Frederick the Great
Why he was a unique ruler
There are many aspects that make Frederick
the diverse and dynamic ruler he was. First of all, as you should already know,
Frederick did not rule by the divine right, and actually thought religion to be
trivial. In one of his quotes, he stated "Religion is the idol of the mob: it
adores everything it does not understand. This contrasts sharply with how
monarchs conventionally ruled their countries. There are several more reasons
why Frederick William was so strange of a ruler. He took much interest in the
arts, which meant anything from Italian music to French poetry. He spoke several
languages, and was thought to be a renaissance man of his time.
An
interesting thing to look at in Frederick was his sexual orientation, and what
went along with that. It is suspected he had a relationship with the man he ran
away with, Hans Hermann von Katte. Of
course, this relation did not end up working out, as he ended up being executed
because he was accused for treason whilst attempting to run away with Frederick.
To be homosexual during this period was taboo, to say the least, especially for
a future-king like Frederick William. Along with this, the woman he was
obligated to marry he had no children with, and rarely paid heed to
her.
Another reason showing how Frederick was unique as a king is the face
how he was a "servant of the people". This meant his own emotions did not effect
his rule, and let the country come first.