement, Prussia came to Frederick the Great, who made it one of the first powers of Europe. Claims upon parts of Silesia were used as a pretext for the invasion of that province. After several wars, he remained in possession of the chief part of it. East Friesland was united with Prussia in 1743. From the year 17l3, Frederic's chief care was directed to the internal government, almost all the branches of which he improved ; but the great number of troops which he kept on foot induced him to make the increase of revenue the chief object of his government, and the whole system of internal administration was regulated with a view to make it a productive machine. Square miles and population were then the measure of power and happiness in the policy of the European cabinets; the first partition of Poland, in 1772, was the consequence ; and, from that time, Prussia sacrificed Poland to Russia, to secure its aid as an ally against Austria.
The monarchy was almost doubled under Frederick the Great. He left to his nephew, Frederick William II, a territory of 71,670 square miles, with 5,600,000 inhabitants, and an army of 220,000 men (which, however, consumed almost four tifths of the revenue of the state), and a treasure of 50 million Prussian dollars (about 34 million Spanish). Frederick the Great had no true love for his nation; his ruling passions were the love of fame and of power. He regarded the Prussian nation as a foreign general regards the army under his command. More than any other prince he undermined the German empire, which, it must be owned, had become worse than worthless.
He separated entirely the army and the citizens - a system whose natural termination was the punishment of an insolent nobility on the field of Jena. Under his government industry was encouraged ; the press enjoyed considerable liberty ; Frederick was, in general, a lover of justice. With him died the principle which had given motion to the whole system.
His successor, Frederick William II, was a profligate and weak man ; the country was badly governed; the finances exhausted, and her politics became wavering, because Frederick the Great had elevated her to such a rank among the European states, that she was obliged to take a prominent part in the most important affairs of the continent; but after she had lost the aid of his genius, she had not sufficient power to act independently. This wavering character continued for a long series of years.
With Frederick the Great, also, or, at least, under him, began a singular contradiction in Prussian politics. While her government promotes with great liberality the diffusion of knowledge, and manifests a real enthusiasm for science, and several of her most eminent public men are among the friends of free institutions, yet history finds her siding with Russia, and, of late, also, with Austria, all three opposing with a vain obstinacy the irresistible progress of liberty. At Reichenbach, in 1790, Prussia appeared as mediator in the peace with the Porte, and in August, 1791, became connected again with the court of Vienna by the convention of Pilnitz. The profligate extravagance of the court of Frederick William II required large supplies of money ; and Prussia and Russia seized upon the remainder of Poland, under the pretext of putting down Jacobinism, although Frederick William had assented to the new Polish constitution of May 3, 1791. The cabinet, which surrounded the imbecile king, was without principle; it took possession of the territory of Nuremberg; it shared, in 1793 and 1795, in the partitions of Poland, and made a secret treaty (August 5,1796) with France.
After many inconsistent steps caused by her artificial situation, Prussia resolved upon the maintenance of a strict neutrality, which, in the state of Europe at that time, was impossible. In 1803, France orcupied Hanover. In 1805, when a third coalition was forming against France, Prussia wavered more than ever. The emperor of Russia, Alexander, appeared at Berlin, and brought about the convention of Potsdam, Nov. 3,1805; but, after tUe battle of Austerlilz, Prussia sought fot peace, and concluded with France the treaties of Dec. 15, 1805, at Vienna, nnd of Feb. 15, 180G, at Paris. April 1, 1806, she was obliged to occupy Hanover, and was severely reproached oy Fox. Aller Napoleon had concluded the confederacy of the Rhine, Prussia thought herself called upon to form a counterpoise against France ; but she could not effect a confederacy of the states of Northern Germany.
A war ensued, and a single battle - that of Jena, Oct. 14, 1805 - disclosed to the world the rottenness of the system of Frederick the Great (to rest the whole power of the state on the army, and to separate the army as much as possible from the citizens, by taking for soldiers foreigners, and for officers noblemen only, whose arrogance has never been surpassed, and had no solid basis, not even that of large property). The peace of Tilsit, July 9, 1807, reduced Prussia to half its former dimensions, and this half had to support 150,000 French soldiers until December, 1808, and to pay 120 millions of francs; French garrisons remained in the fortresses of Steitin, Kustrin and Glogau.
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