Introduction to Frederick
Frederick , the name of three Holy Roman emperors, two kings of Prussia, one emperor of Germany, and nine kings of Denmark. (The German spelling is Friedrich, the Danish, Frederik.)
Holy Roman Empire
Frederick Icalled Barbarossa (1123?–1190), king of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor from 1152 until his death. He was the second emperor of the Hohenstaufen line. Barbarossa (“the Redbeard”) is a hero of the German people. He was of strong character and commanding personality, admired for his wisdom, courage, and generous nature. Under his rule, the empire was expanded, learning encouraged, and internal peace established.
The struggle between the German princely houses of Guelph (Welf) and Ghibelline (named for a Hohenstaufen estate) reached a crisis during Barbarossa's reign. He temporarily destroyed Guelph power in Germany.
Barbarossa was the son of Frederick II of Swabia, one of the older German states. His mother was a Guelph. In 1147 he succeeded his father as Duke of Swabia and went on the Second Crusade with his uncle, Conrad III, king of Germany and uncrowned Holy Roman Emperor. On the death of Conrad in 1152 Barbarossa was chosen to wear the German crown. He went to Italy for coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in 1155.
Conflict over imperial and papal authority had continued for a century. Between 1154 and 1184 Barbarossa led six campaigns into northern Italy to subdue Lombard towns that refused to accept his rule. In 1176 his army was devastated by disease. His cousin, Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria and head of the house of Guelph, deserted Barbarossa's cause. Barbarossa was defeated at Legnano (1176) and forced to recognize the independence of the Lombard League. Upon his return to Germany, he seized Sax-ony and Bavaria from Henry and forced him into exile. ( .)
In 1187 Jerusalem fell to the Muslim leader Saladin. Barbarossa joined in organizing the Third Crusade. His army left Germany in 1189. It had reached Asia Minor when in June, 1190, Barbarossa was drowned while crossing a river.
Frederick IIcalled Stupor Mundi (1194–1250), king of Sicily (as Frederick I), 1198–1250, and king of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor, 1215–50. He was a member of the house of Hohenstaufen, the son of Henry VI and the grandson of Frederick I. He gained the name Stupor Mundi (“The Amazement of the World”) for both his leadership and his many scholarly interests. After several years of civil war in Germany, Frederick, with the support of Pope Innocent II, claimed the German throne in 1212. His claim was not generally recognized until he was elected emperor three years later. In 1228 he embarked on the Sixth Crusade, in which he successfully negotiated with the Moslems for the return of Jerusalem to the Christians.
Frederick created a strong monarchy in Sicily, where he encouraged trade, reformed the fiscal system, and established a code of laws. As Holy Roman Emperor, however, he did nothing to check the growing autonomy of the German princes and failed in attempts to assert his authority over local rulers in many northern Italian cities. After the mid-1220's Frederick was almost continually in conflict with the papacy, which frequently allied with northern Italian leaders against him. In 1248, in his last significant campaign, Frederick suffered a major defeat by the northern Italians at Parma. He spent his remaining years in southern Italy. He was succeeded by his son Conrad, who was the last Hohenstaufen emperor.
Frederick was interested in the Arabic and Byzantine cultures and supported the work of many scholars and artists. In 1224 he founded the University of Naples.
Frederick III(1415–1493), duke of Styria from 1435, king of Germany (as Frederick IV) and Holy Roman Emperor from 1440, and archduke of Austria from 1463. He succeeded his distant cousin, Holy Roman Emperor Albert II, as head of the house of Hapsburg in 1439, and the next year was chosen as the German king and Holy Roman Emperor. Frederick was careful to keep the empire at peace with its neighbors, but he did little to suppress the local conflicts within the empire. He increased the Hapsburg dominion by arranging the marriage of his son Maximilian to the heiress of Burgundy. ( I.)
Prussia
Frederick I(1657–1713), elector of Brandenburg (as Frederick III) 1688–1701, and first king of Prussia 1701–13. He was the son of Frederick William, elector of Brandenburg (the “Great Elector”), whom he succeeded in 1688. He sent his army to assist Holy Roman Emperor Leopold in the wars against the Turks and the French. The emperor made the electorate a kingdom, which took the name of Prussia (formerly the name of one of the duchies within it). Frederick's army supported the emperor again in the War of the Spanish Succession.
Frederick was a patron of science and learning and founded schools, but his spending drained the treasury. He was succeeded by his son, Frederick William I.
Frederick II(1712–1786), known as Frederick the Great, ruled 1740–86. He was the son of Frederick William I, and grandson of Frederick I. Greatest of the Hohenzollern monarchs, he was brilliant in both peace and war. As a military leader Frederick was bold, decisive, and ruthless. Under his rule the Prussian army became increasingly effective and Prussia expanded in territory, strength, and influence to become a major power in Europe. Frederick promoted education and science, developed agriculture and commerce, drained marshlands, and founded villages. An enlightened law code was adopted. He encouraged literature and the arts, and filled his court with French intellectuals, including Voltaire for a time.
Although Frederick was an absolute ruler, he called himself “the first servant of his people.” He is considered one of the “benevolent despots” of the 18th century.
Frederick was reared with harshness by his father, who thought his son's taste for literature and music frivolous and effeminate. As a young man Frederick attempted to run away, but was caught and imprisoned. After several months he was pardoned and allowed to assume a local administrative position.
Soon after Frederick inherited the throne in 1740, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI died, leaving the Hapsburg dominions of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia to his daughter, Maria Theresa. The Hohenzollerns had an ancient claim on Silesia, a province of Bohemia, and Frederick invaded this territory. This began the War of Austrian Succession. In 1742 Maria Theresa ceded Silesia to Prussia.
After the conclusion of this war, Frederick formed alliances with Great Britain and four German principalities. At the same time Austria, hoping to regain Silesia, formed alliances with Russia, Saxony, France, and Sweden. In 1756 Frederick marched into Saxony, the first action of the Seven Years' War. Although Prussia faced powerful armies to the south (Austrian), east (Russian), and west (French), Frederick's troops were able to withstand them. The war concluded in 1763 with no territorial changes, and Prussia kept Silesia.
The war exhausted Prussia's resources, and Frederick spent the next years restoring the economy. In 1772 he persuaded Russia and Austria to join with Prussia in the partition of one-third of Poland's territory. Prussia gained an area between the provinces of East Prussia and Brandenburg, which created a contiguous Prussian domain on the Baltic Sea. When Austria attempted to seize Bavaria in 1778, Frederick declared war and Austria withdrew with little fighting. In 1785 Frederick formed a league of German states for their mutual protection against Austria. His nephew, Frederick William II, succeeded him.
Germany
Frederick III (1831–1888), king of Prussia and German emperor (kaiser) in 1888. He was the son of William I, first ruler of the German Empire. Frederick lived only three months after succeeding his father. As Crown Prince Frederick William, he had a distinguished military career. He was an advocate of liberalism and a patron of literature and science. His wife was a daughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. He was succeeded by his son, Kaiser William II.
Denmark
The first six Danish kings named Frederick were also kings of Norway. The most important were:
Frederick III(1609–1670), ruled 1648–70. He was the son of Christian IV. Renewed warfare with Sweden (1657–60) ended with the loss by Denmark of all territory on the Swedish mainland. At the end of the war, the king with the help of the middle class (to which he had granted political favors during the war) overthrew the powerful Danish nobility. Also, the monarchy, previously elective, was made hereditary.
Frederick VI(1768–1839), ruled 1808–39. Frederick became regent in 1784 because of the insanity of Christian VII, his father. Under his rule, serfdom was abolished and other reforms were made. Frederick reluctantly involved Denmark in the Napoleonic Wars (1800–14); the result was the loss of Norway and financial ruin for Denmark. In the latter part of his reign Frederick worked to rebuild his country.
Frederick VII(1808–1863), son of Christian VIII, came to the throne in 1848 Influenced by the Revolution of 1848 (a liberal movement that swept Europe), he renounced absolute rule, and in 1849 a constitutional monarchy was established. During his reign, the first Prusso-Danish war over Schleswig-Holstein was fought (1848–50), with Denmark victorious.
Frederick VIII(1843–1912) succeeded his father, Christian IX, in 1906. Upon becoming king, he proposed a system of home rule for Iceland. His second son became King Haakon VII of Norway. Frederick was succeeded by his eldest son, Christian X.
Frederick IX(1899–1972), son of Christian X, became king in 1947. He had served as regent several times during the latter part of his father's reign. He was an admiral in the Danish navy and was also an accomplished musician. Frederick married Princess Ingrid of Sweden in 1935. He was succeeded by their daughter Margrethe.