“We ought now to think of preserving for my nephew, by way of negotiation, whatever fragments of my territory we can save from the avidity of my enemies”
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Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled King in Prussia, declaring himself King of Prussia after annexing Royal Prussia from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1772. His most significant accomplishments include military successes in the Silesian wars, reorganisation of the Prussian Army, the First Partition of Poland…
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politics · King of Prussia from 1740 to 1786 · ruler · art collector · monarch · king · librettist · composer · also Frederick II of Prussia, Frederick the Great, The Old Fritz, Frederick II, Father Fritz, Prussia
Born 24 January 1712 · Died 17 August 1786 · Q33550
47 published statements · 0 followers
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2026· 2 entries
The Economic Times: Quote of the Day by Frederick the Great: 'He who defends everything defends nothing'-Inspiring life lesson
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2016· 1 entry
“(Original französisch: "La montagne est passée, nous irons mieux" - Heinz Ohff: „Preußens Könige“. Piper 2016, PT108 books.google; Johannes Kunisch: „Friedrich der Große. Der König und seine Zeit“. C.H. Beck 2004 ff., S.529 books.google)”
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2005· 1 entry
“Sie hat ihrem Thron und ihrem Geschlecht Ehre gemacht." - über Maria Theresia in einem Brief an Jean Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert. Zitiert in Klaus Günzel: "Der König und die Kaiserin", Droste Verlag, Düsseldorf 2005, ISBN 3770011651, und in der Rezension "Im Hass vereint" von Haug von Kuenheim in: DIE ZEIT Nr. 21 vom 19. Mai 2005”
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1999· 1 entry
“Holmes, Richard; John Pimlott (1999). The Hutchinson Atlas of Battle Plans: Before and After. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781579582036.”
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1998· 1 entry
“1777; quoted by Bert L. Vallée, Alcohol in the Western World, Scientific American, Vol. 278, No. 6 (June), 1998, pp. 80-85”
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1991· 1 entry
Career landmark: reburial.
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1981· 1 entry
“have come to an agreement which satisfies us both. They are to say what they please, and I am to do what I please.”
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1977· 1 entry
“Leider werden wirklich in der Geschichte immer diejenigen Männer als »groß« gefeiert, die viele Kriege begonnen und gewonnen haben. Aus diesen Gründen habe ich mich nie für Geschichtshelden wie Napoleon, Friedrich den Großen, Alexander oder Julius Cäsar begeistern können." - Bernhard Grzimek, Auf den Mensch gekommen, Erfahrungen mit Leuten, München 1977, S. 425”
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1967· 1 entry
“Meist zitiert als: "Die Landwirtschaft ist die erste aller Künste" oder "die erste von allen Künsten", z.B. bei Friedrich Lütge: "Geschichte der deutschen Agrarverfassung vom frühen Mittelalter bis zum 19. Jahrhundert", Stuttgart E. Ulmer 1967, S. 208”
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1961· 1 entry
“Von nun an hieß er 'Der alte Fritz' - ein schauerlicher Name, wenn man Sinn fürs Schauerliche hat; denn es ist wirklich im höchsten Grade schauerlich, wenn der Dämon populär wird und einen gemütlichen Namen erhält." - Thomas Mann, Friedrich und die große Koalition, in: Altes und Neues. Kleine Prosa aus fünf Jahrzehnten. S. Fischer Verlag, 1961.”
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1953· 1 entry
The coffins of Frederick and his father were moved to Burg Hohenzollern
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1941· 3 entries
“Histoire de mon temps (1763-1764), quoted in W. W. Coole (ed.), Thus Spake Germany (London: George Routledge & Sons, 1941), p. 225”
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“Preface to “Histoire de mon temps”, Works (1743), quoted in W. W. Coole (ed.), Thus Spake Germany (London: George Routledge & Sons, 1941), p. 82”
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“Historie vom Jahre 1746, quoted in W. W. Coole (ed.), Thus Spake Germany (London: George Routledge & Sons, 1941), p. 82”
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1927· 6 entries
“Letters of Voltaire and Frederick the Great (New York: Brentano's, 1927), trans. Richard Aldington, letter 215 from Frederick to Voltaire (1776-03-19)”
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“Letters of Voltaire and Frederick the Great (New York: Brentano's, 1927), trans. Richard Aldington, letter 221 from Frederick to Voltaire (1777-11-25)”
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“Letters of Voltaire and Frederick the Great (New York: Brentano's, 1927), trans. Richard Aldington, letter 37 from Frederick to Voltaire (June 1738)”
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“Letters of Voltaire and Frederick the Great (New York: Brentano's, 1927), trans. Richard Aldington, letter 48 from Frederick to Voltaire (1740-01-06)”
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“Letters of Voltaire and Frederick the Great (New York: Brentano's, 1927), trans. Richard Aldington, letter 93 from Frederick to Voltaire (1749-05-16)”
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“Letters of Voltaire and Frederick the Great (New York: Brentano's, 1927), trans. Richard Aldington, letter 141 from Frederick to Voltaire (1759-07-02)”
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1920· 3 entries
“(Original französisch: "Le premier devoir d'un citoyen est de servir sa patrie" - Die politischen Testamente von Friedrich dem Großen, redigiert von Gustav Berthold Volz. Berlin 1920, S. 1 archive.org Internet Archive”
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“(Original französisch: "Les vertus les plus utiles dans les citoyens sont l'humanité, l'équité, la valeur, la vigilance et l'amour du travail" - Die politischen Testamente von Friedrich dem Großen, redigiert von Gustav Berthold Volz. Berlin 1920, S. 34 Internet Archive”
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“(Original französisch: "Je suis en quelque façon le pape des luthériens et des réformés le chef de l'église" - Die politischen Testamente von Friedrich dem Großen, redigiert von Gustav Berthold Volz. Berlin 1920, S. 32 Internet Archive”
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1913· 1 entry
“Der Beherrscher der Türkei ist Despot; straflos darf er die empörendsten Grausamkeiten begehen." - Regierungsformen und Herrscherpflichten (1777). In: Die Werke Friedrichs des Großen in deutscher Übersetzung. 7. Band: Antimachiavell und Testamente. Hg. v. Gustav Berthold Volz. Berlin 1913, S. 227 S. 227 friedrich.uni-trier.de”
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1807· 1 entry
Visited Frederick's tomb in Potsdam and remarked to his officers, "Gentlemen, if this man were still alive I would not be here"
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1786· 17 entries
Died 1786-08-17.
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“Diplomacy without arms is like music without instruments.”
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“To hesitant guards at the battle of Kolin, 18 June 1757”
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“My people and I," he said, "have come to an agreement which satisfies us both. They are to say what they please, and I am to do what I please.”
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“If my soldiers began to think, not one would remain in the ranks.”
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“On the decline of the Dutch Republic subject to British power”
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“Bisogna che un regno sia forte, perché la forza è il solo argomento che si può impiegare con questi cani di re e imperatori.”
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“El valor y la sagacidad son tan comunes en los salteadores de caminos, como en los héroes.”
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“Con la presente il re proibisce a tutti gli ufficiali di cavalleria, pena l'infame destituzione, di lasciarsi mai attaccare dal nemico, perché sono i prussiani che devono sempre attaccare per primi.”
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“I think it better to keep a profound silence with regard to the Christian fables, which are canonized by their antiquity and the credulity of absurd and insipid people.”
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“La gran masa cae siempre en el fango del prejuicio. El error es su herencia.”
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“auch genannt: Friedrich der Große, Der Alte Fritz”
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“Echad los prejuicios por la puerta, y volverán a entrar por la ventana.”
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“They were stronger than Turk and Saracen, but not than Hunger and Disease. Leaders did not know then, as our little Friend at Berlin came to know, that “an Army, like a serpent, goes upon its belly.”
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“El placer es el bien más real de esta vida.”
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“Cacciate i pregiudizi dalla porta, rientreranno dalla finestra.”
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“Letter to princess Amalie von Preußen, Torgau, November 7, 1762”
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1740· 3 entries
Awarded Order of the Black Eagle (1740).
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Career landmark: Margrave of Brandenburg (1740).
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Career landmark: King of Prussia (1740–1786).
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1712· 1 entry
Born 1712-01-24.
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