Fredrick the Great Reflects on his Part in the War of Austrian Succession, Leading to

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I am Frederick II of Prussia, but history remembers me as Frederick the Great. I was born in 1712, into a world where power and prestige were won on the battlefield, and where the strength of a ruler was measured by the greatness of his kingdom. My father, Frederick William I, was known as the "Soldier King," and from a young age, I was trained to uphold the Prussian values of discipline, order, and military prowess. But as you will see, my journey was not merely one of conquest—it was also a journey of intellectual and cultural development.

As a child, I was drawn more to philosophy and the arts than to the military drills my father insisted upon. I loved playing the flute, reading the works of Voltaire, and discussing ideas with the greatest minds of the time. But my father had little patience for such pursuits, and I quickly learned that to survive, I would have to embody the warrior king he wanted me to be. In time, however, I found a way to merge my love for the arts with my role as a ruler.

When I ascended to the throne in 1740, upon my father's death, I inherited a strong, well-disciplined army and a treasury filled with wealth. But I did not simply sit back and enjoy my inheritance. No, I saw an opportunity to make Prussia a dominant force in Europe. The same year I became king, I launched an invasion of the rich province of Silesia, which belonged to Austria. This bold move sparked the War of the Austrian Succession, and it was through my leadership that Prussia emerged as a major power, despite the opposition of formidable enemies like Austria, France, and Russia.

My reign was marked by numerous wars, but perhaps the most defining was the Seven Years' War, which began in 1756. It was a brutal and exhausting conflict, where Prussia stood alone against a coalition of great powers. The odds were against us—I was outnumbered and outgunned—but through strategic brilliance and the unwavering discipline of my troops, I was able to fend off my enemies and secure Prussia's position as a leading European power. This war earned me the title of "the Great," but it also left my kingdom deeply scarred and exhausted.

However, my reign was not solely defined by war. I was also a reformer and a patron of the arts. I believed in enlightened absolutism—the idea that a ruler should govern with reason and justice. I modernized the Prussian bureaucracy, promoted religious tolerance, and encouraged the arts and education. I corresponded with great thinkers like Voltaire and saw myself as a philosopher-king. Under my rule, Prussia became not only a military power but also a center of culture and enlightenment.

But my life was not without its challenges. I ruled with an iron fist, and though I was successful in expanding and consolidating my kingdom, I often felt isolated. I had no heirs, and my relationships were strained by the burdens of leadership. In the end, I devoted myself entirely to the welfare of my state, believing that the glory of Prussia was my legacy.

I passed away in 1786, after a reign of 46 years. My efforts had transformed Prussia from a minor German state into a European powerhouse. My legacy as Frederick the Great endures, not only as a military genius but also as a ruler who sought to balance power with wisdom, conquest with culture, and authority with justice.

Remember, young scholars, that the measure of a ruler is not only in the battles they win, but in the civilization they foster. That is the story of my life—one of both conquest and enlightenment.

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