History 119, European Cultural History 1500-1815 - Summary

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Lecture #19 - The Rise of Prussia - 39:50 (mp3)
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In the previous lecture, Professor Mosse detailed the rise of Russia. Here, he moves further West and examines the rise of Prussia. Composed of three main territorial units, East Prussia, Brandenburg, and parts of the Rhine, Prussia’s history was shaped by three factors: its lack of natural frontiers, its geopolitical position as a frontier state against Eastern Europe with, therefore, expansionist ambitions directed eastward, and finally its lack natural resources. To explain the rise of Prussia as a great power in light of these aforementioned challenges, Mosse points to the rule of three men: the Great Elector (1640-1688), Frederick William I (1713-1740) and Frederick the Great (1740-1786).

The Great Elector brought Prussia into prominence at end of Thirty Year War and set the main aspects of Prussian policy including a strong emphasis on military strength, centralization and the founding of an efficient civil service. Frederick William I became the archetype of “Prussianism”. His capital was the garrison town of Potsdam, demonstrating his commitment to the military. Nevertheless, he was also concerned with the founding and strengthening of a sound economy. Offering religious tolerance in exchange for economic investments, Frederick William I invited Huguenots and Jews to settle in Prussia. He was not irreligious, though, and desired to make a state church that was broad and attractive. The Church of Prussian Union offered thus a mixture of Lutheranism and Calvinism. Yet, this prevented the creation of dissenting Protestant sects, a force that Mosse connects to liberalism. Lacking a tradition of religious dissent, Mosse suggests that political liberalism in Prussia was hampered. Finally, Frederick William I integrated the nobility into the army, giving rise to a nobility of services, the Junkers. As a result, Frederick the Great was able to put all of his father’s achievements into practice and was responsible for Prussia’s emergence as a great power in Europe.

Prussia’s importance, Mosse explains by means of a conclusion, can be seen in how it upset the balance of power in Europe. As a new great power, it created a diplomatic revolution that threw the Habsburg Empire into the arms of the French. Eventually, Prussia was to become two-thirds of Germany and the Prussian army became German army. Finally, Prussian ideals tended to become German ideals and these included an overriding duty of all social classes to the state; a sense of discipline combined with austerity, though one that not incidentally shared no irrational enthusiasm and thus was ill disposed to mass movements, including democracy; an urge toward eastward expansion; and finally, militarism. Many of these characteristics clearly and obviously held resonance historically and for Mosse for a significantly later era.

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