the outbreak of the Seven Years’ War, and I have often referred to Mr. Lodge’s _Modern Europe_ and Mr. Henderson’s _Short History of Germany_. At critical points in the record of the years 1712 to 1786 I was influenced successively by the _Mémoires de la Margravine de Baireuth_, the trenchant _Frédéric II et Marie-Thérèse_ of the Duc de Broglie, the _Politische Staatsschriften_, Schäfer’s _Der Siebenjährige Krieg_, von Arneth’s _Oesterreichische Geschichte_, and Sorel’s _The Eastern Question in the Eighteenth Century_. Many of the battles in Saxony, Brandenburg, Bohemia, and Silesia form the subject of monographs which it was interesting to study on the field, sometimes with the aid of collections of maps and plans preserved in the neighbourhood. It would be impossible without a false pretence of erudition to name more than a small portion of the books to which some reference must be made in writing of the rise of Prussia. Students will recognise the debt that I owe to such well-known works as those of Ranke, Droysen, Philippson, Förster, Seeley, Isaacsohn, Oncken, Vitzthum, Archenholtz, and many more, as well as to the _Essays_ of Macaulay and Lord Mahon. My account of the early history of Brandenburg is in part based on my paper of April, 1901, in the _Transactions_ of the Royal Historical Society. I offer my grateful thanks to Mr. G. H. Putnam and to Mr. H. W. C. Davis for their counsel, to Mr. G. H. M. Gray for minute scrutiny of the proof-sheets, and to Messrs. Ernest and Harold Temperley, my indulgent comrades in Silesia. To the latter this book owes much at every stage. W. F. R. KING’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, Jan. 9th, 1904. [Illustration] CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER I THE RISE OF PRUSSIA 3 CHAPTER II FREDERICK AS CROWN PRINCE, 1712–1740 24 CHAPTER III THE PROBLEM OF 1740 56 CHAPTER IV THE SILESIAN ADVENTURE, 1740–1742 83 CHAPTER V THE SECOND STRUGGLE FOR SILESIA, 1742–1745 128 CHAPTER VI THE TEN YEARS’ PEACE, 1746–1756 155 CHAPTER VII THE SEVEN YEARS’ WAR TO THE BATTLE OF LEUTHEN 189 CHAPTER VIII THE SEVEN YEARS’ WAR (CONTINUED). LEUTHEN TO MAXEN (DECEMBER, 1757, TO DECEMBER, 1759) 251 CHAPTER IX THE END OF THE SEVEN YEARS’ WAR, 1760–1763 281 CHAPTER X FREDERICK AND PRUSSIA AFTER THE WAR 301 CHAPTER XI FREDERICK AND EUROPE, 1763–1786 322 CHAPTER XII FREDERICK’S DEATH AND GREATNESS 344 Index 361 [Illustration] [Illustration] ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE FREDERICK THE GREAT _Frontispiece_ After the painting by Carlo Vanloo. FREDERICK THE GREAT 10 After the painting by Christian Wolffgang. MAP OF PRUSSIA AFTER THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA, 1715 22 PRINCESS SOPHIA DOROTHEA, DAUGHTER OF KING GEORGE THE FIRST 32 After the painting by Hirseman. FREDERICK THE SECOND 38 After the painting by Cunningham. ELIZABETH CHRISTINA OF BRUNSWICK 44 From an old print. VOLTAIRE 54 From the statue by Houdon at the Comédie Français. FREDERICK WILLIAM THE FIRST 64 After the painting by F. W. Weideman. VIEW OF GLATZ IN THE 18TH CENTURY 78 From an old print. MAP OF EUROPE IN 1740 80 THE RATHHAUS IN BRESLAU 90 From a steel engraving. THE BOARD OF FINANCES AT NEISSE 104 From a steel engraving. PLAN OF MOLWITZ, APRIL 10, 1741 114 THE PARADE GROUND AT POTSDAM 128 FREDERICK THE SECOND, KING OF PRUSSIA 140 After the painting by F. Bock. SANS-SOUCI. CARYTID FRONT 160 THE EQUESTRIAN STATUE OF MARIA THERESA IN THE VIENNA HOFFBURG 190 Reproduced by permission of A. F. Czihaks Nachflg, Vienna. LEOPOLD, COUNT VON DAUN 214 From a copper print. PLAN OF PRAGUE, MAY 6, 1757 216 PLAN OF KOLIN, JUNE 18, 1757 222 FREDERICK VIEWING THE BURNING BRIDGE AT...