Frederick II of Prussia: The Soldier-King and Philosopher

Frederick II of Prussia, later known as Frederick the Great, was born on January 24, 1712, in Berlin, the son of Frederick William I, the "Soldier-King," and Sophie Dorothea of Hanover. His early life, unlike the grandeur of his later reign, was marked by a harsh, disciplined upbringing that was to leave a permanent mark on his personality and reign. From a young age, Frederick was molded in the shadow of his father's iron rule. Frederick William I, notorious for his strict military focus a...