The Story of Mankind [120]
which inhabited that region, were subjugated during the
tenth century and their market-place, by the name of Brennabor,
became the centre of and gave its name to the new province
of Brandenburg.
During the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries, a succession of noble families exercised the functions of
imperial governor in this frontier state. Finally in the
fifteenth century, the House of Hohenzollern made its appear-
ance, and as Electors of Brandenburg, commenced to change a
sandy and forlorn frontier territory into one of the most efficient
empires of the modern world.
These Hohenzollerns, who have just been removed from
the historical stage by the combined forces of Europe and
America, came originally from southern Germany. They were
of very humble origin. In the twelfth century a certain Frederick
of Hohenzollern had made a lucky marriage and had been
appointed keeper of the castle of Nuremberg. His descendants
had used every chance and every opportunity to improve their
power and after several centuries of watchful grabbing, they
had been appointed to the dignity of Elector, the name given to
those sovereign princes who were supposed to elect the Emperors
of the old German Empire. During the Reformation,
they had taken the side of the Protestants and the early
seventeenth century found them among the most powerful of the
north German princes.
During the Thirty Years War, both Protestants and
Catholics had plundered Brandenburg and Prussia with equal
zeal. But under Frederick William, the Great Elector, the
damage was quickly repaired and by a wise and careful use of
all the economic and intellectual forces of the country, a state
was founded in which there was practically no waste.
Modern Prussia, a state in which the individual and his
wishes and aspirations have been entirely absorbed by the
interests of the community as a whole this Prussia dates back
to the father of Frederick the Great. Frederick William I was
a hard working, parsimonious Prussian sergeant, with a great
love for bar-room stories and strong Dutch tobacco, an intense
dislike of all frills and feathers, (especially if they were of
French origin,) and possessed of but one idea. That idea was
Duty. Severe with himself, he tolerated no weakness in his
subjects, whether they be generals or common soldiers. The
relation between himself and his son Frederick was never cordial,
to say the least. The boorish manners of the father offended
the finer spirit of the son. The son's love for French
manners, literature, philosophy and music was rejected by the
father as a manifestation of sissy-ness. There followed a terrible
outbreak between these two strange temperaments. Frederick
tried to escape to England. He was caught and court-
martialed and forced to witness the decapitation of his best
friend who had tried to help him. Thereupon as part of his
punishment, the young prince was sent to a little fortress
somewhere in the provinces to be taught the details of his future
business of being a king. It proved a blessing in disguise.
When Frederick came to the throne in 1740, he knew how his
country was managed from the birth certificate of a pauper's
son to the minutest detail of a complicated annual Budget.
As an author, especially in his book called the ``Anti-
Macchiavelli,'' Frederick had expressed his contempt for the
political creed of the ancient Florentine historian, who had
advised his princely pupils to lie and cheat whenever it was
necessary to do so for the benefit of their country. The ideal
ruler in Frederick's volume was the first servant of his people,
the enlightened despot after the example of Louis XIV. In
practice, however, Frederick, while working for his people
twenty hours a day, tolerated no one to be near him as a
counsellor. His ministers were superior clerks. Prussia was his
private possession, to be treated
tenth century and their market-place, by the name of Brennabor,
became the centre of and gave its name to the new province
of Brandenburg.
During the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries, a succession of noble families exercised the functions of
imperial governor in this frontier state. Finally in the
fifteenth century, the House of Hohenzollern made its appear-
ance, and as Electors of Brandenburg, commenced to change a
sandy and forlorn frontier territory into one of the most efficient
empires of the modern world.
These Hohenzollerns, who have just been removed from
the historical stage by the combined forces of Europe and
America, came originally from southern Germany. They were
of very humble origin. In the twelfth century a certain Frederick
of Hohenzollern had made a lucky marriage and had been
appointed keeper of the castle of Nuremberg. His descendants
had used every chance and every opportunity to improve their
power and after several centuries of watchful grabbing, they
had been appointed to the dignity of Elector, the name given to
those sovereign princes who were supposed to elect the Emperors
of the old German Empire. During the Reformation,
they had taken the side of the Protestants and the early
seventeenth century found them among the most powerful of the
north German princes.
During the Thirty Years War, both Protestants and
Catholics had plundered Brandenburg and Prussia with equal
zeal. But under Frederick William, the Great Elector, the
damage was quickly repaired and by a wise and careful use of
all the economic and intellectual forces of the country, a state
was founded in which there was practically no waste.
Modern Prussia, a state in which the individual and his
wishes and aspirations have been entirely absorbed by the
interests of the community as a whole this Prussia dates back
to the father of Frederick the Great. Frederick William I was
a hard working, parsimonious Prussian sergeant, with a great
love for bar-room stories and strong Dutch tobacco, an intense
dislike of all frills and feathers, (especially if they were of
French origin,) and possessed of but one idea. That idea was
Duty. Severe with himself, he tolerated no weakness in his
subjects, whether they be generals or common soldiers. The
relation between himself and his son Frederick was never cordial,
to say the least. The boorish manners of the father offended
the finer spirit of the son. The son's love for French
manners, literature, philosophy and music was rejected by the
father as a manifestation of sissy-ness. There followed a terrible
outbreak between these two strange temperaments. Frederick
tried to escape to England. He was caught and court-
martialed and forced to witness the decapitation of his best
friend who had tried to help him. Thereupon as part of his
punishment, the young prince was sent to a little fortress
somewhere in the provinces to be taught the details of his future
business of being a king. It proved a blessing in disguise.
When Frederick came to the throne in 1740, he knew how his
country was managed from the birth certificate of a pauper's
son to the minutest detail of a complicated annual Budget.
As an author, especially in his book called the ``Anti-
Macchiavelli,'' Frederick had expressed his contempt for the
political creed of the ancient Florentine historian, who had
advised his princely pupils to lie and cheat whenever it was
necessary to do so for the benefit of their country. The ideal
ruler in Frederick's volume was the first servant of his people,
the enlightened despot after the example of Louis XIV. In
practice, however, Frederick, while working for his people
twenty hours a day, tolerated no one to be near him as a
counsellor. His ministers were superior clerks. Prussia was his
private possession, to be treated