Frederick William II - King of Prussia, representative of the Hohenzollern dynasty, in power from 1786 to 1797. In contrast to his famous uncle Frederick the Great, he did not possess the traits necessary for the monarch: will, common sense, necessary knowledge. Through the efforts of his uncle, he became a slightly improved copy of his father, Augustus Wilhelm, whom his own brother Frederick the Great simply despised for his worthlessness.
Childhood
Friedrich Wilhelm II was born in Berlin on September 25, 1744 in the family of Augustus Wilhelm, brother of King of Prussia Friedrich, and Louise Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttelsky. When he was three years old, Frederick II took the crown prince to Berlin. This was done in order to prepare the heir to the Prussian throne, since the king did not have his children.
Frederick the Great decided to give the future king the best education. Swiss scientist N. Begelin was appointed as a teacher. His father, Augustus Wilhelm, in 1757, for his failures in the Northern War, is dismissed by the king from service and dies in a year. His title passes to his son. The future king Frederick William II considers his uncle to be his father.
Youth
He takes part in hostilities at Schweidnitz and Burkersdorf, for which he received praise from his uncle and the appointment of commander of an infantry regiment. It seemed that a trusting relationship had developed between them, but over time they became increasingly distant from each other due to different characters and attitudes towards their duties.
In contrast to the industrious and pedantic Frederick, for whom the good of the state was the work of his whole life, Frederick William II loved the pleasures and joys of life. He made a few favorites for himself, not realizing that he, being a public person, was always surrounded by the attention of citizens who showed their dissatisfaction with his behavior. But he was well treated because of his malice and sympathetic attitude towards people.
Family matters
To stop him, Frederick in 1765 decided to marry the daughter of the Duke of Braunschweig, Elizabeth Christine, who, like him, did not feel any feelings for the Crown Prince. After a while, he divorces this marriage, but he is again married to Frederick of Hesse-Darmstadt.
An official marriage soon bored him. He, suggesting that this divorce would provoke a storm of indignation among the court conservatives and Frederick himself, concluded a morganatic alliance with Julia von Foss, and after her death, with Sofia von Dengoff. In addition, Friedrich Wilhelm 2 from 1764 was an official favorite, who was paid 30 thousand thalers per year from the treasury. This is the daughter of the court musician Wilhemin Enke, who, for the sake of decency, was married to valet Johann Ritz. After the death of Frederick II, she became Countess of Lichtenau and was very influential at court. In addition to these women, he had many more lovers.
Years of rule
Frederick William 2, king of Prussia, was a passionate musician, played the cello. After his accession to the throne, he did a lot for the formation and development of German theater. In the army, cash benefits were increased, some mitigations were introduced. But despite all the efforts and love of the subjects, the combat readiness of the army was getting worse.
The economy was also experiencing difficult days, industrial enterprises were not profitable, the army gradually lost its combat effectiveness, and the trade was stunted. There was desolation in everything. Much of what was introduced by Frederick II gradually faded into the past. This was especially evident in the army. Although some abuses were eradicated, discipline, as a consequence of weak command, fell.
Foreign policy
In 1791, the French Revolution broke out. Already in June, Count D'Artois met with Emperor Leopold II, King of Prussia Frederick William II. It was decided to rescue the French king Louis VI. Frederick personally led the army on a campaign against the rebels. In June, the Battle of Valmi took place, during which an artillery firefight took place. The Prussian army, 10 days later, retreated due to rain, hunger, and sickness of soldiers. The French celebrated the victory of the revolutionary army.
This led to the signing of the Basel Peace in May 1795. A demarcation line was established between the two countries. Under this treaty, neutrality was ensured not only in the Prussian state, but also in Northern Germany.
In 1793, Russia and Austria proceeded to the second division of the Polish-Lithuanian state. The King of Prussia claimed in South Prussia, Danzig and Thorn. They were satisfied, and Prussia received them. According to the second treaty of January 1795, territories of East Prussia, Mazovia and Warsaw were transferred to Prussia.
King Frederick William II died in 1797. He was buried in Potsdam. With his efforts, or rather, with luck, the territory of the Prussian state became one third more.