Prussia, Kingdom of

The Kingdom of Prussia (German: Königreich Preußen) is a German kingdom that constitutes the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918 and includes parts of present-day Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Denmark, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

It is the driving force behind the unification of Germany in 1871 and is the leading state of the German Empire until its dissolution in 1918.

Although it takes its name from the region called Prussia, it is based in the Margraviate of Brandenburg, where its capital is Berlin.

The kings of Prussia are from the House of Hohenzollern.

Prussia is a great power from the time it becomes a kingdom, through its predecessor, Brandenburg-Prussia, which becomes a military power under Frederick William, known as "The Great Elector".

Prussia continues its rise to power under the guidance of Frederick II, more commonly known as Frederick the Great, the third son of Frederick William I.

Frederick the Great is instrumental in starting the Seven Years' War, holding his own against Austria, Russia, France and Sweden and establishing Prussia’s role in the German states, as well as establishing the country as a European great power.

After the might of Prussia is revealed it is considered as a major power among the German states.

Throughout the next hundred years Prussia goes on to win many battles.

It is because of its power that Prussia continuously tries to unify all the German states under its rule.

After the Napoleonic Wars lead to the creation of the German Confederation, the issue of more closely unifying the many German states causes revolution throughout the German states, with each wanting their own constitution.

Attempts at creation of a federation remain unsuccessful and the German Confederation collapses in 1866 when war ensues between its two most powerful member states, Prussia and Austria.

The North German Confederation, which lasts from 1867–1871, creates a closer union between the Prussian-aligned states while Austria and most of Southern Germany remain independent.

The North German Confederation is seen as more of an alliance of military strength in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War but many of its laws are later used in the German Empire.

The German Empire lasts from 1871–1918 with the successful unification of all the German states under Prussian hegemony.

This is due to the defeat of Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71.

The war unites all the German states against a common enemy, and with the victory comes an overwhelming wave of nationalism that changes the opinions of some of those who had been against unification.

In 1871, Germany unifies into a single country, minus Austria and Switzerland, with Prussia the dominant power.

Prussia is considered the legal predecessor of the unified German Reich (1871–1945) and as such a direct ancestor of today's Federal Republic of Germany.

The formal abolition of Prussia, carried out on February 25, 1947 by the fiat of the Allied Control Council, refers to an alleged tradition of the kingdom as a bearer of militarism and reaction, and makes way for the current setup of the German states.

However, the Free State of Prussia (Freistaat Preußen), which follows the abolition of the Kingdom of Prussia in the aftermath of the First World War, will be a major democratic force in Weimar Germany until the nationalist coup of 1932 known as the Preußenschlag.

The Kingdom leaves a significant cultural legacy, today notably promoted by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SPK)), which has become one of the largest cultural organizations in the world.