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Frederick the Great was born on January 24, 1712 into the House of Hohenzollern. His parents were named Frederick William I of Prussia and Princess Sophia-Dorothea, who she was the sister of George II of Great Britain.
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As soon as Frederick was able to read and write, his mother got him into a variety of clases in order for him to have a wider background knowledge on history and other areas. His father, on the other hand, fought every day in order for him to learn how to rule a state. Because of so much fighting, at the age of 18, Frederick attempted to escape with his friend Hans Hermann von Katte, but their plan failed and the friend got executed.
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After Frederick's father pardoned him, he was placed as a junior official in local administration and had a marriage arrangement with Elizabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern. Unfortunately, the marriage didn't work and they got divorced. Since then on, Frederick didn't show any future interest in women.
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As soon as Frederick's father died on the year of 1740, Frederick was crowned king. Just as his reign started, he had big plans for Prussia, and during that same year he came away with the large piece of land named Silesia.
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Throuhgout Frederick's complete reign, Prussia was always involved in some kind of conflict. After the War of Austrian Succession, Frederick managed to keep together Prussia against the allied forced of Austria, Saxony, Sweden, France, and Russia. That was when the Seven Years War for control of Silesia started from 1756 through 1763.
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During the year of 1772, after the American Revolution, Frederick diplomatically fought and won the piece of land that separates Poland from East Prussia from Brandenburg. Such event was called the partition of Poland.
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During the year of 1778, Frederick the Great took his troops to defend the independence of the Bavaria, where he field against Austria in alliance with Saxony. Since the came out with victory, it was called the War of the Bavarian Succession.
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After having gained so much power and land for its people and government, Frederick the Great died in his castle at the age of 74 on the 17th of August of 1786. The cause of his death was unespecified.
