Person

Frederick the Great

1712–1786 · 18th century · Also known as Frederick II of Prussia

Frederick the Great, Frederick II of Prussia, was king from 1740. That year he invaded Silesia, citing old Hohenzollern claims to duchies such as Brzeg and Krnov, and won most of it with the County of Kladsko in 1742. He occupied East Frisia when its princely line ended in 1744, held Silesia through the Seven Years' War and gained West Prussia in 1772. He was also a reforming ruler and patron of the Enlightenment.

Frederick the Great
Image: Johann Georg Ziesenis · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 4 profiles

Margraviate of BrandenburgMilitary, DeclineMargraviate of MoraviaMilitaryElectorate of SaxonyMilitary, SummaryHabsburg MonarchyMilitary

Mentioned in 6 state histories

Duchy of BrzegDuchy of KrnovPrincipality of Brandenburg-BayreuthCounty of KladskoCounty of East FrisiaMargraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Frederick the Great. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/frederick-the-great
MLA
“Frederick the Great.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/frederick-the-great. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Frederick the Great.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/frederick-the-great.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Frederick the Great’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/frederick-the-great (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻