Absolute Monarchies: Prussia And Austria Compared

The Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire were both ruled by absolute monarchs. The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern, who were the hereditary rulers of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy was initially a vassal of the Kingdom of Poland, but a series of treaties after the Third Northern War freed the Duchy of Prussia from vassalage to any other state, making it a fully sovereign duchy. This laid the groundwork for the establishment of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701. The Austrian Empire, on the other hand, was ruled by the Habsburgs, who held the title of Holy Roman Emperor from 1438 to 1740, and again from 1745 to 1806.

The Kingdom of Prussia was ruled by the House of Hohenzollern, a hereditary line of monarchs

The Hohenzollerns were made rulers of the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1518 and secured the Duchy of Pomerania in 1529. In 1525, the Duchy of Prussia was established as a fief of the King of Poland, with Albert of Prussia as the first Duke of Prussia. Albert was the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights and a member of the Ansbach branch of the Hohenzollern family. The Duchy of Prussia adopted Protestantism as its official state religion.

The Margraviate of Brandenburg and the Duchy of Prussia were ruled in personal union after 1618 and were called Brandenburg-Prussia. The Kingdom of Prussia was created in 1701, eventually leading to the unification of Germany and the creation of the German Empire in 1871, with the Hohenzollerns as hereditary German Emperors and Kings of Prussia.

The Hohenzollern rulers of Prussia included Albert of Prussia, John Sigismund, George William I, Frederick I, Frederick William I, Frederick II, Frederick William II, Frederick William III, Frederick William IV, and William I, who became the first German Emperor in 1871.

The German Revolution of 1918 overthrew the Hohenzollerns and brought an end to the German and Prussian monarchy. The current head of the royal Prussian line of the House of Hohenzollern is Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia.

Prussia was a military state, with the fourth-largest army in Europe

Prussia was a military state with the fourth-largest army in Europe. By the end of Frederick William I's reign, Prussia had the fourth-largest army in Europe, consisting of 80,000 soldiers, despite being only the twelfth-largest population in Europe, with 2.5 million people. This led to the famous quote by Voltaire: "Where some states have an army, the Prussian Army has a state."

The Prussian Army was vital to the development of Prussia as a European political and military power. It was formed out of the united armed forces of Brandenburg-Prussia during the Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648. Elector Frederick William developed it into a viable standing army, while King Frederick William I of Prussia dramatically increased its size and improved its doctrines. King Frederick the Great, a formidable battle commander, led the disciplined Prussian troops to victory during the 18th-century Silesian Wars, increasing the prestige and military reputation of Prussia throughout Europe.

The Prussian Army was characterised by its sense of initiative and aggressive command at both the tactical and operational levels of war. The Prussian state often had fewer resources and manpower than its rivals, so the Prussians focused on quickly achieving decisive battlefield victories to avoid wars of attrition and sieges. They practiced Bewegungskrieg, or war of movement, to strike at the flanks or rear of the enemy. The Prussian emphasis on decisive battles instead of wars of attrition led to their inexperience in siege warfare.

The Prussian Army won major victories at Leuthen, Leipzig, Waterloo, Königgrätz, and Sedan, but also suffered devastating defeats at Kunersdorf and Jena-Auerstedt. They played a crucial role in the unification of Germany, establishing the German Empire in 1871, with the Prussian Army forming the core of the new Imperial German Army.

The Prussian King, Frederick the Great, was a supporter of enlightened absolutism

Prussia and Austria were ruled by absolute monarchs. The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern, who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Kingdom of Prussia, which constituted the German state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918, was ruled by absolute monarchs.

Frederick the Great was an influential military theorist and a capable military commander. He frequently led his military forces personally and had multiple horses shot from under him during battle. He is often admired for his tactical skills, especially his use of the oblique order of battle, an attack focused on one flank of the opposing line. He believed that creating alliances was necessary, as Prussia did not have the resources of nations like France or Austria. He stated that for Prussia, wars should be short and quick: long wars would destroy the army's discipline, depopulate the country, and exhaust its resources.

Frederick the Great was a religious sceptic and has been described as a deist. He tolerated all faiths in his realm, but Protestantism remained the favoured religion, and Catholics were not chosen for higher state positions. He wanted development throughout the country, adapted to the needs of each region. He was interested in attracting a diversity of skills, whether from Jesuit teachers, Huguenot citizens, or Jewish merchants and bankers. He befriended the Roman Catholic Prince-Bishop of Warmia, Ignacy Krasicki, whom he asked to consecrate St. Hedwig's Cathedral in 1773. He accepted countless Protestant weavers from Bohemia, granting them freedom from taxes and military service. Constantly looking for new colonists, he encouraged immigration by repeatedly emphasising that nationality and religion were of no concern to him.

Frederick the Great was a patron of music and the arts. He was a talented musician and composer in his own right, playing the transverse flute, and composing 121 sonatas for flute and continuo, four concertos for flute and strings, four sinfonias, three military marches, and seven arias. He also wrote philosophical works, publishing some of his writings under the title of The Works of a Sans-Souci Philosopher. He corresponded with key French Enlightenment figures, including Voltaire, whom he invited to live at his palace, and the Marquis d'Argens, whom he appointed as Royal Chamberlain in 1742 and later as the Director of the Prussian Academy of Arts and Berlin State Opera.

The Prussian state was unified in 1866, and later became the leading state of the German Empire

Prussia was a German state that was ruled by the House of Hohenzollern from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia until it was dissolved in 1947.

Prussia was an absolute monarchy until the German revolutions of 1848–1849, after which it became a constitutional monarchy.

In 1866, Prussia was the driving force behind the unification of Germany and the establishment of the North German Confederation. In 1871, the North German Confederation was transformed into the German Empire, with Prussia as its leading state.

The German Empire successfully unified all of the German states (excluding Austria and Switzerland) under Prussian hegemony. This was due to the defeat of Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, which united all the German states against a common enemy and brought about an overwhelming wave of nationalism.

Prussia, as the leading state of the German Empire, played a crucial role in shaping the history of Germany. It was a major power in Europe, with a significant influence on European affairs. The Prussian Army was one of the most powerful military forces in Europe, and Prussia's dominance among the German states was established through its military strength and victories.

Prussia's unification of Germany and its subsequent role as the leading state of the German Empire marked a significant shift in the balance of power in Europe. The Kingdom of Prussia, which had been a driving force behind German unification, became a constituent state of the German Empire and continued to exert significant influence on German politics and history.

The Kingdom of Prussia ended in 1918, following the German Revolution

Prussia was an absolute monarchy until the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, after which it became a constitutional monarchy. The Kingdom of Prussia ended in 1918 following the German Revolution, which began in 1918 and lasted until 1919. The revolution led to the Kingdom of Prussia being transformed into the Free State of Prussia, and the country was incorporated into the Weimar Republic. Prussia as a whole was abolished in 1947.

The Kingdom of Prussia was the driving force behind the unification of Germany in 1866 and was the leading state of the German Empire until its dissolution in 1918. The kingdom was ruled by the House of Hohenzollern, and its capital was Berlin. The kingdom was formed in 1701, and its predecessor, Brandenburg-Prussia, became a military power under Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, known as "The Great Elector". As a kingdom, Prussia continued its rise to power, especially during the reign of Frederick II, "the Great".

Frederick the Great was instrumental in starting the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), during which he held his own against Austria, Russia, France, and Sweden, establishing Prussia as a dominant force among the German states and a European great power. Prussia made attempts to unify all the German states under its rule, and whether Austria would be included in such a unified German domain became an ongoing question. After the Napoleonic Wars, the issue of unifying the German states caused the German revolutions of 1848–1849, with representatives from all states attempting to unify under their own constitution.

Prussia was the driving force behind the North German Confederation, which was transformed into the unified German Empire in 1871. The German Empire successfully unified all of the German states aside from Austria and Switzerland under Prussian hegemony due to the defeat of Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. The war united all the German states against a common enemy, and the victory brought an overwhelming wave of nationalism which changed the opinions of some of those who had been against unification.

Prussia supplied significant numbers of soldiers and sailors in the German military during World War I, and Prussian Junkers dominated the higher ranks. Prussia also experienced increasing troubles with revolutionaries during the war, and the Great War ended with an armistice on 11 November 1918. Uprisings in Berlin and other centres began the civil conflict of the German Revolution, which led to the end of the Kingdom of Prussia.

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