Frederick the Great, King Friedrich II of Prussia, was the son of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia, the House of Hohenzollern, and is ranked among the "Enlightened Despots" of his time due to his liberal domestic policies combined with royal absolutism. However, Frederick the Great is probably best remembered as the greatest Prussian warrior-king in German history. With the British as his only major allies he was at war with almost all the major powers of continental Europe for a time including France, Austria and Russia. He used swift movements, surprise attacks and brilliant tactical maneuvers to defeat vastly superior enemy forces, earning him an honored place in German history. He modernized his country, was religiously tolerant and a patron of the arts, especially music. He was married to Elisabeth-Christine of Brunswick-Bevern but had no children. He died in Potsdam in 1786.
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