His Monstrous Father - Frederick the Great - European History - Part 1 - Extra History
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
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Frederick, Crown Prince of Brandenburg-Prussia will become a warrior king and an enlightened monarch that the likes of Prussia has never seen. His climb to power would be great but his childhood was not so easy. He would live with mistrust and violence at his heels. With relentless bullying from his own flesh and blood.
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Part 2 - • The School of Battle -...
Part 3 - • Forging a Legend - Fre...
Part 4 - • The Seven Years' War -...
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Series Wrap-up / Lies Episode - • Frederick the Great - ...
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Thanks so much for watching!
do vids about me MRM AKA PREZ MRM THE GREAT I
I'm not going spoil for people who don't know about Frederick II outside his military life e.g. government reformer (even non-nobility could get higher rank etc) patronage of arts, philosophy, attracting various immigrant and protection too raise up this art to his kingdom/nation etc.
He was unique figure of the military war state countries in Europe and excellent pick of you Extra Credits, talking about his early age and raised up by his father.
Fredrick didn't get his name "the Great" for non reason.
Big 👍👍 for you
Sincerely D. Duck
Jack Rackham did Frederick the Great like seven months ago.
@@CaptBackwards
I didn't know about Jack Rackham. I mostly read or listening pods about subject history.
Reason I liked Extra credit made video about Fredrick the Great, they don't go hardcore deep into part of history as well they are good explaining, in this case who was Prussia? For people outside Europe will have hard understanding of the kingdom, even the era of Holy roman empire.
I like too share too other ppl in discord and friends when it comes specific subject or leader. One of them when Extra credit made video about Insulin and why it's important too remember they made their product so cheap... and now it's very expensive as many ppl who have diabetes are suffering from economical finance.
Short story: Sharing is caring, Knowledge is power. I appreciate and thank you mention that other ytber like Jack, I will check him as well. 👍
Sincerely D Duck
@@donaldduck9884 Thank you for your kind words! Rob was really excited to dig into this topic.
And don't forget that Frederick's relationship with his father was SO bad that he wrote in his will that he wanted to be buried with his greyhounds, instead next to his father
And then they buried him next to his Father anyways. Just in case you thought fate wouldn't give him one last kick even after death.
@@alexandersturnn4530 but he was reburied again.
This time next to his beloved greyhounds
@@marseldagistani1989 I visited his grave, it was surprisingly humble, just a slab of marble on the grass.
@@flyingsquirrell6953 Which, if I am being honest is far more humbling, than Napoleon's tomb.
@@marseldagistani1989 To be fair, Napoleon didn't issue that massive tomb for himself. Others did when he was brought back from St. Helena years after he died.
After rewatching the Catherine the Great episode, I can see why him and Catherine did connect well.
they were great for each other
they were both abused by their parents
They survived monsters
I thought the exact same thing
After his cameos in the Catherine series, it's good to know that one of his actions was to reverse his father's hate-boner on philosophy, sciences, and the arts, making that man REEEEEE before going ack!
"A secret library of 3000 books"
*Literal door in the palace with a sign that reads 'Definitely NOT a library '*
King: "Well, all seems in order here"
😂😂😂
Didn't his father have gout?
I mean, a narrow steep staircase might have been all it took.
Fred I probably had thousands of military treatises, so if you disguised the covers as an ABC of military organisation, it is not like he will check at all.
Frederick the Great introduced us Germans to potatoes, what a fucking legend
Tja auf den alten Fritz kann man stolz sein
I hope they go into the details of _how_ he did it, because that's gold.
Other then the profanity pretty true
@@ArkadiBolschek its honestly really funny how the people were like "We don't like the damn potatoes"
Frederick: "Okay then all the potatoes are mine"
People: "wait"
He introduced the continent to the plant.
This reminds me of a Joseon(Korean) prince who was abused by his father for the opposite reasons from Frederick. The prince was fond of martial pursuits and even wrote a book a spear techniques. But his father hated him for not being confucian enough. He was treated in a similar fashion to Frederick, this lead to him cracking under the pressure and going insane. He killed three of his attendants and for this crime the king locked him in a box and starved him to death.
Poor baby......
I think autocorrect has goofed up on you. I believe you're trying to say Confucian.
Even in this context I did not anticipate that ending, wow
@@SilentGlaceon94 poor autocorrect got confuciused
But as a reaction of Joseon Sado, his son became the example that would echo Frederick’s. Yi San, was known as a benevolent ruler who made attempts to reform and help the common people of Korea really seems to show that we as people learn to adapt in the harshest of conditions whether it be physical or mental. They are obviously not perfect, but a model to better ourselves as a whole.
The fact he became such a great reformer, (and he wasnt just a warmongerer) after this childhood and teenage years, is amazing
Certainly. He did end up fighting in expanssionist wars though
@@ΧΡΗΣΤΟΣΑΜΑΝΑΤΙΔΗΣ-β7μ everyone did at the time. It's just how things were
Yes, and even more so, today I’d say he’s more well known than his father
Seems his dad raised him right, despite this "Mommy Dearest" version.
@@gordonstewart5774 well, he certainly taught him how to properly manage a kingdom and that a King must be the state's first and best servant. Those were indeed valuable lessons. And if you ask me, every King should live by these principles and pass them on to his heirs.
Sometimes I wonder though: was that accomplishment achievable achievable with more gentle means;
"This angered his father, who punished him severely."
Sadly those guys havent made a Video about this abused child
@@chheinrich8486 you can not say his name ..... he is one who shall not be named .....*hears hells march in the distance*
Who are we talking about?
@@callnight1441 about oversimplified and their ww2 Video where they have this joke in the section where hitlers backstory is explained
@@chheinrich8486 i was thinking it might be him, but i didnt know about his rough childhood
"When his mother found out that his sister was being beaten by her tutor, she hired a different tutor. Frederick's father... preferred to do the beating himself."
-Jack Rackham, in his own video about Frederick in 2022.
Jack Rackham does amazing history videos. I've been a fan of his since he started.
3:12 The story of these "giants" was tragic in its own right. Not only were many of them press ganged and kidnapped from their homes in other countries, Fredrick apparently took a number of them and tried to "make them taller" via a "stretching device." Yep, he literally put his own men on a rack torture device to pop their spines and try to make them a bit taller. He EVENTUALLy ceased the experiment after a few were torn apart, but yeah.
Just in case there was any question as to whether or not Fredrick was abusive only towards his family.
He also tried to find the tallest women possible to breed with these guys, in order to create a new race of giants that Charles Darwin would bring up when discussing selective breeding.
Qxir?
@@angusyang5917 lol giants don't make the best Soldier's ever since gunpowder was invented all they make is bigger target's.
@@rc59191 Maybe this was the reason why Napoleon recruited the tallest soldiers of France into specialized units like grenadiers and the Imperial Guard, so that they would be the bigger targets instead himself or the other units.
@@angusyang5917 nah strength and size still was put to good use in thr army, you had to drag everything to the battle, and most ended in hand to hand combat at some point
No idea how you manage to hide 3000 books but respect on Fredrick's part
I mean when you have friends you can easily distribute them.
Behind the heavy cannon. Or the military painting. The father won't dare move thay
He was Belle in real life
There are many rooms in royal castles and mansions, including plenty of hideyholes. He probably had books hidden in many locations, plus he had many friends he could’ve given them too to keep them off-location,
Most royalty who live in a castle probably have never explored multiple rooms their entire life. And with distributing books, it will be a breeze.
8:09 For anyone wondering, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI personally intervened and insisted that a prince of any imperial estate could only be tried before the Imperial Diet, hence why Frederick wasn’t put to death
that was a close call
@@ValkyrieVal3 honestly am more surprised he didn’t do that before
@@painvillegaming4119 To be fair, I doubt Charles cared personally about the whole situation, he just didn’t want to the precedent to be set that this kind of behaviour was legal
IIRC Charles VI was also known to have had male lovers so he probably felt a lot of sympathy for Frederick
@@Edmonton-of2ec He was probably also concerned that a King executing his heir could lead to succession wars.
Frederick William: In order to make my son manly and godly, I will have him tutored only by men and boss around attractive warriors. This will not awaken anything in him.
It's litterally that one Simpsons episode with the metal factory.
There’s an incident where the religious Frederick William freaked out when his son was shown a naked woman.
*According to his sister Wilhelmine, Frederick was present when the Saxon king entertained his Prussian guests after a good dinner by escorting them into a lavishly decorated chamber, where he suddenly pulled back a curtain to reveal reclining on a couch in an alcove a young woman who was not only very beautiful but also stark naked. A horrified Frederick William thrust his son from the room, but not before Frederick had seen enough to make him want to see more. He was, after all, of an age-he had celebrated his sixteenth birthday while in Dresden…Almost everything that is known about this episode stems from the memoirs of Frederick’s older sister Wilhelmine. These are not to be despised as a source, for she was very close to Frederick and the sympathetic recipient of his confidences. On the other hand, she was writing long after the event and her memoirs are full of mistakes. All that can be said with certainty is that Frederick William I felt very uncomfortable in Dresden. On his return, he wrote to Seckendorf that he had been appalled by the ungodly behavior of the court there, adding piously, “But God is my witness that I took no pleasure from it and that I am as pure as when I left home and shall remain so with God’s help until the end of my days.”*
"Attractive warriors"
Where in the video does it say that?
@sudanipropagandist6214 I'm being funny, probably should have said 'exceptionally fit men who parade around outside my merting window' but please note Fredrick William specifically had a unit of giants, so he did choose some for aesthetics
@@sudanipropagandist6214 big bulky men naturally are, dear.
Fredrick liked the arts and modern ideas. This angered his father, who punished him severely
Why does this sound nearly identical with a man from Austria-
@@sweet813one hold up
🤣🤣
They must make an episode on this
Referencing oversimplified under another history youtuber's video? There's gonna be a tax for that.
"Please forgive me dear Katte! In God's name forgive me! "
"There's nothing to forgive... I'd die for you with joy in my heart"
AAAAH WHY IS THAT SO SWEET!?
going to kms. this is the saddest thing ever. ☹️
That’s what I’m SAYINGGGGGG LIKE SOBBING
W rizz fr skibidi ohio grimace griddy ice spice Gyatt?
Friendships like that are rare nowdays.
@thatsMel4ya
💀
This puts a whole new light on how Fritz would treat Sophie and especially her mother years later.
True. Sophie too lived under her parent's terror and Frederick knew how to make a closed child show her true self and talent.
Ivan the Terrible: "There's no great who could defeat this Russian..."
Frederick the Great: "How about a flute busting Prussian?"
Is that a fucking ERB reference
Oh he was making that flute bust alright
Frederick the Great also had an appearance on one of my favorite Epic Rap Battles of History. Hail the flute-busting Prussian!
He also died by his own terms in the Rap Battle rather then be strangled by Ivan the troll face.
-Joins the battle on his own terms
-Drops some kick ass lines
-Doesn’t let Ivan even respond
-Dies on his own terms
-Doesn’t evaluate
@@GeorgianPapist514 Elaborate you mean
Me no language good.
My favourite line from that: "Oblique Attack Tactics aren't exactly Straight"
“Where some states have an army, the Prussian Army has a state.” -Voltaire
Lets hope this comes here somewhere
Fun fact, Voltaire was a good triend of Frederic, and his roomie at one point.
I think this quote was used in thr opening of the Bismarck video
and Bismarck and luckily for Prussia Bismarck always has a plan....oh wait ... that's later in Prussian history .....
Voltaire - Smug Frenchman that couch surfed most of 18th century Europe
Frederick the Great : how to rise from the ashes of your hellish childhood.
Petetion to make this the title
Great alternative title.
you could say this about a lot of people and i mean A LOT
It was his childhood that made him such a legend, his father was right his tactics of raising him worked
Baki Hanma: NOTED!
Me: “Man, I sure loved that Catherine episode! Such a tragedy, I wonder how she got along so well with Frederick.”
Also me, 5 years later after this episode: “Oh…… It is like poetry, it rhymes.”
Frederick on the polish partition between Russia , Prussia and Austria
"it is all well and good for Catherine and me , we are pirates , but how will the good Maria-Theresa explain it to her confessor "
@@sparkyfromel wait is this a real quote ? I love it hh
@@popcorn1601 yes , Frederick and Catherine were pretty much operating on the same level , both were called the great for good reasons ,
don't believe the stories about Catherine sex life , she really was quite moderate , the channel has a great bio of her .
@@sparkyfromel Ah I watched the Catherine videos years ago, and European history as my high school senior subjects, I must say that Catherine truly is one of a kind, '"I shall be an autocrat: that's my trade and the good Lord will forgive me that's his." , I just thought the quote you found was very nice. Gives a very human side to these historical figures that I am, to be frank, quite obsessed with, so thank you :)
you actually forgot that even his own mother tried to escape with him
And the that she deliberately exacerbated the poor relationship Frederick had with her husband as a way to get back at him
I would like to ask for your source on this claim. As far as we know from the several accounts on this, the queen might have been suspicious but was in no way involved.
And he forgot that the goldfish also wanted to escape
@@Edmonton-of2ecHer husband didn’t need her help to alienate his son.
@@magicaltour1 True, but she didn’t help either
Fredrick Der Grosse was probably one of the most capable military and political leaders of his period.
An authoritarian autocrat who supported the arts, education, and sciences and rightfully deserves the title Enlightened Despot.
Frédéric le grand left a fascinating legacy of art and philosophy, I absolutely loved visiting the palais de sanssoucis in Potsdam and learning about it's purpose as the cottage-palace inspired by his and Voltaire's enlightenment ideals
Well....Look at voltaire and say that again.
I mean he almost started a war because voltaire stole some "poems" of his wich happened to insult every Monarch of europe at the time
@@hugovasquez8222 Well Voltaire did steal from him.
After beating Prussia in the war of 1806, Napoleon took the time to visit Frederick's grave in Potsdam together with his top Generals. He was recorded saying: "If this one had still been alive, we would not be standing here."
Prussian Autocrats acts differently sometimes.
While other authoritarian authocrats: I am the State!
Prussian authoritarian authocrats: I am the Kingdom first servant & i shall serve! Living in luxury, but improving its states to enlarge its militaries.
The peculiar title "King in Prussia" had nothing to do with the size or importance of the realm. It was about loopholes:
1. Prussia was the one part of the composite realm of Brandenburg-Prussia that actually was not within the boundaries of the HRE, so once it stopped to be a Polish fiefdom, there was nothing stopping the Hohenzollerns from crowning themselves there.
2. Besides the Ducal (or Eastern) Prussia, there was also the other Prussia: Royal Prussia, which was part of Poland. Therefore, calling themselves "Kings of Prussia" would imply making a claim to the lands of Polish Kings.
Can't wait to see this on the 'Lies' episode.
@@LatinaCreamQueen Same. BTW, on the map, Warmia (Ermland) is also not attached to the rest of Royal Prussia, as well as being underwater, apparently. 😄
That's that weird vaguely triangular shape protruding into Prussia.
Also the only Kings allowed in the HRE was the King of Germany and the King of Bohemia (both of which were just subtitles of the Holy Roman Emperor)
@@globe0147 Exactly! That's what I chiefly had in mind in my first point, writing about Prussia being outside of the HRE.
@@Artur_M. The Branbenburger Hohenzollerns simply found a loophole, they called themselves “King In Prussia” so to only refer to Prussia as it was out of the HRE. While still being Elector of Brandenburg in the HRE
"You must like more MASCULINE things"
**Gets a boyfriend**
"Off with his head"
YAAAAAS! One of my heroes!
Edit: fun fact, when Napolean visited Frederick's tomb, he told his valet, "If this man were still alive, we wouldn't be here."
napoleon and frederick totally would have bromanced each other if they'd lived the prime of their lives simultaneously
@@OutbackCatgirl*Yakuza music fills the screen*
This is the part of Frederick II we don't often hear about.
We always hear about his time as ruler and the legends he made, but not about how abused he amd his sister were.
Likewise for his father. Frederick Wilhelm I, the "Soldier King" is not best remembered for being a monster.
Shitty parent , but definitely a great leader for the state . He set Frederick up to be great
Funny I heard of his origin story first before he became King
With Fredrick's history, I'm curious if he did have a personal connected with Catherine the Great because of both having terrible parents.
iirc in the catherine the great series she met Fredrick before
Fredrick der Grosse was the one who arraigned the marriage between Catherine and Peter the III.
There are a lot of cool stories surrounding the first meeting between Fredrick and Catherine, at one point Fredrick got so pissed at her mother he had her escorted to a far wing of the palace and her dinner was served there instead of with the other guests.
Is that sarcasm!?
@@pantherace1000 wait until you hear of the stories of him and J.S. Bach. Yes, _THAT_ Bach.
Basically, Fredrick had one of Bach's sons in his court and since one of his sons kept singing his praises, Fredrick invited him in. Fredrick gave him something of a test, where he would transform a simple melody into ever-increasingly complex pieces. J.S. Bach not only proved his worth, he blew Fredrick away.
Why was cathrine choosen to be queen of Russia? Wasn't her family quite poor by nobles standard?
"No child of mine will learn the flute!"
"specifically the Transverse flute father"
"TRANSverse flute?!?!?!"
"In my household we only play the Cisverse flute, boy!"
Lol I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this 😅
Bro hated french so much for him word france is probably equal to Nigero of today
He hated the Fr[censored]ch so much
Oh, you've met my neighbors? >_>
Frederick's father: the homophobic bully
3:23 Also Frederick's father: stacks his council with men, smoking foot-long pipes.
Gotta suck to be the soldiers who forced young Fredrick to watch his lover die.
They had to know if they refused: the father would kill them.
But they must have also known when Fredrick became king, he'd probably also kill them.
one of my fav things are how we're starting to get these lines of history series tied together rather than a bunch of individual series
ALSO THAT START WAS REALLY CHILLING
Regarding those giant soldiers: The frequently hilarious military history podcast Lions Led By Donkeys has an episode on The Potsdam Giants that also covers a lot of Frederick's early life.
As it turns out, that story was far, FAR stranger and more disturbing than mentioned here.
Who else watched Qxir's video about the Potsdam Giants?
@@haven_lady675 Present.
Prussia naming their boys
Fredrick. William. Or Both.
Apparently there was some type of name shortage.
There’s also Wilhelm.
@@NicoBabyman1 "William" equals Wilhelm.
HistoryMatters fan, amirite?
@@samrevlej9331 indeed
@@RealFoxTrotFox Ah, a person of culture.
Fredrick-William in a McDonald's.
Person: Yeah can I get a Big Mac with a drink and *french* fries
FW: *WHO. SAID. THAT.*
😂😂😂😂😂
“And when he took power he was never beaten again”
Chills literal chills🔥
You know what. Knowing what Fred went thro makesme wanna respect him more
Same
Except if you're Polish...
@@theotherohlourdespadua1131 wdym?
@@bravomike4734 He started the tradition of Germany beating up Poland, basically.
It's quite interesting seeing how each of the three generations of Prussian kings handled the state affairs.
Fredrick's grandfather was a great patron of the arts and sciences. Fredrick's father fought corruption, promoted meritocracy and expanded/improved the military. Frederick himself did a bit of both: he used the powerful prussian army his father had built for defending the homeland and even expanding the territory's borders. Not only that but he also improved his father's military reforms. And he did all of this, while at the same time was a great parton of the arts like his grandpa.
A really interesting and complete individual
Fredricks the greats life would make for a great Netflix show. It has LGTBQ+ representation, a compelling main character, competent Villans, exciting battles, high stakes political maneuvering, breath taking twists, and a happy ending.
AND ANGST
Frederick the Great is one of my favorite historical figures because of his past. He was everything his father hated, imaginative, creative and philosophical. Yet those were the exact traits that made him be known as Frederick *the Great* and not just Frederick II.
What's even more heartbreaking is Katte(Fred's executed lover) called back
Katte*in french*: there's nothing to forgive, I die for toy with joy in my HEART!"
SERIOUSLY, Fred's dad might have been a "good army man" but he was a INSANE FATHER
*glad u guys had this, what these 2 went through was just tragic*
Honestly were is my King Frederick movie where he is still a badass and his love for men isn't bastardised or removed?
@@falconeshield If there was a movie, they’d cut out any LGBT and Russia would ban it entirely. 😢
@@falconeshieldNowhere luckily. There is no proof he ever had a romantic relationship with any men.
Making a movie where he has would be lying
Young Frederick was more interested in the arts and boys than military stuff. This enraged Frederick's father, who punished him severely.
My wife and I got to see Frederick's Sanssouci Palace and his grave while in Germany recently. He has always struck me as a very humble, down-to-Earth man, despite his being one of the most important leaders of his era. Looking forward to this series!
Frederick the great is a good boy and I want to give him a hug.
I mean, you can go to his tomb but you'd probably have to break several laws to get to him physically.
Same (Also nice profile picture)
I’m sure his tombstone read, “He never bore children.”
Of course Napoleon knows what was written on his grave when he visted it
A lot of European monarchs seem to have terrible parents. Then again a lot of people have terrible parents these days so I guess nothings changed.
this actually mirrors Geroge ii of england's upbringing
That’s why I believe parents don’t have a very important role in how children grow up to be. Some many people born with drunks and crackheads and they grow up fine or good people, there’s also those who with good parents became terrible people
Youd basically have to be a terrible person to run a nation back then. Even the best "good" rulers still had to play the game of politics with all its backstabbing, bribery, and when all else fails, war. It doesn't suprise me at all that royal parents were often terrible. The fact that some monarchs managed to stay decent people at all is a miracle, considering everything they had to do to keep power.
Not like child services could step in and take a monarch's kid if their parents were awful
Plus, a lot monarchs tend to be terrible parents, including the good monarchs
His upbringing raises an interesting question: if his interests and pasions were nurtered more, would he have become even greater or was it going through and overcoming the harsh treatment that shaped him to become great?
I would say that it was because he was still able to find friends and allies. He might have become a good military leader but the rest his patronage would likely have fallen away or be greatly reduced.
Being raised in a harsh environment doesnt make you stronger for it, it just makes you equally unpleasent for pure survival. Its a common misconception often quoted by people who also desperately want to project an image of strength without having the self confidence to back it up.
@@richyhu2042 I think you're projecting a bit yourself on that last part
@Tay projecting would be me saying that only the strong survive in harsh environments and that is a good thing. Being strong doesnt mean being happy and what can make one person stronger can crush someone else. Humans are funny like that. This comes from the same line of thinking that produces peiple who unironically believe in alpha wolves and social darwinism, a combination misunderstanding and desire to look stronger by latching on to popular conceptions of strength.
@@richyhu2042I agree with you
He coresponded with Voltaire, was praised by Kant, and was renound for being the ideal example of an enlightened despot.
But he never had children nor did he ever attempt to be serious in a relationship...
I mean he is serious about the relationship... not wanting to work at all. Dude only met his wife less 5 times a day and forbids her from being near him at all times...
@@theotherohlourdespadua1131Only after the his return from war. Before that he liked her a lot mor.
4:20 The most sympathetic thing about Frederick-William
Not enough pot in the world to make me mellow on this MFer.
LOL 🤣
Relatable
Actually, that's the only thing I oppose about Friedrich-Wilhelm
On everything else, I completely agree with him
Frederick William was a bad father because his views clashed with his sons. It makes sense he tried to convince his son of his views, but the way he went about it was quite shameful.
Huh. Didn't expect to be reminded so much of my own childhood in the youth of a long dead monarch
I’m sorry for you.
Hope someone stepped up for you
Crazy how many people are defending his father for wanting to do whats best for the nation. Doing what's best for the nation is making sure your heir is educated and not toutering them mentally. Philip II got his son to learn philosphy from Aristotle and Alexander became one of the great conquorers ever. People acomplish great things inspite of bad parents, not because of them.
Muchas gracias por decirlo, yo tambien sobreviví a la violencia familiar y detesto cuando dicen que Fritz es fuerte gracias al maltrato de su padre cuando sufría depresión, ansiedad y hasta se sabe que tuvo pensamientos suicidas, incluso luego de la ejecución de Katte Fritz sufrió fiebre alta y alucinaciones por 3 días seguidos ya que Katte no sólo era su pareja, era su amigo y quien lo consolaba de los maltratos del rey.
Not like he refused to educate Frederick. But he wants him to concemtrate on stste-building and military, not arts and philosophy. Which as with recent trends are overrated subjecrs anyway
@@ryanjuguilon213 that seriously doesn't excuse his abusive, like watch the video again and tell me does his son really deserve to goes through all of that and whether he still not being portrait as bad father/person just because his son manages to accomplish what he want
@@Sammmliu what is an individual when you are a royalty? Your standarda dont apply since kings qt this time period are the SOVEREIGN. Its not the people, its not god. Its undenuable the it was Frederick Wilhelm who paved the way for Prussia's greatness. Its military and bureacracy wax the best in Europe. Did u think its was Fredericks genious that saved Prussia? Without a loyal and dedicated bureaucrwcy and civil servants, without universal compulsary education, without the disciplined military what can Frederick do? Its no wonder he cried at his fathers deathbed. He realized the responsibility of being a king.
@@Sammmliuhonestly tbh if he had learned that Frederick would somehow idk how SOMEHOW START 3 WARS WITH AUSTRIA AND 1 WITH HALF OF EUROPE AND GET NOTHING yeah he would have prob unalived him
Really glad you guys covered the part about his lover in the beginning of this video, I’ve seen a lot of people online deny that such things ever happened in Fredericks life.
A common euphemism used for historical accounts of female couples is that they were "room mates". Is a running gag on lesbian-themed humor sites.
@@kenster8270 good friends is another one.
@@kenster8270yeah, and so many anti-"revisionist" phobes get incredibly butthurt when folk point out that queer folk have existed at every level of human society since before you could even call it society
Can't wait for part 2! Even though his father was an ...hole, he loved his soldiers so much that he didn't want to lose them in wars. He left Fritz a well-financed state - "ready" for war. One mistake: at 1:33 you show Prussia 1786 without its major (war) gain Silesia! Maps...
Another deliberate mistake set up for the Lies episode. How do you miss Silesia? Frederick's two great wars were fought over it.
I still remember 4 years ago when I read Christopher Clark’s ‘Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Fall of Prussia’ when he talked about Fredrick’s upbringing.
I remember in particular how when he was in his teenage years, his father once dragged him around Berlin wearing literal rages for clothes while in chains. Berating him around the city while onlookers watched the Crown Prince being abused and humiliated.
The fact he went on to do great things shows his great character in persistence. Even when in the face of impossible odds, such as after his defeat by a combined Austro-Russian force during the 7 years’ War. (Though as they’ll cover, during that war he was on the brink of mental collapse at times due to how pressed he was).
Frederick brought those impossible odds on himself by being a total asshole to all his neigbours... First he attacked Austria, then he abandoned the war and his French allies, only to break his treaty with the Austrians and reenter the war a couple years later... before abandoning his allies again and signing a seperate peace. Lets also not forget that he also started the Seven Years' War by invading Saxony and then declaring war on Austria. He completely ruined Saxony and terrorized its population. He even elongated peace negotiations for months so that his army could steal everything that was left in Saxony and kidnap teenage girls to use as broodmares in depopulated Prussian provinces. You can read all about this in academic works, such as Szabo's The Seven Years' War in Europe: 1756-1763.
Napoleon and Fredrick would have been a dream team
i choose to believe they would have had the gayest bromance in history and nobody can convince me otherwise
"Gentlemen, if Frederick the Great was alive, I wouldn't have made it this far." - Napoleon, 1806
Can I just say getting a living toy soldier set is admittedly very cool if you ignore the whole " holy s*it, where and how did he get those kids, and is their only job to be ordered around by fritz?".
also did their parents consent
Give me a second. I'm going to build a time machine to have a *VERY CORDIAL* conversation with Frederick-William.
Yeah I've never wanted to punch a historical figure in the face quite so much
@@kaned5543 I admire Frederick William for his disciplines and frugal spending which in the end strengthened Prussia, a bit less so for his homophobia but it was a different time. If he saw u I think he would've traveled in the future and beat Ur ass to the ground and be successful which I don't think u would
Can I come with? I have a certain "gift" I want to give him...express delivery.
@@PixelPower0615 can we make a stop and amass an army of Bismarcks?
Friedrich - Wilhelm was an asshole, but very few of Friedrich II’s accomplishments would have been possible without his reforms, both to the military and to the centralizing administration of Prussia.
If there's ONE THING Frederick William can be forgiven for, it's flying into a violent rage at the mention of France. That's a valid reaction tbf
I'm just surprised the Fred didn't try to kill his dad for the things he did to him
His dad was the king so that would be treason
Fredrick the Great's dad missed judged the usefulness of philosophy and music to a warrior. Philosophy is the discipline of turning knowledge into useful principles. Music has no equal when it comes to learning tempo. Both of which compliment each other and allow for a quick, creative and pragmatic style of warfare.
i’m kind of surprised it took them this long to cover such a powerful person in history
I've been waiting years for this one
we havent gotten a video about Ceasar or alexander yet either let alone more modern figures
I hope this is one of those two-parters like Bismarck or Justinian.
I get a sense that EC avoids historical figures sometimes because you can find material about them almost everywhere you go. It makes sense imo that working on less known people first can be seen as a more rewarding task - there's so many people with so much influence in world history, which are nevertheless not popular topics.
@@Argacyan The topics are voted for on Patreon, which iirc is why we often got more obscure and mysterious topics early on. I think they mentioned in their South Sea Bubble episodes that the South Sea Bubble beat out Julius Ceasar. People are just interested in things we didn't hear about multiple times already.
7:00 Historians: no they were just roommates 😅
Out the gate, first servant of state 😭
Oblique attack tactics ain't exactly straight
@@fuzzegg6452 I got creative talents and battle malice
@@ClawedAsh Hard as steel on the field, genteel in the palace!
@@firmi_2119 Russia's f@cked up and no wonder why
Russia's f**ked up, wonder why. With your taigas, and bears oh my!
I'M SO EXCITED!!!!! Friedrich has been one of my favourite historical figures since forever. I'm so so so happy he's finally getting a series in extra history 😍😍😍
If you ever visit germany and venture around berlin I highly recommend visiting potsdam and all the beautiful remnants we have of Friedrich dem Großen. There are wonderful roman inspired gardens, spires, columns, victory arches and residences you can visit. Especially schloss sanssouci, it is a "small" summer residence with beautiful gardens. He was buried there together with his beloved dogs rather than the traditional burial places. He is also responsible for introducing the potato to germany and the specific story is almost identical to the one told in france about the same plant.
At Sanssouci you can also enjoy looking at the beautiful 20 story commie blocks that the socialists built right into the view from the palace.
Guy's dad had so much hate for "sodomites" yet he made his own military unit of tall ripped men and liked to watch said ripped men do drills
Oh, look at that: A raging homophobe combating gayness with unrecognized hyper-homoerotic masculinity. What are the odds?
You could make this type of argument for all the guys that like to watch two naked men beat each other near to death in a UFC ring but most people understand it isn't the hot sweaty muscular man part but the violence part that's does for people
@@jorgenoname6062 true.
hmmmm
Sus
*describes the saddest thing ever* 2 seconds later: THANKS SO MUCH TO HELLO FRESH-
That beheading must've been super easy considering these characters have no neck and the head just floats🙃
He deserves a movie
Sounds hot, yeah 😂
fr
I'm so glad to see you guys finally did an episode on Frederick the Great, he's one of my favourite historical figures, and should be an inspiration to all leaders across the world.
I hate to admit it, but I've been waiting for this since I learned of this person on ERB. Should have known Extra History would surpass all my expectations
the flute-busting prussian is now here!
"Oblique attack tactics
Ain't exactly straight."
That latin teacher is goated
The most interesting thing about all of this is that his father achieved most of his goal in his son's education. He became a great general and military man, he too wore only military uniforms which were always dirty of tobacco
The only problem with these episodes is that they end. I can't describe the joy i feel when a new video is announced on the feed. Thank you Extra History team.
I only just started this, and have been tearing at a bunch of the content I've only just discovered today. I'm so happy he passed out, started crying when I thought he was forced to watch this which he was, but so happy he passed out. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy
Oh wow, I'm from Germany and the Depiction I got presented until now of those two Prussian Kings seems rather lackluster.
Thank you for more enlightenment.
Frederick-William seeing his son from the afterlife: I might not have turned him straight or religious but at least I made a great soldier and general out of him.
Yup
Frederick's father would deserve a video of his own because he actually was a far more complex character than shown here. Indeed, he could be violent and very dangerous. But he had other sides, too. While he did create a huge army, he never intended to use it offensively because as a deeply religious man he believed that waging war (unless in defence) was a grave sin. The Prussian army was meant to deter would-be invaders and to make the otherwise insignificant country an interesting player in the diplomatic theatre - so you'd want to have Prussia as your well-armed friend and ally. And shortly before he died, Frederick William admitted that his quirk of collecting the famous Giant Grenadiers was basically a ruse, so other monarchs would consider him a bit of a weird eccentric and not pay too much attention at how much he was transforming his kingdom. Also, fueled both by Calvinist and Lutheran ideas he genuinely believed that God wanted kings - and by extension, the civil servants as the king's agents - to be active and to work tirelessly for the welfare of the country. Even as a family man he had two faces: While he was cruel to Frederick, his youngest son Henry remembered him a a rough, but likable man. Frederick William had successfully broken and reshaped his heir, but he had no reason to do the same to Henry and so he didn't. While Henry did get the mandatory military education (and later became a better commander than Frederick himself), he also was allowed to do basically anything he liked - play the violin, read the works of philosophers and enjoy the arts. (This difference in their treatment by their father would become one of the reasons why Frederick was envious of Henry till the end of his life.) Frederick William was a strange sort of sadist who did not even enjoy tormenting others - not that this would have made any difference for those who had to suffer under his brutal behavior.
p r o t e s t a n t
@@profeseurchemical huh?
@@Querian frederick-wilhelm, or what protestant ideology does to a mfkr.
This is just the golden child-scapegoat dynamic. Just because he was a narcissist with a favorite child doesn't make him more redeemable, he still sucked.
But still the way he treated frederick is still terrible
One of the many problems with having a monarchy is that you have to find someone who is healthy enough to be your heir, and then train him for the next 10 to 20 years and on top of that, you Gotta make sure they stay alive until they create an heir for themselves
You know, I rewatched your videos' on Catherine the Great and how well Frederick treated her, so now knowing how terrible his own father was to him, it makes sense that he could see that Catherine was in a similar situation, so he did his best to make her feel welcome in his court, to give her a ear and a shoulder.
More then that, they actually shared similar interests which, if Europe in those days was less...waring and competing interest, would have made international forums entertaining as the rulers of Prussia and Russia spend hours talking about their favorite literature, musicals and plays , debating the pros and cons of them like modern fans do at conventions, only now when both dress as royals from some fantasy anime, they really are royals
I also survived an abusive father, it really is survival horror.
This would heavily explain why he was connected to Catherine
I'm excited to see the Frederick series is finally here! I'm looking forward to hearing more about his accomplishments as king after his unfortunately very rough childhood. Thank you guys for this and all your videos!
God be with you out there everybody! ✝️ :)
Frederick earned his “Great” title. I have been waiting for EH to tell his story ever since they told Catherine the Great’s story. It’s nice to see that finally come to be.
From what I heard Fredrick William liked to dance with his tall soldiers, so this suggests he was a closet case, but just wouldn't admit it. Fredrick the Great also referred to his father in letters as "the fat one."
The most hateful ones are always the ones that are repressed themselves. Types to televangelise about the illness of homosexuality before being caught in a motel with a bag of crack and male prostitute.
I am so happy you guys are doing frederick the great series! I just want to give young Frederick a hug :(
At 7:44, the part where he said, “ Look if he had to get married, that was a small price to pay to get away from his father, but…..” a bloody ad starts playing and it says, “We have a space for you.” It’s an ad for people in need.😂
Catherine 🤝 Frederick 🤝 Alexander
Being called the "Great" and having good taste in men
If a man has “ good taste in men” then that’s bad taste.
Side note, Napoleon was massively influenced by the tactics Fredrick the Great would employ in the 7 Years War.
hating someone because of the gender of who they love is so friggin stupid. like, i find it hard to find anything dumber than that. i have multiple degrees, and have worked in IT and satellite communications. so im not an idiot. but that is. sure makes me wonder why some political parties around the world care so much about who is poking who behind closed doors. it's creepy.
because its sin
@@badclassicalmusic"ermmmmm that is a sin in my religion so I have to threaten and hurt you"
Im a Christian and I'm capable of minding my own business. Just because they don't have the same religion or don't have a religion at all is not an excuse to hurt others.
Its a little comforting to know if he lived in modern day…Frederick’s dad would be jailed
Comforting? I think you mean disturbing.
@@dylanpoynor2318The man beat his son over the head with a cane are you crazy
@@sonicalex2536 he deserved it
I know that Frederick William was a terrible person and an awful father. But the idea of Germany becoming united under Prussia's power and prestige is due to him. In addition he created the strongest war machine in the holy Roman empire. Frederick William is really the base of all of it. Poor father, but a strong leader. As a leader he did he's job, but as a person he failed.
Well they don’t call him the “Soldier King” for nothing.
'This enraged Frederick's father, who punished him severely.'
His father is literally homelander.
I was first introduced to Frederick the Great through Epic Rap Battles of history. I'm so excited to see you covering his story! Looking forward to the next video!
Oooh, looking forward to this one even more than usual.
"Der Alte Fritz", as the germans call him nowerdays, is one of my favorite historical figures.
I mean, Fritz could have - probably should have - arranged an 'accident' for his father after going through all that. At least then he'd be following in the 'traditions' his father so dearly loved.
The Frederic that inherited the throne wasn't Frederic the great yet. He was still afraid, unsure and easy to fear.
In his first battle, he fled thinking he had lost. But the army was trained by his father and thus also led by very competent general, who despite the monarch fleeing the battle (this almost always resulted in defeat) managed to win. And then scolded his King for being a coward.
It was from then that he valued his father's lessons to become Frederic the great. He, like his father also from then on wore military uniform and was intensely engaged in military and being the first servant of state.
Here’s my second attempt at the series. Fredricks father reminds me of my own. Hard to live with a narcissistic parent that only sees you as part of their own narrative
What exactly Frederick-William expected astounds me. How did he think emasculating his son publicly was going to make him a respected king?
He didn't think much at all. He probably regarded thinking as effeminate.
The man was quite simply an absolute idiot on every conceivable level and a lot of Frederick's early reign was spent undoing his mistakes.
Dude didn't really have a working rational mind, just sayin'
@@GaldirEonai holy f that is far too extreme and quite the opposite to say he was an absolute Idiot in every conceivable way. It is widely agreed that he was an effective leader who opened schools and hospitals. U should definitely read about him, he is very interesting. Also I feel like Ur saying he's stupid mainly cause he's homophobic, not cause of his ineffective leadership.
I mean it works with the Spartans... if you read the ones written by Romans or Spartans at the Roman era where they claim that training at the Agoge involves getting beaten up senselessly until close to death most of the time. You gotta wonder how much the romanticized history of Sparta affected world history...
I wonder that as well. Couldn't he understand that he was undermining his own dynasty's authority by treating the future King like this