Frederick the Great: A Historical Profile [Paperback]

Gerhard Ritter (Author), Peter Paret (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ritters book is complex, subtle, and scholarly, and deserves to be read two or three times. . . There is no aspect of Fredericks government or wars that Ritter does not analyze with subtlety and usually with conviction. -- New York Review of Books

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; First Edition edition (January 16, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520027752
• ISBN-13: 978-0520027756
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #478,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Education & Reference > Genealogy > United Kingdom

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant study of Frederick and of Prussia, February 23, 2002

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frederick the Great: A Historical Profile (Paperback)

This work is the study of a society as reflected in the life of Frederick the Great. The subject of interest is not so much the man per se but rather his interactions with the society he did so much to shape. Ritter's treatment allows the reader to learn about Frederick but not to know him as a man. In fact, the work serves largely to sublimate Frederick the man to the Prussian state. The reader sees Frederick as having succeeded not through divine placement but by luck, reason, and a commitment to the state above all personal and worldly considerations. But despite all Frederick's realism, as revealed by Ritter, he remains an enigma. Indeed, as Paret alludes to in his introduction, certain events of European history and aspects of Frederick's life are not explored in Ritter's European-oriented presentation. Certainly my own lack of understanding of the complicated alliance patterns of early modern Europe detract from my understanding of the book.

Frederick's reign seems to have marked a crucial turning point in history-- one toward the development of the modern European nation-state. Frederick utilized the French designs of emerging nationality to bring to life a state whose purpose was to further the good of all its inhabitants rather than to serve as an instrument of the prince's vainglory. From the mediaeval throes of dynamism was born the modern state. To a large degree, Frederick the Great was Prussia; he raised her to a level of power that would not long outlive him. This is what makes Ritter's biography history.

There was a certain ambivalence evidenced in Frederick's conception of warfare. He only pursued war to further the state, and he learned from war--especially his initial invasion of Silesia. Always, Prussia in the end seemed to prosper from her ruler's military actions. Central in Frederick's conception of the state was the need for a vigilant standing army. To oversee this grand army, Frederick developed a program for proto-modern statehood--in all aspects to be overseen by him personally. In his state, he sought to utilize the nobility in a paternalistic system. Patriotism was his goal; his military leaders were not to fight for him but for Prussia. Frederick was deeply involved in military strategy; as a soldier-king he demanded discipline and controlled aggression among his men. Significantly, over time he came to see the value of statecraft over military action; after his Silesian invasion, his wars seemed more defensive in nature; often no decisive victor emerged from battle. He came to realize that warfare was constrained by the state's national resources. As Ritter describes it, Frederician warfare was defined by maneuverability and limited aggression. It is the birth of patriotism in the form of Frederician absolutism that lies at the heart of Ritter's study. Compelled by the rise to power of Naziism, Ritter seeks to show how such German nationalism had originally been born.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed reading...Frederick the Great: A Historical Profile, September 11, 2010

By 

Thomas Wagner "Tom Wagner" (Everett, Washington United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frederick the Great: A Historical Profile (Paperback)

I wanted this book to read more about Frederick the Great, especially to get another perspective on Frederick's influence on Silesia, Lutheranism, and Prussia as a whole. My paternal grandmother's folks were born in Silesia back around 1857/1860. Family lore indicated an ancestor who was a count sometime after the Frederick takeover of Silesia. The count's presence in the Falkenberger communities is still a mystery to me but the book allowed me to understand more of the hundred years prior to my great grandparents birth. After reading the book I was able to carry on conversations with my friends about Frederick without missing a beat.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Work, April 9, 2006

By 

Steven J. Heizer (Belleville, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frederick the Great: A Historical Profile (Paperback)

Who was Frederick the Great? Where was Prussia? What was the political dynamic in Prussia? What was the interest in Silesia? This book offers everything from the most basic answers to interesting facts to a great military mind on a relentless campaign for national prestige. Not many people know much about Prussia; this book helps you stand out from the crowd and enjoy doing so.