History UsefulNotes / FrederickTheGreat

Worth noting is that he is one of history's few homosexual leaders - though historians are still divided over his legacy, few will deny his martial prowess or his orientation.

* There was a big trend of historical "Prussian Films" in Germany between the early 1920s and 1945. Actor Otto Gebühr starred as Frederick in ''[[{{Typecasting}} sixteen of them]]'' from 1923 to 1942 (it helped that he looked ''a lot'' like Frederick). Those made in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany, culminating with the EpicMovie ''Film/TheGreatKing'' (the final film Gebühr did as Frederick), served as [[PropagandaMachine propaganda pieces]] for the ''Führerprinzip'' (full obedience to Adolf Hitler).

* There was a big trend of historical "Prussian Films" in Germany between the early 1920s and 1945. Actor Otto Gebühr starred as Frederick in ''[[{{Typecasting}} sixteen of them]]'' (it helped that he looked ''a lot'' like Frederick). Those made in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany, culminating with the EpicMovie ''Film/TheGreatKing'', served as [[PropagandaMachine propaganda pieces]] for the ''Führerprinzip'' (full obedience to Adolf Hitler).

* There was a big trend of historical "Prussian Films" in Germany between the early 1920s and 1945. Actor Otto Gebühr starred as Frederick in ''sixteen'' of them (it helped that he looked ''a lot'' like Frederick). Those made in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany, culminating with the EpicMovie ''Film/TheGreatKing'', served as [[PropagandaMachine propaganda pieces]] for the ''Führerprinzip'' (full obedience to Adolf Hitler).

* There was a big trend of historical "Prussian Films" in Germany between the early 1920s and 1945. Actor Otto Gebühr starred as Frederick in ''sixteen'' of them (it helped that he looked ''a lot'' like Frederick). Those made in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany, culminating with ''Film/TheGreatKing'' served as [[PropagandaMachine propaganda pieces]] for the ''Führerprinzip'' (full obedience to Adolf Hitler).

* There was a big trend of historical "Prussian Films" in Germany between the early 1920s and 1945. A number of them had actor Otto Gebühr starring as Frederick (it helped that he looked ''a lot'' like Frederick). Those made in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany served as [[PropagandaMachine propaganda pieces]] for the ''Führerprinzip'' (full obedience to Adolf Hitler) and such.

Frederick's reforms had a lasting effect in one peculiar area: the German diet, specifically the German fondness for potatoes. On hearing about the crop's amazing yield per acre, filling nature, and decent keeping qualities, he began a program to "encourage" (read: force, using the Army if necessary) Prussian farmers to grow potatoes, which were directed to the military stores. This led directly to the popularity of potatoes in Germany and broader Central Europe, and indirectly to its prevalence in France (as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine-Augustin_Parmentier certain French POW]] fed potatoes in Prussian custody went home to evangelize for the crop once released). Given the importance of the potato in defeating hunger in Europe once and for all (there were ''no'' famines in most of Europe not caused by war or deliberate state action after the end of the [[UsefulNotes/IrishPotatoFamine potato blight of the 1840s]], largely because the potato made it possible to feed massive numbers of people on much less land), Frederick may (ironically) have ''saved'' more European lives by fast-tracking the potato in Central and Continental Western Europe than he ended in his wars.

Frederick's reforms had a lasting effect in one peculiar area: the German diet, specifically the German fondness for potatoes. On hearing about the crop's amazing yield per acre, filling nature, and decent keeping qualities, he began a program to "encourage" (read: force, using the Army if necessary) Prussian farmers to grow potatoes, which were directed to the military stores. This led directly to the popularity of potatoes in Germany and broader Central Europe, and indirectly to its prevalence in France (as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine-Augustin_Parmentier certain French POW]] fed potatoes in Prussian custody went home to evangelize for the crop once released). Given the importance of the potato in defeating hunger in Europe once and for all (there were ''no'' famines in most of Europe not caused by war or deliberate state action after the end of the [[UsefulNotes/IrishPotatoFamine potato blight of the 1840s]]), Frederick may (ironically) have ''saved'' more European lives by fast-tracking the potato in Central and Continental Western Europe than he ended in his wars.

Frederick's reforms had a lasting effect in one peculiar area: the German diet, specifically the German fondness for potatoes. On hearing about the crop's amazing yield per acre, filling nature, and decent keeping qualities, he began a program to "encourage" (read: force, using the Army if necessary) Prussian farmers to grow potatoes, which were directed to the military stores. This led directly to the popularity of potatoes in Germany and broader Central Europe, and indirectly to its prevalence in France (as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine-Augustin_Parmentier certain French POW]] fed potatoes in Prussian custody went home to evangelize for the crop once released). Given the importance of the potato in defeating hunger in Europe once and for all (there were ''no'' famines not caused by war or deliberate state action after the end of the [[UsefulNotes/IrishPotatoFamine potato blight of the 1840s]]), Frederick may (ironically) have ''saved'' more European lives by fast-tracking the potato in Central and Continental Western Europe than he ended in his wars.

Frederick's reforms had a lasting effect in one peculiar area: the German diet, specifically the German fondness for potatoes. On hearing about the crop's amazing yield per acre, filling nature, and decent keeping qualities, he began a program to "encourage" (read: force, using the Army if necessary) Prussian farmers to grow potatoes, which were directed to the military stores. This led directly to the popularity of potatoes in Germany and broader Central Europe, and indirectly to its prevalence in France (as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine-Augustin_Parmentier certain French POW]] fed potatoes in Prussian custody went home to evangelize for the crop once released).

His reputation is perhaps unfairly stained by imperialists such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Treitschke Treitschke]] or (far worse) UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who invoked him to justify their ruthless agenda of conquest and antisemitism. To consider Frederick a proto-Hitler, however, is highly reductive. At best, Frederick would have regarded [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Hitler & Co.]] as typically barbaric Germans overdue for an appointment with [[ATasteOfTheLash the knoutmaster]]. At worst, he would have agreed that their ideas of Eastern Expansion as similar to his policies of state-building (which involved destroying the UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth whose people he considered to be savages fit for being servants of the advanced Germans) but disagreed with the methods used to support or enforce it. He might also have been persuaded to attack the Low Countries,[[note]]Being rich and close, this region was regularly on the map for Prussia as an opportunity to gobble up territory. However, he might have hesitated to attack the northern provinces given [[UsefulNotes/TheEightyYearsWar the hassle they had given the last foreigners to rule them]].[[/note]] but would have had no truck with trying to conquer France,[[note]]Whose civilization he admired so much, and which he probably would regard as too hard to control even if easily conquered.[[/note]] Britain, [[note]]Which he would have to admit was at least as advanced as Prussia. Also, he would have considered trying to conquer Britain--a populous island nation with a powerful navy and acceptable army--the height of folly.[[/note]] the Nordic countries,[[note]]Which he also would have regarded as reasonably advanced, and which were so economically insignificant and probably hard to control that conquering them wouldn't be worthwhile[[/note]] or Russia.[[note]]Which he wouldn't have regarded as particularly civilized, but which he would have rightly seen as too big to conquer or control.[[/note]]

-->''I am a mirror; reflect personas of those around me.''
--> ''A creature who lies, who doesn't dare to be what nature designed.''
--> ''But with this new position, a seat upon the Prussian throne.''
--> ''I'll lead my men through fields where Austria's fate is sown.''
--> -''The Philosopher King'' by Music/{{Judicator}}.

Something of a dark horse in the realm of [[GambitPileup dynastic politics]], in his youth he was fond of French culture, to a degree that his boorish and possibly insane father, Frederick William I, thought him effeminate. His father attempted to beat it out of him by giving him TrainingFromHell which included [[ForcedToWatch forcing him to watch]] while his best friend was [[OffWithHisHead beheaded]], after they tried to escape from Prussia together, an incident that scarred him for the rest of his life. If that wasn't enough, his father also physically beat him, humiliated him in front of their subjects, tried to force him to give up his artistic hobbies and made it clear to him he was a disappointment. However, he would grow into a notable figure in German martial history, and as such, became an iconic figure of success in the Prussian-dominated German Reich. His reputation is perhaps unfairly stained by imperialists such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Treitschke Treitschke]] or (far worse) UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who invoked him to justify their ruthless agenda of conquest and antisemitism. To consider Frederick a proto-Hitler, however, is reductive. At best, Frederick would have regarded [[ThoseWackyNazis Hitler & Co.]] as typically barbaric Germans overdue for an appointment with [[ATasteOfTheLash the knoutmaster]]. At worst, he would have agreed that their ideas of Eastern Expansion as similar to his policies of state-building (which involved destroying the UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth whose people he considered to be savages fit for being servants of the advanced Germans) but disagreed with the methods used to support or enforce it. He might also have been persuaded to attack the Low Countries,[[note]]Being rich and close, this region was regularly on the map for Prussia as an opportunity to gobble up territory. However, he might have hesitated to attack the northern provinces given [[UsefulNotes/TheEightyYearsWar the hassle they had given the last foreigners to rule them]].[[/note]] but would have had no truck with trying to conquer France,[[note]]Whose civilization he admired so much, and which he probably would regard as too hard to control even if easily conquered.[[/note]] Britain, [[note]]Which he would have to admit was at least as advanced as Prussia. Also, he would have considered trying to conquer Britain--a populous island nation with a powerful navy and acceptable army--the height of folly.[[/note]] the Nordic countries,[[note]]Which he also would have regarded as reasonably advanced, and which were so economically insignificant and probably hard to control that conquering them wouldn't be worthwhile[[/note]] or Russia.[[note]]Which he wouldn't have regarded as particularly civilized, but which he would have rightly seen as too big to conquer or control.[[/note]]

Friedrich ([[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench or ''Frédéric'', as he preferred to be known]]) II, or, as he has come to be known in English, Frederick the Great (''Friedrich der Große'' in German, 24 January 1712 – 17 August 1786), was the [[UsefulNotes/PrussianKings king]] of UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} in the [[TheCavalierYears mid-eighteenth century]]. Something of a dark horse in the realm of [[GambitPileup dynastic politics]], in his youth he was fond of French culture, to a degree that his boorish and possibly insane father, Frederick William I, thought him effeminate. His father attempted to beat it out of him by giving him TrainingFromHell which included [[ForcedToWatch forcing him to watch]] while his best friend was [[OffWithHisHead beheaded]], after they tried to escape from Prussia together, an incident that scarred him for the rest of his life. If that wasn't enough, his father also physically beat him, humiliated him in front of their subjects, tried to force him to give up his artistic hobbies and made it clear to him he was a disappointment. However, he would grow into a notable figure in German martial history, and as such, became an iconic figure of success in the Prussian-dominated German Reich. His reputation is perhaps unfairly stained by imperialists such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Treitschke Treitschke]] or (far worse) UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who invoked him to justify their ruthless agenda of conquest and antisemitism. To consider Frederick a proto-Hitler, however, is reductive. At best, Frederick would have regarded [[ThoseWackyNazis Hitler & Co.]] as typically barbaric Germans overdue for an appointment with [[ATasteOfTheLash the knoutmaster]]. At worst, he would have agreed that their ideas of Eastern Expansion as similar to his policies of state-building (which involved destroying the UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth whose people he considered to be savages fit for being servants of the advanced Germans) but disagreed with the methods used to support or enforce it. He might also have been persuaded to attack the Low Countries,[[note]]Being rich and close, this region was regularly on the map for Prussia as an opportunity to gobble up territory. However, he might have hesitated to attack the northern provinces given [[UsefulNotes/TheEightyYearsWar the hassle they had given the last foreigners to rule them]].[[/note]] but would have had no truck with trying to conquer France,[[note]]Whose civilization he admired so much, and which he probably would regard as too hard to control even if easily conquered.[[/note]] Britain, [[note]]Which he would have to admit was at least as advanced as Prussia. Also, he would have considered trying to conquer Britain--a populous island nation with a powerful navy and acceptable army--the height of folly.[[/note]] the Nordic countries,[[note]]Which he also would have regarded as reasonably advanced, and which were so economically insignificant and probably hard to control that conquering them wouldn't be worthwhile[[/note]] or Russia.[[note]]Which he wouldn't have regarded as particularly civilized, but which he would have rightly seen as too big to conquer or control.[[/note]]

* There was a big trend of historical "Prussian Films" in Germany between the early 1920s and 1945. A number of them had actor Otto Gebühr starring as Frederick (it helped that he looked a lot like the king). Those made in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany served as [[PropagandaMachine propaganda pieces]] for the ''Führerprinzip'' (full obedience to Adolf Hitler) and such.

* NiceHat: He is often depicted wearing a tricorn.

* HeroWorshipper: UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler gazes on a portrait of him in ''Film/{{Downfall}}'' as he desperately waits for his situation to turn around in the manner of the First and Second Miracles of Brandenburg, where Frederick having overplayed his hand was brought BackFromTheBrink by a stroke of good fortune. Hitler, expects a similar turn-around in that film (and also in life) but unlike Frederick, his luck ran out.

On the other hand, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte was also a great admirer of his. After marching into Berlin upon scoring victories in the Battle of Jena–Auerstedt, Napoleon visited the tomb of Frederick the Great with his generals and purportedly instructed them, “hats off gentlemen, if he were alive we wouldn't be here today”.

* HeroWorshipper: UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler gazes on a portrait of him in ''Film/{{Downfall}}'' as he desperately waits for his situation to turn around in the manner of the First and Second Miracles of Brandenburg, where Frederick having overplayed his hand was brought BackFromTheBrink by a stroke of good fortune. Hitler, expects a similar turn-around in that film (and also in life) but unlike Frederick, his luck ran out. On the other hand, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte was also a great admirer of his. After marching into Berlin upon scoring victories in the Battle of Jena–Auerstedt, Napoleon visited the tomb of Frederick the Great with his generals and purportedly instructed them, “hats off gentlemen, if he were alive we wouldn't be here today”.

* HeroWorshipper: UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler gazes on a portrait of him in ''Film/{{Downfall}}'' as he desperately waits for his situation to turn around in the manner of the First and Second Miracles of Brandenburg, where Frederick having overplayed his hand was brought BackFromTheBrink by a stroke of good fortune. Hitler, expects a similar turn-around in that film (and also in life) but unlike Frederick, his luck ran out.

Friedrich ([[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench or ''Frédéric'']], [[ItIsPronouncedTroPay as he preferred to be known]]) II, or, as he has come to be known in English, Frederick the Great (''Friedrich der Große'' in German, 24 January 1712 – 17 August 1786), was the [[UsefulNotes/PrussianKings king]] of UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} in the [[TheCavalierYears mid-eighteenth century]]. Something of a dark horse in the realm of [[GambitPileup dynastic politics]], in his youth he was fond of French culture, to a degree that his boorish and possibly insane father, Frederick William I, thought him effeminate. His father attempted to beat it out of him by giving him TrainingFromHell which included [[ForcedToWatch forcing him to watch]] while his best friend was [[OffWithHisHead beheaded]], after they tried to escape from Prussia together, an incident that scarred him for the rest of his life. If that wasn't enough, his father also physically beat him, humiliated him in front of their subjects, tried to force him to give up his artistic hobbies and made it clear to him he was a disappointment. However, he would grow into a notable figure in German martial history, and as such, became an iconic figure of success in the Prussian-dominated German Reich. His reputation is perhaps unfairly stained by imperialists such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Treitschke Treitschke]] or (far worse) UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who invoked him to justify their ruthless agenda of conquest and antisemitism. To consider Frederick a proto-Hitler, however, is reductive. At best, Frederick would have regarded [[ThoseWackyNazis Hitler & Co.]] as typically barbaric Germans overdue for an appointment with [[ATasteOfTheLash the knoutmaster]]. At worst, he would have agreed that their ideas of Eastern Expansion as similar to his policies of state-building (which involved destroying the UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth whose people he considered to be savages fit for being servants of the advanced Germans) but disagreed with the methods used to support or enforce it. He might also have been persuaded to attack the Low Countries,[[note]]Being rich and close, this region was regularly on the map for Prussia as an opportunity to gobble up territory. However, he might have hesitated to attack the northern provinces given [[UsefulNotes/TheEightyYearsWar the hassle they had given the last foreigners to rule them]].[[/note]] but would have had no truck with trying to conquer France,[[note]]Whose civilization he admired so much, and which he probably would regard as too hard to control even if easily conquered.[[/note]] Britain, [[note]]Which he would have to admit was at least as advanced as Prussia. Also, he would have considered trying to conquer Britain--a populous island nation with a powerful navy and acceptable army--the height of folly.[[/note]] the Nordic countries,[[note]]Which he also would have regarded as reasonably advanced, and which were so economically insignificant and probably hard to control that conquering them wouldn't be worthwhile[[/note]] or Russia.[[note]]Which he wouldn't have regarded as particularly civilized, but which he would have rightly seen as too big to conquer or control.[[/note]]

Friedrich ([[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench or ''Frédéric'']], [[ItIsPronouncedTroPay as he preferred to be known]]) II, or, as he has come to be known in English, Frederick the Great (''Friedrich der Große'' in German, 24 January 1712 – 17 August 1786), was the [[UsefulNotes/PrussianKings king]] of UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} in the [[TheCavalierYears mid-eighteenth century]]. Something of a dark horse in the realm of [[GambitPileup dynastic politics]], in his youth he was fond of French culture, to a degree that his boorish and possibly insane father, Frederick William I, thought him effeminate. His father attempted to beat it out of him by giving him TrainingFromHell which included [[ForcedToWatch forcing him to watch]] while his best friend was [[OffWithHisHead beheaded]], after they tried to escape from Prussia together, an incident that scarred him for the rest of his life. If that wasn't enough, his father also physically beat him, humiliated him in front of their subjects, tried to force him to give up his artistic hobbies and made it clear to him he was a disappointment. However, he would grow into a notable figure in German martial history, and as such, became an iconic figure of success in the Prussian-dominated German Reich. His reputation is perhaps unfairly stained by imperialists such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Treitschke Treitschke]] or (far worse) UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who invoked him to justify their ruthless agenda of conquest and antisemitism. To consider Frederick a proto-Hitler, however, is reductive. At best, Frederick would have regarded [[ThoseWackyNazis Hitler & Co.]] as typically barbaric Germans overdue for an appointment with [[ATasteOfTheLash the knoutmaster]]. At worst, he would have agreed that their ideas of Eastern Expansion as similar to his policies of state-building (which involved destroying the UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth whose people he considered to be savages fit for being servants of the advanced Germans) but disagreed with the methods used to support or enforce it. He might also have been persuaded to attack the Low Countries,[[note]]Being rich and close, this region was regularly on the map for Prussia as an opportunity to gobble up territory. However, he might have hesitated to attack the northern provinces given [[UsefulNotes/TheEightyYearsWar the hassle they had given the last foreigners to rule them]].[[/note]] but would have had no truck with trying to conquer France,[[note]]Whose civilization he admired so much, and which he probably would regard as too hard to control even if easily conquered.[[/note]] Britain, [[note]]Which he would have to admit was at least as advanced as Prussia. Also, he would have considered trying to conquer Britain--a populous island nation with a powerful navy and acceptable army--the height of folly.[[note]] the Nordic countries,[[note]]Which he also would have regarded as reasonably advanced, and which were so economically insignificant and probably hard to control that conquering them wouldn't be worthwhile[[/note]] or Russia.[[note]]Which he wouldn't have regarded as particularly civilized, but which he would have rightly seen as too big to conquer or control.[[/note]]

Friedrich ([[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench or ''Frédéric'']], [[ItIsPronouncedTroPay as he preferred to be known]]) II, or, as he has come to be known in English, Frederick the Great (''Friedrich der Große'' in German, 24 January 1712 – 17 August 1786), was the [[UsefulNotes/PrussianKings king]] of UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} in the [[TheCavalierYears mid-eighteenth century]]. Something of a dark horse in the realm of [[GambitPileup dynastic politics]], in his youth he was fond of French culture, to a degree that his boorish and possibly insane father, Frederick William I, thought him effeminate. His father attempted to beat it out of him by giving him TrainingFromHell which included [[ForcedToWatch forcing him to watch]] while his best friend was [[OffWithHisHead beheaded]], after they tried to escape from Prussia together, an incident that scarred him for the rest of his life. If that wasn't enough, his father also physically beat him, humiliated him in front of their subjects, tried to force him to give up his artistic hobbies and made it clear to him he was a disappointment. However, he would grow into a notable figure in German martial history, and as such, became an iconic figure of success in the Prussian-dominated German Reich. His reputation is perhaps unfairly stained by imperialists such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Treitschke Treitschke]] or (far worse) UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who invoked him to justify their ruthless agenda of conquest and antisemitism. To consider Frederick a proto-Hitler, however, is reductive. At best, Frederick would have regarded [[ThoseWackyNazis Hitler & Co.]] as typically barbaric Germans overdue for an appointment with [[ATasteOfTheLash the knoutmaster]]. At worst, he would have agreed that their ideas of Eastern Expansion as similar to his policies of state-building (which involved destroying the UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth whose people he considered to be savages fit for being servants of the advanced Germans) but disagreed with the methods used to support or enforce it. He might also have been persuaded to attack the Low Countries,[[note]]Being rich and close, this region was regularly on the map for Prussia as an opportunity to gobble up territory. However, he might have hesitated to attack the northern provinces given [[UsefulNotes/TheEightyYearsWar the hassle they had given the last foreigners to rule them]].[[/note]] but would have had no truck with trying to conquer France,[[note]]Whose civilization he admired so much, and which he probably would regard as too hard to control even if easily conquered.[[/note]] Britain, [[note]]Which he would have to admit was at least as advanced as Prussia. Also, he would have considered trying to conquer Britain--a populous island nation with a powerful navy and acceptable army--the height of folly.[[note]] the Nordic countries,[[note]]Which he also would have regarded as reasonably advanced, and which were so economically insignificant and probably hard to control that conquering them wouldn't be worthwhile[[/note]] or Russia[[note]]Which he wouldn't have regarded as particularly civilized, but which he would have rightly seen as too big to conquer or control.[[/note]]

Friedrich ([[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench or ''Frédéric'']], [[ItIsPronouncedTroPay as he preferred to be known]]) II, or, as he has come to be known in English, Frederick the Great (''Friedrich der Große'' in German, 24 January 1712 – 17 August 1786), was the [[UsefulNotes/PrussianKings king]] of UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} in the [[TheCavalierYears mid-eighteenth century]]. Something of a dark horse in the realm of [[GambitPileup dynastic politics]], in his youth he was fond of French culture, to a degree that his boorish and possibly insane father, Frederick William I, thought him effeminate. His father attempted to beat it out of him by giving him TrainingFromHell which included [[ForcedToWatch forcing him to watch]] while his best friend was [[OffWithHisHead beheaded]], after they tried to escape from Prussia together, an incident that scarred him for the rest of his life. If that wasn't enough, his father also physically beat him, humiliated him in front of their subjects, tried to force him to give up his artistic hobbies and made it clear to him he was a disappointment. However, he would grow into a notable figure in German martial history, and as such, became an iconic figure of success in the Prussian-dominated German Reich. His reputation is perhaps unfairly stained by imperialists such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Treitschke Treitschke]] or (far worse) UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who invoked him to justify their ruthless agenda of conquest and antisemitism. To consider Frederick a proto-Hitler, however, is reductive. At best, Frederick would have regarded [[ThoseWackyNazis Hitler & Co.]] as typically barbaric Germans overdue for an appointment with [[ATasteOfTheLash the knoutmaster]]. At worst, he would have agreed that their ideas of Eastern Expansion as similar to his policies of state-building (which involved destroying the UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth whose people he considered to be savages fit for being servants of the advanced Germans) but disagreed with the methods used to support or enforce it. He might also have been persuaded to attack the Low Countries (being rich and close, though he might have hesitated with the northern provinces given [[UsefulNotes/TheEightyYearsWar the hassle they had given the last foreigners to rule them]]), but would have had no truck with trying to conquer France (whose civilization he admired so much), Britain (which he would have considered the height of folly), or the Nordic countries (whom he also regarded as advanced and which he would have considered not worth bothering with).

Friedrich ([[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench or ''Frédéric'']], [[ItIsPronouncedTroPay as he preferred to be known]]) II, or, as he has come to be known in English, Frederick the Great (''Friedrich der Große'' in German, 24 January 1712 – 17 August 1786), was the [[UsefulNotes/PrussianKings king]] of UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} in the [[TheCavalierYears mid-eighteenth century]]. Something of a dark horse in the realm of [[GambitPileup dynastic politics]], in his youth he was fond of French culture, to a degree that his boorish and possibly insane father, Frederick William I, thought him effeminate. His father attempted to beat it out of him by giving him TrainingFromHell which included [[ForcedToWatch forcing him to watch]] while his best friend was [[OffWithHisHead beheaded]], after they tried to escape from Prussia together, an incident that scarred him for the rest of his life. If that wasn't enough, his father also physically beat him, humiliated him in front of their subjects, tried to force him to give up his artistic hobbies and made it clear to him he was a disappointment. However, he would grow into a notable figure in German martial history, and as such, became an iconic figure of success in the Prussian-dominated German Reich. His reputation is perhaps unfairly stained by imperialists such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Treitschke Treitschke]] or (far worse) UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who invoked him to justify their ruthless agenda of conquest and antisemitism. To consider Frederick a proto-Hitler, however, is reductive. At best, Frederick would have regarded [[ThoseWackyNazis Hitler & Co.]] as typically barbaric Germans overdue for an appointment with [[ATasteOfTheLash the knoutmaster]]. At worst, he would have agreed that their ideas of Eastern Expansion as similar to his policies of state-building (which involved destroying the UsefulNotes/PolishLithuanianCommonwealth whose people he considered to be savages fit for being servants of the advanced Germans) but disagreed with the methods used to support or enforce it. He might also have been persuaded to attack the Low Countries (being rich and close, though he might have hesitated with the northern provinces given [[UsefulNotes/TheEightyYearsWar the hassle they had given the last foreigners to rule them]]), but would have had no truck with trying to conquer France (which he admired so much), Britain (which he would have considered the height of folly), or the Nordic countries (which he would have considered not worth bothering with).