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FREDERICK WILLIAM (162o—1688)

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Originally appearing in Volume V11, Page 69 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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FREDERICK See also:WILLIAM (162o—1688) , elector of See also:Brandenburg, usually called the " See also:Great Elector," was See also:born in See also:Berlin on the 16th of See also:February 1620. His See also:father was the elector See also:George William, and his See also:mother was See also:Elizabeth See also:Charlotte, daughter of Frederick IV., elector See also:palatine of the See also:Rhine. Owing to the disorders which were prevalent in Brandenburg he passed See also:part of his youth in the See also:Netherlands, studying at the university of See also:Leiden and learning something of See also:war and statecraft under Frederick See also:Henry, See also:prince of See also:Orange. During his boyhood a See also:marriage had been suggested between him and See also:Christina, after-wards See also:queen of See also:Sweden; but although the See also:idea was ,revived during the See also:peace negotiations between Sweden and Brandenburg, it came to nothing, and in 1646 he married See also:Louise Henriette (d. 1667), daughter of Frederick Henry of Orange, a See also:lady whose counsel was very helpful to him and who seconded his efforts for the welfare of his See also:country. Having become ruler of Brandenburg and See also:Prussia by his father's See also:death in See also:December 164o, Frederick William set to See also:work at once to repair the extensive damage wrought during the See also:Thirty Years' War, still in progress. After some difficulty he secured his See also:investiture as See also:duke of Prussia from See also:Wladislaus, See also:king of See also:Poland, in See also:October 1641, but was not equally successful in crushing the See also:independent tendencies of the estates of See also:Cleves. It was in Brandenburg, however, that he showed his supreme skill as a diplomatist and See also:administrator. His'disorderly troops were replaced by an efficient and disciplined force; his See also:patience and perseverance freed his dominions from the See also:Swedish soldiers; and the restoration of See also:law and See also:order was followed by a revival of See also:trade and an increase of material prosperity. After a tedious struggle he succeeded in centralizing the See also:administration, and controlling and increasing the See also:revenue, while no See also:department of public See also:life escaped his sedulous care (see BRANDENBURG). The See also:area of his dominions was largely increased at the peace of See also:Westphalia in 1648, and this treaty and the treaty of See also:Oliva in 166o alike added to his See also:power and See also:prestige. By a See also:clever but unscrupulous use of his intermediate position between Sweden and Poland he procured his recognition as independent duke of Prussia from both See also:powers, and eventually succeeded in crushing the stubborn and lengthened opposition which was offered to his authority by the estates of the duchy (see PRUSSIA).

After two checks he made his position respected in Cleves, and in 1666 his See also:

title to Cleves, See also:Julich and Ravensberg was definitely recognized. His efforts, however, to annex the western part of the duchy of See also:Pomerania, which he had conquered from the Swedes, failed owing to the insistence of See also:Louis XIV. at the treaty of St Germainen-Laye in 1679, and he was unable to obtain the Silesian duchies of See also:Liegnitz, See also:Brieg and Wohlau from the See also:emperor See also:Leopold I. after they had been See also:left without a ruler in 1675. Frederick William played an important part in See also:European politics. Although found once or twice on the See also:side of See also:France, he was generally loyal to the interests of the See also:empire and the Habsburgs, probably because his See also:political acumen scented danger to Brandenburg from the aggressive policy of Louis XIV. He was a See also:Protestant in See also:religion, but he supported Protestant interests abroad on political rather than on religious grounds, and sought, but without much success, to strengthen Brandenburg by allaying the fierce hostility between See also:Lutherans and Calvinists. His success in See also:founding and organizing the See also:army of Brandenburg-Prussia was amply demonstrated by the great victory which he gained over the Swedes at Fehrbellin in See also:June 1675, and by the eagerness with which See also:foreign powers sought his support. He was also the founder of the Prussian See also:navy. The elector assisted trade in every possible way. He made the See also:canal which still bears his name between the See also:Oder and the See also:Spree; established a trading See also:company; and founded colonies on the See also:west See also:coast of See also:Africa. He encouraged Flemings to See also:settle in Brandenburg, and both .before and after the revocation of the See also:edict of See also:Nantes in 1685 welcomed large See also:numbers of See also:Huguenots, who added greatly to the welfare of the country. See also:Education was not neglected; and if in this direction some of his plans were abortive, it was from lack of means and opportunity rather than effort and inclination. It is difficult to overestimate the services of the great elector to Brandenburg and Prussia.

They can only be properly appreciated by those who compare the See also:

condition of his country in 164o with its condition in 1688. Both actually and relatively its importance had increased enormously; poverty had given See also:place to See also:comparative See also:wealth, and anarchy to a See also:system of See also:government which afterwards made Prussia the most centralized See also:state in See also:Europe. He had scant sympathy with See also:local privileges, and in fighting them his conduct was doubtless despotic. His aim was to make himself an See also:absolute ruler, as he regarded this as the best See also:guarantee for the See also:internal and See also:external welfare of the state. The great elector died at See also:Potsdam from See also:dropsy on the 9th of May 1688, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Frederick. His See also:personal See also:appearance was imposing, and although he was absolutely without scruples when working for the interests of Brandenburg, he did not lack a sense of See also:justice and generosity. At all events he deserves the eulogy passed upon him by Frederick the Great, " Messieurs; celui-ci a fait de grandes choses." His second wife, whom he married in r668, was Dorothea (d. 1689), daughter of See also:Philip, duke of See also:Holstein-See also:Glucksburg, and widow of See also:Christian Louis, duke of 'See also:Brunswick-See also:Luneburg; she See also:bore him four sons and three daughters. His concluding years were troubled by See also:differences between his wife and her step-son, Frederick; and influenced by Dorothea he bequeathed portions of Brandenburg to her four sons, a See also:bequest which was annulled under his successor. See S. de See also:Pufendorf, De See also:rebus gestis Friderici Wilhelmi Magni (See also:Leipzig and Berlin, 1733) ; L. von Orlich, See also:Friedrich Wilhelm der See also:grosse Kurfurst (Berlin, 1836) ; K. H. S.

ROdenbeck, Zur Geschichte Friedrich Wilhelms See also:

des grossen Kurfursten (Berlin, 1851); B. Erdmannsdorffer, Der grosse Kurfurst (Leipzig, 1879); J. G. See also:Droysen, Geschichte der preussisehen Politik (Berlin, 1855—1886) ; M. Philippson, Der g'See also:rosse Kurfurst (Berlin, 1897—1903); E. Heyck, Der grosse Kurfurst (See also:Bielefeld, 19o2); Spahn, Der grosse Kurfurst (See also:Mainz, 1902); H. See also:Landwehr, See also:Die Kirchenpolitik des grossen Kurfiirsten (Berlin, 1894); H. See also:Prutz, Aus des grossen Kurfursten letzten Jahren (Berlin, 1897). Also Urkunden and Aktensti cke zur Geschichte des Kurfursten Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg (Berlin, 1864—19o2) ; T. See also:Carlyle, See also:History of Frederick the Great, vol. i. (See also:London, 1858); and A. See also:Waddington, a See also:Grand Electeur et Louis XIV (See also:Paris, 1905).

FREDERICK-See also:

LEMAITRE, See also:ANTOINE LOUIS PROSPER (t800–1876) See also:French actor, the son of an architect, was born at See also:Havre on the 28th of See also:July 1800. He spent two years at the See also:Conservatoire, and made his first appearance at a variety performance in one of the See also:basement restaurants at the Palais Royal. At the See also:Ambigu on the 12th of July 1823 he played the part of See also:Robert See also:Macaire in L'Auberge des Adrets. The See also:melodrama was played seriously on the first See also:night and was received with little favour, but it was changed on the second night to See also:burlesque, and thanks to him had a great success. All Paris came to see it, and from that See also:day he was famous. He created a number of parts that added to his popularity, especially Cardillac, See also:Cagliostro and See also:Cartouche. His success in the last led to an engagement at the See also:Porte St See also:Martin, where in 1827 he produced Trente ans, ou la See also:vie d'un joueur, in which his vivid acting made a profound impression. Afterwards at the Odeon and other theatres he passed from one success to another, until he put the final See also:touch to his reputation as an artist by creating the part of Ruy Blas in See also:Victor See also:Hugo's See also:play. On his return to the Porte St Martin he created the title-role in See also:Balzac's Vautrin, which was forbidden a second presentation, on See also:account, it is said, of the resemblance of the actor's See also:wig to the well-known toupet worn by Louis Philippe. His last appearance was at this See also:theatre in 1873 as the old See also:Jew in See also:Marie Tudor, and he died at Paris on the 26th of See also:January 1876. FREDERICKSBU'RG, a See also:city of See also:Spottsylvania See also:county, See also:Virginia, U.S.A., on the Rappahannock See also:river, at the See also:head of See also:tide-waternavigation, about 6o m. N. of See also:Richmond and about 55 M.

S.S.W. of See also:

Washington. Pop. (1890) 4528; (1900) 5068 (1621 negroes); (1010) 5874. It is served by the See also:Potomac, Fredericksburg & See also:Piedmont, and the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac See also:railways, and by several See also:coasting steamship lines. The city is built on a See also:series of terraces between the river and hills of considerable height. The river is here spanned by See also:iron; See also:bridges, and just above the city is a See also:dam 900 ft. See also:long and 18 ft. high. By means of this dam and a canal See also:good See also:water-power is furnished, and the city's manufactures include See also:flour, See also:leather, shoes, woollens, silks, wagons, agricultural implements and excelsior (See also:fine See also:wood-shavings for packing or stuffing). The water-See also:works, See also:gas and electric-See also:lighting See also:plants are owned and operated by the See also:municipality. At Fredericksburg are Fredericksburg See also:College (founded in 1893; co-educational), which includes the See also:Kenmore school for girls and the Saunders memorial school for boys (both preparatory) ; a Confederate and a See also:National See also:cemetery (the latter on Marye's Heights), a See also:monument (erected in 1906) to See also:General See also:Hugh See also:Mercer (c. 1720-1777), whose See also:home for several years was here and who See also:fell in the See also:battle of See also:Princeton; and a monument to the memory of Washington's mother, who died here in 1789 and whose home is still See also:standing. Other buildings of See also:interest are the old Rising See also:Sun Hotel, a popular resort during Washington's See also:time, and " Kenmore," the home of See also:Colonel See also:Fielding See also:Lewis, who married a See also:sister of Washington. The city was named_ in See also:honour of Frederick, father of George III., and was incorporated in 1727, long after its first See also:settlement; in 1871 it was re-chartered by See also:act of the General See also:Assembly of Virginia.

The battle of Fredericksburg in the See also:

American See also:Civil War was fought on the 13th of December 1862 between the See also:Union forces (Army of the Potomac) under See also:Major-General A. E. See also:Burnside and the Confederates (Army of See also:Northern Virginia)under General R. E. See also:Lee. In the See also:middle of See also:November, Burnside, newly appointed to command the Army of the Potomac, had manoeuvred from the neighbourhood of Warrenton with a view to beginning an offensive move trom Fredericksburg and, as a preliminary, to seizing a foothold beyond the Rappahannock at or near that place. On arriving near See also:Falmouth, however, he found that the means of See also:crossing that he had asked for had not been forwarded from Washington, and he sat down to wait for them, while, on the other side, the Confederate army gradually assembled See also:south of the Rappahannock in a strong position with the left on the river above Fredericksburg and the right near See also:Hamilton's Crossing on the Richmond railway. On the loth of December Burnside, having by now received his pontoons, prepared to See also:cross the river and to attack the Confederate entrenched position on the heights beyond the See also:town. The respective forces were Union 122,000, Confederate 79,000. Major-General E. V. See also:Sumner, commanding the Federal right wing (II. and IX. See also:corps), was to cross at Fredericksburg, Major-General W.

B. See also:

Franklin with the left (I. and VI. corps) some See also:miles below, while the centre (III. and V. corps) under Major-General See also:Joseph See also:Hooker was to connect the two attacks and to reinforce either at need. The Union See also:artillery took position along the heights of the See also:north See also:bank to See also:cover the crossing, and no opposition was encountered opposite Franklin's command, which formed up on the other side during the 11th and 12th. Opposite Sumner, however, the Confederate riflemen, hidden in the gardens and houses of Fredericksburg, caused much trouble and considerable losses to the Union pioneers, and a forlorn See also:hope of See also:volunteers from the See also:infantry had to be rowed across under See also:fire before the enemy's skirmishers could be dislodged. Sumner's two corps crossed on the 12th. The battle took place next See also:morning. Controversy has raged See also:round Burnside's See also:plan of See also:action and in particular round his orders to Franklin, as to which it can only be said that whatever See also:chance of success there was in so formidable an undertaking as attacking the well-posted enemy was thrown away through misunderstandings,and that nothing but misunder= standings could be expected from the vague and bewildering orders issued by the general in command. The actual battle can be described in a few words. See also:Jackson held the right of Lee's See also:line, See also:Longstreet the left, both entrenched. Franklin,` tied by his instructions, attacked with one See also:division only, which a little later he supported by two more (I. corps, Major-General J. F. See also:Reynolds) out of eight or nine available.

His left flank was harassed by the Confederate See also:

horse artillery under the See also:young and brilliant See also:Captain See also:John See also:Pelham, and after breaking the first line of Stonewall Jackson's corps the assailants were in the end driven back with heavy losses. On the other flank, where part of Longstreet's corps held the See also:low See also:ridge opposite Fredericksburg called Marye's Heights, Burnside ordered in the II. corps under Major-General D. N. See also:Couch about 11 A.M., and thenceforward division after division, on a front of little more than Boo yds., was sent forward to See also:assault with the See also:bayonet. The " See also:Stone See also:Wall " along the See also:foot of Marye's was lined with every See also:rifle of Longstreet's corps that could find See also:room to fire, and above them the Confederate guns fired heavily on the assailants, whose artillery, on the height beyond the river, was too far off to assist them. Not a See also:man of the Federals reached the wall, though the bravest were killed a few paces from it, and Sumner's and most of Hooker's brigades were broken one after the other as often as they tried to assault. At night the wrecks of the right wing were withdrawn. Burnside proposed next day to See also:lead the IX. corps, which he had formerly commanded, in one See also:mass to the assault of the Stone Wall, but his subordinates dissuaded him, and on the night of the 15th the Army of the Potomac withdrew to its camps about Falmouth. The losses of the Federals were 12,650 men, those of the See also:Con-federates 4200, little more than a third of which fell on Long-See also:street's corps. See F. W. See also:Palfrey, See also:Antietam and Fredericksburg (New See also:York, 1881) ; G.

W. Redway, Fredericksburg (London, 1906) ; and G. F. R. See also:

Henderson, Fredericksburg (London, 1889).

End of Article: FREDERICK WILLIAM (162o—1688)

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