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Frederick Imprisoned
Imprisoned in the fortress of Kustrin after trying to flee to France or Holland away from his father. -
Frederick's Accomplice is Executed
Frederick's accomplice in his plan to run away was Lieutenant Hans Hermann von Katte, who was then executed in front of Frederick and was initiated by Frederick's father. There was a chance that Frederick would also be executed. -
Deprived of Military Rank
From 1730 until a year later, as a punishment lesser than execution, Frederick's father deprived him of his military rank and instead made him a junior official. -
Married to Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern
In 1733, he and his father's bond came back together a bit and he got married to Elizabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern. She was from a small, princely German family, and Frederick never cared for her and instead neglected her. -
Frederick Allowed to Explore His Interests
In the late 1730, the castle of Rheinsberg allows Frederick free rein to his interests, to which he reads plenty, taking in ideas of government and international relations, and exploring more of poetry, music, philosophy, and much more. These may have been the happiest time of Frederick's life. -
Frederick's Father Dies
On May 31st of 1740, Frederick's father (who he had a very strained relationship with) died. This gave Frederick the throne. From this point onward, although still married, Frederick and his wife Elisabeth Christine separated and he would only visit her a few times out of the year. -
Prussia's First Military Victory
Against Maria Theresa, the ruler of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia, Prussia won their first military victory. -
Treaty of Dresden
Frederick signed the Treaty of Dresden to give him property and rule over Silesia. This was to stop the wars that came with trying to conquer land that started 5 years before. -
Frederick's Enemy Dies
In January 1762, Frederick's biggest enemy, Elizabeth of Russia, died, and her successor signed a peace treaty with Frederick so they would no longer have war against them. -
An Idea of Public Education
Although there were private schools at the time, Frederick still wanted to make education public. So in 1763, he promoted the idea for elementary education, to make citizens of Prussia obedience and enlightened.
