Prussia and the Teutonic Knights:
msq wrote:
"Then again, wouldn't it be a mix of both? Let's just settle this once and for all: Prussia as known today was the result of a mix of various influences, which happened to be both the Teutonic Knights and the Electorate of Brandenburg.", before it was removed... Sorry it took so long to reply, I haven't visited in a while.'
Anyway: The Kingdom of Prussia itself was known as Prussia only because the Elector of Brandenburg could not claim kingship over German lands that lay within the borders of the Holy Roman Empire(only the Holy Roman Emperor could do that), so he claimed he was the "King-in-Prussia", to claim that he was king in his non-HRE territory. Decades later this was just changed to "King of Prussia", when no-one would protest.
The only real influence that the Teutonic Knights had on the Kingdom of Prussia were the colors of White and Black that the Hohenzollern's claimed as their own. Other than the name and the colors, the Teutonic Knights and the province of East Prussia played little part in the power of the Kingdom of Prussia.
As a matter of fact, the East Prussians resented their Hohenzollern overlords and caused all kinds of trouble for them(refusing to pay taxes, trying to recall the Polish king back to be their overlord, etc.) So eventually the Hohenzollern monarchy just sent in their recently enlarged armies to force them into submission.
When people talk about "the Kingdom of Prussia", though, they're referring to the small province of Brandenburg, ruled by an ambitious dynasty at the capital of Berlin, that expanded and grew until it formed the German Empire. The Teutonic Order was just a small side-note in that much greater story.
Prussia and the Teutonic Knights: msq wrote: "Then again, wouldn't it be a mix of both? Let's just settle this once and for all: Prussia as known today was the result of a mix of various influences, which happened to be both the Teutonic Knights and the Electorate of Brandenburg.", before it was removed... Sorry it took so long to reply, I haven't visited in a while.'
Anyway: The Kingdom of Prussia itself was known as Prussia only because the Elector of Brandenburg could not claim kingship over German lands that lay within the borders of the Holy Roman Empire(only the Holy Roman Emperor could do that), so he claimed he was the "King-in-Prussia", to claim that he was king in his non-HRE territory. Decades later this was just changed to "King of Prussia", when no-one would protest.
The only real influence that the Teutonic Knights had on the Kingdom of Prussia were the colors of White and Black that the Hohenzollern's claimed as their own. Other than the name and the colors, the Teutonic Knights and the province of East Prussia played little part in the power of the Kingdom of Prussia.
As a matter of fact, the East Prussians resented their Hohenzollern overlords and caused all kinds of trouble for them(refusing to pay taxes, trying to recall the Polish king back to be their overlord, etc.) So eventually the Hohenzollern monarchy just sent in their recently enlarged armies to force them into submission.
When people talk about "the Kingdom of Prussia", though, they're referring to the small province of Brandenburg, ruled by an ambitious dynasty at the capital of Berlin, that expanded and grew until it formed the German Empire. The Teutonic Order was just a small side-note in that much greater story.