This child is Frederick II, a generation of iron-blooded emperors in modern European history, who personally turned Prussia into a new military power in modern times. Of course, many diehard admirers in modern times even gave him an honorific title: frederick the great!
At first glance, Frederick II was born for war. His father William I called himself "the king of soldiers" and paid close attention to the Prussian army. Frederick II as a teenager was of course Prince Frederick at that time, but he didn't seem to have any military potential. Many belligerent Prussian ministers and generals, even when they saw this prince, sighed in their hearts, fearing that the Prussian kingdom, which was still grasping the military at this time, would be destroyed by this prince in the future.
Because, at that time, Prince Frederick and his iron warrior father were simply two different people. He is not uninterested in military affairs, but a literary youth who loves poetry and music and often enthusiastically praises peaceful life.
1. Rebellious literary youth
Although he was born in the Prussian royal family with martial arts fanaticism and grew up under the strict education of his father William I, the young Frederick's determination to love literature and art was once as firm as eating the weight.
Frederick, who was playing art at that time, had a good time. A prince, but fanatically worships the enlightenment thinkers of the same period, and is also a die-hard fan of Bach, the father of European piano. When I was old, I was addicted to writing poems and singing. Whenever I am free, I will play music with my young friend Captain Carter. But his father William I, whose goal is to build a military power, can't stand his son's carefree life. He immediately pulled his face down and gave a cruel hand, forcing Frederick to study military seriously, but even Frederick's rebellious temper was revealed: He wouldn't let me play music? What's the point of being a prince?
Therefore, the determined Frederick and his friend Captain Carter, together, staged a crazy scene in modern European history: voluntarily giving up the title of prince and eloping with Captain Carter in a carriage, intending to escape freely to the legendary Britain and pursue their artistic dreams. But before he reached the border, he was caught by his father William I.
At this time, William I, a famous "soldier king" in Europe, fought a life-and-death battle. This time, he used an almost cold-blooded method to deal with the court scandal: he dragged Captain Carter, who lived with Frederick day and night, to the execution ground and executed him in cold blood in front of Frederick. At that moment, in "Where are you going? Didi blood donation finally made Frederick, a literary youth, move.
From then on, the Prussian royal family finally discovered that Frederick had changed. Once high-spirited young people became reticent, not only studying military seriously according to their father's requirements, but also working as assistants beside the famous prinz eugen. Life has also become resigned, and I accepted the marriage arranged by my father without thinking. Young people who once rebelled seem to have become good babies.
But at that time, few people realized that Frederick, who had begun to compromise in the face of reality, had amazing military talent after he really began to seriously study the military, as if he had opened a magic box. Looking at the father who is catching the army in full swing and looking on coldly, he has already outlined a brand-new military blueprint in his heart. The strict management of father William I not only suppressed the rebellious son, but also awakened a sleeping Warcraft!
Sure enough, William I died in 1740, and Frederick II, 28, formally succeeded to the throne. Just as many neighboring countries were full of hope that this weak young emperor would change Prussia's military national policy, people were caught off guard: on the fifth day after he took office, he introduced a brand-new conscription system, abolished various conscription rules and regulations in his father's time, opened up private conscription, and brought a group of corrupt officers in the Prussian army to justice more quickly. In this way, I suddenly declared to the whole of Europe with a tough face: I am serious about fighting!
Second, the military revolution that changed the modern map.
During the reign of Frederick's father William I, all European countries were surprised by Prussia's belligerence. However, Frederick II's accession to the throne surprised all countries: I am the real militant!
Compared with his father's persistent military training, Frederick reached a higher level. -we should not only grasp skills and tactics, but also grasp ideas. From then on, the education of the "military soul" of the Prussian army began, and the education of soldiers' sense of honor ran through the Prussian army. In the future, Germans' iron willpower and strong sense of honor are actually the cornerstone!
These two ideas of building the army, put in Europe in the middle of18th century, can be called genius ideas. Frederick II, who was one step ahead, quickly established a huge iron army in just a few years. But the biggest progress is another breakthrough he has studied all his life: tactical revolution!
Frederick, who was extremely disgusted with the army when he was young, really began to reform the combat methods, but he kept innovating. The first is equipment reform, muskets and artillery equipment of the Prussian army. In Frederick's time, technology made rapid progress. Then there is a brand-new style of play, Frederick's original oblique fire battle sequence, which ensures that the Prussian army equipped with new muskets can launch fire strikes more quickly and effectively. Even in the18th century, it was the most advanced shooting tactic in the world.
However, Frederick, who developed this advanced shooting tactic, did not lose too much blood. Typical 1756 Seven-Year War, Frederick, which spanned Austria, France and Russia, was once torn by powerful Russian cavalry. Even the capital Berlin once fell into the hands of Russia. If it hadn't been for the defection of Russia, Prussia, which was at the end of its tether, would have been almost a disaster.
However, in this life-and-death test, Frederick's creativity was maintained, and he learned a lesson from his bitter experience. He not only set up a powerful artillery unit, but even updated the modern tactics of artillery covering cavalry charge, which not only called on Prussian troops to continue to upgrade, but also was carried forward by Napoleon later.
This "Seven Years' War" was just a test in Frederick's military life. Since 1740 ascended the throne, he has been involved in the Austrian royal succession war, which lasted for five years. Then, 1756, he took part in the seven-year war. He finally got away with it at the cost of being on the verge of national subjugation. Nine years after the end of the war, he launched a war to carve up Poland and joined hands with Russia to carve up Poland. It was from this time that he added a self-styled name to himself: frederick the great!
Look at this war experience, and you will know that the Prussian War has never stopped since the beginning of its rule. It is often the end of a big war, and it will continue to fight a few years later. The price is also very high. In Silesia alone, Prussia suffered as many as 500,000 casualties. But such a war maniac, a contemporary thinker of the European Enlightenment, not only seldom felt ill feelings, but all of them rushed to praise and received rave reviews.
Because Frederick, a young man of literature and art, likes to "put on a show" in the form of literature and art, even if the whole army is at war.
Three: frederick the great loves to show off.
Frederick, who always fights earth-shattering wars, does not change his style of writing when he is not fighting. In addition to his inherent interest in music and poetry, Frederick became obsessed with philosophy and design after he ascended the throne. Scholars from all over Europe are often invited to visit the palaces designed by him to discuss art and life. His hardcore idol Bach and thinker Voltaire are closely associated with him.
This enthusiastic attitude is also well known to many European thinkers. They basically turned a blind eye to Frederick's bloody war, especially the actions of dividing Poland. On the contrary, he spared no effort to praise his achievements, such as Prussia's internal affairs, economic and legal reforms, and the popularization of education. In particular, Voltaire told Frederick a touching story of "not tearing down the miller's house in order to respect the law", which won Frederick a glorious image.
But as far as military history is concerned, Frederick is indeed brilliant, and his military reform not only leads the modern development trend. Prussia, a weak country in the past, expanded its territory by 1.6 times and became a new European power. The great cause of reunifying Germany in the future, Germany, which was extremely belligerent in modern history, was laid down in his hands!
What is more worth remembering is the famous saying of the "enlightened" emperor: "If you are satisfied with other people's territory, then you can bring them here. Defence lawyers can always be found. " Compared with the history of colonial expansion in modern western countries, so many barbaric invasions in the name of "civilization", isn't that what Frederick said? In this sense, this war maniac, a literary youth, is still a real person.