Brandenburg-Prussia

  General Description   This period marks the rise of Brandenburg-Prussia from a principality to a leading European power, culminating in the unification of Germany, laying the groundwork for the modern German state.

It started with the personal union of Brandenburg and the Duchy of Prussia under John Sigismund of the Hohenzollern dynasty in 1618. This union expanded Brandenburg’s territorial reach and changed its political and religious landscape, combining Prussia’s Lutheran territories with the predominantly Calvinist Brandenburg. ^[1]

The Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which concluded the Thirty Years’ War, marked a turning point, granting Brandenburg-Prussia significant territorial expansions and sovereignty over its affairs, free from Imperial interference. ^[2]


Under the "Great Elector" Frederick William (1640-1688), Brandenburg-Prussia underwent a series of sweeping reforms aimed at centralizing authority. He is credited with laying the administrative foundations of the Prussian state. ^[3]

Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg was coronated as King Frederick I in Prussia in 1701. The elevation to kingdom status was part of the Treaty of Utrecht and a reward for Prussia’s alliance with the Holy Roman Empire during the War of the Spanish Succession. By becoming a king, Frederick I aimed to elevate Prussia’s prestige and influence among European powers. ^[4]


The 18th century saw the rise of Prussia as a major military power under the leadership of Frederick William I and his son, Frederick II, known as Frederick the Great. Frederick William I’s focus on military organization and state infrastructure further strengthened Prussia’s foundations, while Frederick the Great’s military successes, particularly during the Silesian Wars and the Seven Years’ War, established Prussia as a leading European power and expanded its territories significantly ^[5]




The Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 reshaped the European political landscape. The reforms initiated in response to the Napoleonic occupation, including the abolition of serfdom, the reform of the judiciary, and the introduction of municipal self-governance, modernized the Prussian state and society. ^[6]


The 19th century was marked by the growing sentiments of nationalism and liberalism across Europe, leading to the revolutions of 1848. In Prussia, these revolutionary currents led to demands for constitutional government and national unification. While the immediate revolutionary fervor was subdued, the seeds for German unification were sown. ^[7]


The unification of Germany was achieved under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian Prime Minister, through a series of diplomatic maneuvers and three decisive wars: the Danish War (1864), the Austro-Prussian War (1866), and the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). The victory in the Franco-Prussian War and the proclamation of the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles in January 1871 marked the culmination of Brandenburg-Prussia’s rise from a small principality to the heart of a unified German state. ^[8]

[1]: Heinz Immekeppel, Das Herzogtum Preussen von 1603 Bis 1618, Studien zur Geschichte Preussens Bd. 24 (Köln: G. Grote, 1975). Zotero link: XUFQZXAA

[2]: Arndt, Der Dreißigjährige Krieg. Zotero link: PULFEDKX

[3]: Barbara Beuys, Der Große Kurfürst: der Mann, der Preußen schuf, Rororo rororo - Sachbuch 7820 (Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verl, 1984). Zotero link: G9K39WS5

[4]: Otto Hintze, Die Hohenzollern und ihr Werk: 1415 - 1915, Reprint d. Originalausg. Berlin, Parey, 1915 / mit e. Geleitw. von W. Knopp u.e. Vorw. von W. Hubatsch. (Hamburg Berlin: Parey, 1987). Zotero link: 83G7KCF2

[5]: Biographie, “Friedrich der Große - Deutsche Biographie.” Zotero link: AF7NP8Z9

[6]: Heinz Duchhardt, Der Wiener Kongress: die Neugestaltung Europas 1814/15, Beck’sche Reihe. Wissen 2778 (München: C.H. Beck, 2013). Zotero link: KQ7ZZYPE

[7]: Dieter Hein, Die Revolution von 1848/49, 6., durchgesehene und aktualisierte Auflage., C.H. Beck Wissen 2019 (München: C.H. Beck, 2019). Zotero link: F929SJQT

[8]: Helmut Böhme, Die Reichsgründung (Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, 1967). Zotero link: TD42N4CS