THE MAKING OF MODERN EUROPE 385

son, Frederick William I (1713-40;, was the father
of Frederick the Great (1740-86). These two Fredericks
are indeed one of the most interesting pair of rulers in all
history. No two princes were more unlike in their charac-
ters than these, father and son; and yet, both alike emi-
nently succeeded in making Prussia and the Hohenzollerns
respected, feared, and hated, at first in Germany and then
in all Europe. Frederick William, by his parsimony and
careful administration earned for himself the reputation of
being " the greatest internal king of Prussia." At the same
time he was one of the most quixotic of all monarchs. He
had a miserly love for soldiers, sixty thousand of whom
he recruited from all parts of the world, drilled and train-
ed them most efficiently, but would not waste them in any
war! At home he was a tyrant and the treatment he
accorded to his son was such that, as Macaulay has put it,
" Oliver Twist in the parish workhouse, Smike at Dotheboys
Hall, were petted children when compared with this wretched
heir apparent of a crown." Frederick (the son), being the
very antithesis of his father, sought refuge in flight, but was
caught and condemned to death for his attempted deser-
tion. He was saved from this calamity only by the timely
intercession of all the potentates of Europe. " Salvation be-
longs to the Lord/7 declared Frederick William, " and every-
thing dse is my affair."

No sooner did the young Frederick succeed to the throne
of Prussia (1740)', than he thought of making good use of
his father's " darling army." His philosophy was : " As
to dominions, take what you can; you are only wrong
when you are compelled to make restitution." So he in-
vaded Silesia and began the 'Austrian Succession War'
(1740-48) which led on to the Seven Years' War (1756-631
with consequences already described. Internally also'he fol