Prussia is ... The Kingdom of Prussia. History of Prussia

Prussia is one of the most historically controversial states of continental Europe. On the one hand, we have a once powerful state, under the flag of which the whole of Germany united. On the other hand, the kingdom had not only ups, but also downs. The country was disbanded after the fall of the Third Reich, and earlier suffered under the oppression of the Teutons. What is the legacy of the history of Prussia?

Geographical position

Unlike most states of the Old World, Prussia on the map Is sought for purely political reasons. The language feature, so common for the definition of other states, here works very poorly, as in general in the countries of German culture.

Important for Prussia was the Baltic Sea, located in the north of the country. It was there that the first settlements appeared. Throughout history, the borders of Prussia have changed many times - from (relatively) a small duchy to the main part of the Second Reich of Bismarck.

Enormous influence was exerted on Prussia by neighboring countries - Lithuania (the Prussians are more blood brothers than the Germans) and Poland. The second built a lot of intrigues to its northwestern neighbor during his independence. Poland repeatedly subjugated its territory.

Find the main land of this lost state, Prussia, is now easy. They belong to the Russian Federation and are the Kaliningrad region. Its center is the old Koenigsberg, Since 1946 known as Kaliningrad.

Ancient times

A great role in the appearance of Prussia, as in all European history, played the leader of the Huns Attila. It was the appearance of his empire that made the estuies living on the coast of the Baltic Sea rise. They were written about by ancient authors. Estia left free territory for the Prussians, which until then were located only within the framework of modern Kaliningrad.

The history of Prussia in the form in which we know it now is impossible without the appearance of the German brothers Bruten and Videewood. Their existence remains questionable, but it is the existence of such rulers who created a strong society with developed social relations and built a vertical power, explains the sharp leap in the development of the Prussians. As a result, in the cultural tradition, they turned out to be brothers to the Germans, and not to the nearest peoples - Poles and Lithuanians.

Christianization

A small Polish principality from the XI century tried to expand its lands at the expense of Prussian pagans. However, those were extremely successful defenders. Perhaps the territory of Prussia would remain free from the games of feudal Europe, if on the pretext of Christianization (at the invitation of the Polish prince and the personal blessing of the pope), the legendary Teutonic Order would not invade it.

The Lithuanian order received its own state, in which it was fully empowered to conduct Christianization of the pagan population, which turned out to be for robbery, torture and violence for Prussians.

Expansion of the territory

Thanks to the active build-up of power directly by the Teutons themselves and the absorption of other knightly orders, Prussia itself expanded on the map. At some point the greater part of the Baltic belonged to the state of the Teutonic Order.

Inside, this country was a tough Catholic state with, to put it mildly, a huge deviation in ecclesiastical authority. In fact, the Teutonic Order was subordinated (through a master's degree) to the Pope, so the state was under full control of the Vatican.

Creation of the Kingdom

Until the sixteenth century, the state of the Teutonic Order existed. It led many wars - sometimes successful, expanding their state, but the closer on a timeline to the present, the more often the Teutons yielded to the battlefield.

Particularly difficult was their defeat in the Thirteen Years' War against Poland. This was the final blow to the Teutonic Order - the desire to retain power and escape from the Pope's wrath. Magister Albrecht of Brandenburg adopted Protestantism, thanks to which Prussia became a secular state. He also became a vassal of the Polish king. The former master did many useful things for the state. For example, he conducted social reform and opened the first university. In addition, thanks to him, Prussia is the first state in history with a Protestant faith dominating on an official level.

The Duchy of Prussia did not last long - Albrecht's son was sick and after the death of his father could not take the throne, and then suddenly died. The next heir to the duchy was the Polish king.

The Prussian Kingdom of Poland

Having received at his disposal new lands, the ruler thought, what would become Prussia. Kingdom Seemed to be the best option, since it significantly increased the prestige of the monarch. Now he was twice the ruler.

Like any kingdom within the kingdom, Prussia was quite independent. She had her own laws, her own court. Even its army functioned separately from the Polish one. In addition, the territory of the state grew rapidly, as the King of Prussia understood - only having gathered around him strong and strong support, they could resist Poland and return to their German origins.

However, such drastic measures were not required. At the time of the formation of Prussia as a German state, Poland waged war with Sweden, and it needed the help of its allies. The Brandenburg Prince Friedrich Wilhelm I agreed to extend a helping hand to his neighbors provided that he would receive Prussia, a land which he, as the greatest German prince, considered to be a Germanic, and therefore his own, original.

Thanks to this transaction, the principality of Brandenburg-Prussia was formed, which was destined to play in the future a huge role in the political life of Europe.

Independent Kingdom of Prussia

Thanks to his efforts and the legacy of his father, the son of the Brandenburg prince, conquering more and more lands, and with them influence, was crowned. Friedrich I ascended the throne in 1701, demonstrating to the whole world that Prussia is now an independent kingdom.

The maximum historical dawn of Prussia fell on the reign of Friedrich. He is still considered one of the greatest kings of Europe, because he carried out many reforms - strengthened the economy of Prussia, thanks to which the treasury was able to finance the army with astronomical sums. He also carried out profound changes in education, the state apparatus and military affairs.

Thanks to the huge number of wars, which the King of Prussia had to interfere with for some reason, his state grew increasingly new and new, creating the Prussia reputation as one of the leading nations of the Old World. Only once Prussia lost - the Russian Empire took a part of the Baltic States after the defeat in the battles against it during the Seven Years' War. However, even this defeat was not serious - under the peace treaty between Frederick II and Peter III these lands returned to the Prussians very soon.

Unfortunately, after the powerful flowering followed by a rapid withering. The new king, Frederick II, could not hold power over such a huge state. His rule greatly weakened Prussia, but his son marked the final loss of Prussia's leading role in Europe.

But you can not blame him for that. The kings of Prussia could not resist the avalanche of Napoleon's army. It swept away every state in its path. After the Napoleonic era, Prussia was rebuilt in much smaller territories, and it seemed that she was destined to live out her age before the complete loss of statehood, if not for ...

The German Empire

Strong Otto von Bismarck, strangely enough, was a Prussian. With his appearance on the political scene, you can stop calling the names of Prussian kings - now they did not play a role in comparison with the "Iron Chancellor".

Bismarck was the minister-president of Prussia and a passionate admirer of the idea of a unified German state. At that time, it seemed impossible - the German territory could fit a dozen warring small states and one weakened Austria. However, Bismarck would not have been a great ruler, had he not had a clear and unshakable plan.

Step by step he increased the power of Prussia, fighting with Denmark and selecting its territory. Bismarck needed only an excuse to attack Austria, and he turned up - the military conflict in Italy led to a seven-week war between Austria and Prussia, which ended with the unification of 21 German states and the creation of the German Empire. King of Prussia Wilhelm I became a Kaiser, and Bismarck his chancellor.

The German Empire became one of the main states of the world. Not the least role in its composition was occupied by Prussia. The kingdom has sunk into oblivion, but it was the Prussians who set the cultural and political tone of the empire.

Unfortunately, Wilhelm II was not that far-sighted politician. He dismissed Bismarck from his post, and then began to pursue a complete conservatism of domestic politics and filled with harsh statements aggressive external. Having quarreled with the Russian and British crown, he led Germany to isolation.

These events served as the basic prerequisites for the outbreak of the First World War, after which the Second Reich fell forever. The November uprising tore Germany apart, making Prussia one of the smaller independent states that were forced to pay the debts of their big parent.

But as always happens in the history of Germany, when the chroniclers were ready to put an end to the history of a single state, a new personality appears on the horizon, which is destined to gather around itself all Germans.

Third Reich

In the Third Reich, Prussia was one of the central regions.

Despite the fact that Hitler did not make the division of Germany, an exception was made for this region.

In a state united by the Nazis, Prussia gained autonomy, but had it only on paper. In fact, the head of the autonomy was either Hitler, or someone from the heads of the Reichstag - depending on the specific date.

It was in the Third Reich that Prussia finally eroded the boundaries of an independent state. Now it was part of Germany, even its former capital - Berlin - has long ceased to be associated with it.

After the defeat of Germany in World War II, part of the territory of Prussia, including the old Koenigsberg, departed the USSR. The remaining territories remained with the GDR and the FRG.

Prussia at the end of World War II

Prussia 1945 Year was no longer nothing. As a separate state, it did not exist even in theory, being considered a losing Germany. So the sun set for one of the most influential powers of Europe. Or is there a new unexpected turn ahead? After all, before the appearance of Bismarck, Prussia prophesied the same thing.

The result

Prussia is one of the most ambiguous pages of German history. The state that laid the foundation for the existence of modern federal Germany, in fact, was an independent, incredibly small amount of time.

However, every time Prussia on the map Appeared again, even in the very smallest of its borders, she invariably argued: it is she who is the true force of Germany, her heart and brain.

Somehow the story once again received an ironic connotation - Prussians, the inhabitants of the Baltic States, whom we should refer to Lithuanians and Estonians, are Germans even more Germans themselves. This is the mystery of Prussian history, but, in particular, and its fascination - in endless victories and defeats in the struggle against paradoxes.