Frederick the Great: The Philosopher King of Prussia

Frederick II of Prussia, who ruled from 1740 to 1786, presented himself as a philosopher on the throne. As crown prince he wrote the Anti-Machiavel, published in 1740 with Voltaire's help, criticizing the idea that rulers should be ruthless. He called himself 'the first servant of the state', wrote poetry and history in French, composed music and hosted Voltaire at his court at Potsdam from 1750 to 1753, a friendship that ended in a bitter quarrel.

Yet months after publishing the Anti-Machiavel, Frederick invaded the Austrian province of Silesia in December 1740, launching wars that made Prussia a great power at enormous human cost. He later joined Russia and Austria in the First Partition of Poland in 1772. Historians debate how to reconcile these sides: was Frederick a genuine reformer whose ideals were limited by power politics, or a ruler who used Enlightenment language to legitimize military expansion?