The Kingdom of Prussia (German: Königreich Preußen) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.[4] It was the driving force behind the unification of Germany in 1871 and was the leading state of the German Empire until its dissolution in 1918.[4] Although it took its name from the region called Prussia, it was based in the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Its capital was Berlin.[5]
The kings of Prussia were from the House of Hohenzollern. Brandenburg-Prussia, predecessor of the kingdom, became a military power under Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, known as "The Great Elector".[6][7][8][9] As a kingdom, Prussia continued its rise to power, especially during the reign of Frederick II, more commonly known as Frederick the Great, who was the third son of Frederick William I.[10] Frederick the Great was instrumental in starting the Seven Years' War (1756–63), holding his own against Austria, Russia, France and Sweden and establishing Prussia's role in the German states, as well as establishing the country as a European great power.[11] After the might of Prussia was revealed, it was considered as a major power among the German states. Throughout the next hundred years Prussia went on to win many battles, and many wars.[12] Because of its power, Prussia continuously tried to unify all the German states (excluding the German cantons in Switzerland) under its rule, and whether Austria would be included in such a unified German domain was an ongoing question.
After the Napoleonic Wars led to the creation of the German Confederation, the issue of unifying the German states caused a number of revolutions throughout the German states, with all states wanting to have their own constitution.[4] Attempts to create a federation remained unsuccessful and the German Confederation collapsed in 1866 when war ensued between its two most powerful member states, Prussia and Austria. The North German Confederation, which lasted from 1867 to 1871, created a closer union between the Prussian-aligned states while Austria and most of Southern Germany remained independent.[4] The North German Confederation was seen as more of an alliance of military strength in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian Warbut many of its laws were later used in the German Empire. The German Empire lasted from 1871 to 1918 with the successful unification of all the German states aside from Austria under Prussian hegemony;[4] this was due to the defeat of Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The war united all the German states against a common enemy, and with the victory came an overwhelming wave of nationalism which changed the opinions of some of those who had been against unification. In 1871, Germany unified into a single country, minus Austria and Switzerland, with Prussia the dominant power.[4]
Prussia is considered the legal predecessor of the unified German Reich (1871–1945) and as such a direct ancestor of today's Federal Republic of Germany.[4] The formal abolition of Prussia, carried out on 25 February 1947 by the Allied Control Council, referred to a tradition of the kingdom as a bearer of militarism and reaction, and made way for the current setup of the German states. However, the Free State of Prussia (Freistaat Preußen), which followed the abolition of the Kingdom of Prussia in the aftermath of World War I, was a major democratic force in Weimar Germany until the nationalist coup of 1932 known as the Preußenschlag.[citation needed] The Kingdom left a significant cultural legacy, today notably promoted by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SPK)), which has become one of the largest cultural organisations in the world.[13]
Kingdom of Prussia Königreich Preußen | |
|---|---|
| 1701–1918 | |
| Anthem: Preußenlied "Song of Prussia" |
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Kingdom of Prussia
Königreich Preußen
1701–1918
Flag of Prussia
Flag
(1803–1892)
Coat of arms of Prussia
Coat of arms
Anthem: Preußenlied
"Song of Prussia"
Royal anthem:
"Heil dir im Siegerkranz"
"Hail to thee in the Victor's Crown"
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The Kingdom of Prussia within the German Empire between 1871 and 1918
The Kingdom of Prussia within the German Empire between 1871 and 1918
Status
State of the German Confederation
(partly, 1815–1866)
State of the North German Confederation
(1867–1871)
Federal State of the German Empire
(1871–1918)
Capital
Berlin
Königsberg (In 1806)
Common languages Official:
German
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Minorities:
Religion Majority:
Protestantism (Lutheran and Calvinist; since 1817 Prussian United)
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Minorities:
Government
Absolute monarchy (until 1848)
Constitutional monarchy (from 1848)
King
• 1701–1713 (first)
Frederick I
• 1888–1918 (last)
Wilhelm II
Minister-Presidenta
• 1848 (first)
Adolf Heinrich
• 1918 (last)
Max von Baden
Legislature Landtag
• Upper house
Herrenhaus
• Lower house
Abgeordnetenhaus
Historical era
New Imperialism
World War I
• Coronation of Frederick I
18 January 1701
• Battle of Jena–Auerstedt
14 October 1806
• Congress of Vienna
9 June 1815
• Constitution adopted
5 December 1848
• Germany unified
18 January 1871
• Wilhelm II abdicatedb
28 November 1918
• Treaty of Versailles
28 June 1919
Area
1871[1] 348,779 km2 (134,664 sq mi)
Population
• 1756[2]
4,500,000
• 1816[1]
10,349,031
• 1871[1]
24,689,000
• 1910[3]
40,169,219
Currency
1701–1750 Reichsthaler
1750–1857 Thaler
1857–1873 Vereinsthaler
1873–1914 Goldmark
1914–1918 Papiermark
Preceded by Succeeded by
Holy Roman Empire
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Duchy of Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia.svg Brandenburg-Prussia
Royal Prussia
Free City of Danzig
Swedish Pomerania
Electorate of Hesse
Free City of Frankfurt
Duchy of Nassau
Kingdom of Hanover
Duchy of Holstein
Duchy of Schleswig
Saxe-Lauenburg
Duchies of Silesia
Free State of Prussia
Free City of Danzig
Second Polish Republic
Weimar Republic
First Czechoslovak Republic
Belgium
Denmark
Lithuania
^a During the North German Confederation and German Empire (1867–1918), the Minister-President of Prussia was also the Chancellor of Germany.
^b Statement of Abdication of William II
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Prussia
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