第71节
【】n.charles</p>
ntiobeahighlypicturesquefigure,awonderfulhero</p>
ofroinhisvaiohavehisrevenge,he</p>
ruinedhisory.intheyear1718,heally</p>
killedorassassinatedknohande</p>
adein1721,ioadt,sall</p>
ofherforrbalticpossessionsexceptfinland.thenew</p>
russianstate,createdbypeter,hadbeetheleadingpower</p>
ofnortheeurope.butalreadyanehe</p>
ateakingshape.</p>
theriseofprussia</p>
theextraordinaryriseofalittle</p>
stateinadrearypartofnorthe</p>
gerny,calledprussia</p>
thehistoryofprussiaisthehistoryofafrontierdistrict.</p>
ihtury,charlegransferredtheold</p>
thediterraothewildregions</p>
ofnortheeurope.hisfrankishsoldiershadpushed</p>
thefrontierofeuropefurtherandfurthertoheeast.</p>
theyhadnquerednylandsfroheheathenishslavsand</p>
lithuaniansheplaihebaltic</p>
seaandtheinistered</p>
thoseoutlyingdistrictsjustastheuatesused</p>
toadnisterherterritoriesbeforetheyachievedthedignity</p>
ofstatehood.</p>
thefroateofbrandenburghadbeeninally</p>
foundedbycharlegodefendhiseastepossessions</p>
againstraidsoftheribes.the</p>
tribeedthatregion,edduringthe</p>
teuryandtheirrketplace,bythenaofbrennabor,</p>
beetothenee</p>
ofbrandenburg.</p>
duringtheeleventh,th,thirteenthandfourteenth</p>
iliesexercisedthefunsof</p>
ierialgoveorinthisfroate.finallyinthe</p>
fifteenthadeitsappear</p>
aogea</p>
sandyandforlofroerritoryintoohesteffit</p>
eiresofthedeworld.</p>
thesehohenzolles,ovedfrobr></p>
thehistoricalstagebythebinedforcesofeuropeand</p>
arisouthegerny.theywere</p>
ofveryhulein.ihturyacertainfrederick</p>
ofhohenzollehaddealuckyrriageandhadbeen</p>
appointedkeeperoftheberg.hisdesdants</p>
hadusedeveryprovetheir</p>
poerseveralturiesofchfulgrabbing,they</p>
hadbeenappoihedignityofeleegivento</p>
thosesnprincesperors</p>
oftheoldgerneire.duringtherefortion,</p>
theyhadtakenthesideoftheprotestantsandtheearly</p>
sevehapohe</p>
nernprinces.</p>
durihirtyyearshprotestantsand</p>
shadplunderedbrandenburgandprussiahequal</p>
zeal.butunderfrederick,thegreatelector,the</p>
dageklyrepairedandbyaarefuluseof</p>
alltheenodintelleesoftheuntry,astate</p>
hereicallynoe.</p>
deprussia,astateinheindividualandhis</p>
ionshavebeeirelyabsorbedbythe</p>
isofthenityasahisprussiadatesback</p>
tothefatheroffrederickthegreat.frederickiwas</p>
ahardoniousprussiansergeant,hagreat</p>
loveforbarrootoriesandstrongdutchtobaintense</p>
dislikeofallfrillsahers,especiallyiftheywereof</p>
frenchin,andpossessedofbutohatideawas</p>
duty.severeself,hetoleratednoweaknessinhis</p>
subjesoldiers.the</p>
relatioselfandhissonfrederickordial,</p>
tosaytheleast.theboorishnnersofthefatheroffended</p>
thefinerspiritoftheson.thesonsloveforfrench</p>
nners,literature,philosophyandsicedbythe</p>
fatherasaionofsissyherefolloerrible</p>
outbreakbetperants.frederick</p>
triedtoescapetoengland.heandurt</p>
rtialedandforapitationofhisbest</p>
friend.thereuponaspartofhis</p>
punishnt,theyoungprioalittlefortress</p>
soheproviobetaughtthedetailsofhisfuture</p>
businessofbeingaking.itprovedablessingindisguise.</p>
etothethronein1740,heknewhowhis</p>
untryanagedfrohebirthateofapaupers</p>
sontothedetailofaplicatedannualbudget.</p>
asanauthor,especiallyinhisbookcalledthe``anti</p>
hiavelli,frederickhadexpressedhisforthe</p>
politireedoftheafloreorian,whohad</p>
advisedhisprincelypupilstolieawas</p>
necessarytodosoforthebeoftheiruntry.theideal</p>
rulerinfrederiehefirstservantofhispeople,</p>
theenlighteaftertheexaleoflouisxiv.in</p>
prae,hok,whilewforhispeople</p>
tasa</p>
unsellor.hisnisterslerks.prussiawashis</p>
privatepossession,tobetreatedagtohisownwishes.</p>
andnothingointerferehtheiofthe</p>
state.</p>
intheyear1740theeerorcharlesvi,ofaustria,</p>
died.hehadtriedtokethepositionofhisonlydaughter,</p>
riatheresa,sey,tenblack</p>
o.butnosoonerhad</p>
theoldeerorbeendepositedinthearalcryptofthe</p>
habsburgfaly,thanthearesoffrederickarg</p>
toheaustrianfroooupythatpartofsilesiafor</p>
osteverythingelseiraleurope</p>
prussiaeaandvery</p>
doubtfulrightsofclaiinanuerofk</p>
nqueredallofsilesia,andalthoughheenverynear</p>
defeat,heintainedhielfinhisories</p>
againstallaustriaacks.</p>
europetookduenoticeofthissuddenappearanceofa</p>
verypoans</p>
hegreatreligious</p>
byanyone.frederick,</p>
byaneffortassuddenandquiteasterrificasthatof</p>
peterofrussia,ptintoone</p>
offear.theintealaffairsofprussiawerearrang</p>
...</p>