Frederick William III of Prussia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frederick William III
Portrait from c. 1814–1818.
King of Prussia
Reign	16 November 1797 – 7 June 1840
Predecessor	Frederick William II
Successor	Frederick William IV
Elector of Brandenburg
Reign	16 November 1797 – 6 August 1806
Predecessor	Frederick William II
Successor	Electorate abolished
Born	3 August 1770 Potsdam, Prussia
Died	7 June 1840(1840-06-07) (aged 69) Berlin, Prussia
Burial	Mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace
Spouses	Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz ​ ​ (m. 1793; died 1810)​ Auguste von Harrach (morganatic) ​ (m. 1824)​
Issue see details...	Frederick William IV, King of Prussia William I, German Emperor Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of Russia Princess Frederica Prince Charles Princess Alexandrine Prince Ferdinand Princess Louise Prince Albert
House	Hohenzollern
Father	Frederick William II of Prussia
Mother	Frederica Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt
Religion	Calvinist (until 1817) Prussian United (after 1817)
Signature

Frederick William III (German: Friedrich Wilhelm III.) was the King of Prussia from 1797 until his death in 1840. He was also the Elector of Brandenburg until 1806, when the Holy Roman Empire ended.

Frederick William III ruled Prussia during the challenging period of the Napoleonic Wars. He was not eager to join the fight against Napoleon, but he eventually did. After Napoleon's defeat, he attended the Congress of Vienna, a big meeting to sort out Europe's future. His main focus was on reforming Prussia's Protestant churches. He wanted to unite them and give the king more control. Frederick William was known for being shy and often unsure of himself. His wife, Queen Louise, was his most important helper and advisor. She led a group of smart people who worked to improve Prussia's government, finances, and army. He was an ancestor to important rulers like Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II. The famous composer Beethoven dedicated his Ninth Symphony to him in 1824.

Early Life and Family

Frederick William and his mother (1775)

Frederick William was born in Potsdam on August 3, 1770. His parents were Frederick William II of Prussia and Frederica Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt. He was a quiet and shy boy, often speaking very little. He felt neglected by his father, which made him feel unsure of himself throughout his life.

Like many royal children, Frederick William was raised by tutors. He spent time at Paretz, a country estate he later bought because he liked it so much. He grew up to be a honest and religious person.

He trained as a soldier, which was typical for a Prussian prince. He fought in campaigns against France between 1792 and 1794. On December 24, 1793, Frederick William married Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. They had ten children together. Their marriage was happy, and Queen Louise was very popular with the Prussian people. This helped make the royal family more liked.

His Time as King

A silver coin from 1830 during Frederick William III's reign.

Frederick William was slow to see the danger from France. Prussia's entry into the war in 1806 led to a big defeat.

Frederick William became king on November 16, 1797. He immediately tried to show he was a good ruler. He cut down royal spending and tried to fix problems from his father's time. He wanted to keep personal power but wasn't always good at using it. He found it hard to trust his ministers, which sometimes made his rule less effective.

He also wanted to bring back respect to his family's name. At first, Frederick William and his advisors tried to stay neutral during the Napoleonic Wars. They managed to avoid the Third Coalition in 1805. However, Queen Louise convinced him to join the war in October 1806.

Prussia suffered a huge defeat at the Battle of Jena–Auerstedt on October 14, 1806. The French army, led by Napoleon, crushed the Prussian forces. Napoleon then took over Berlin. The royal family had to escape to Memel in East Prussia, where they relied on the help of Emperor Alexander I of Russia.

Alexander also lost battles to the French. At Tilsit, France made peace with Russia and Prussia. Napoleon was very harsh with Prussia. Even though Queen Louise met with Napoleon, hoping to make things easier, he showed little mercy. Prussia lost many lands and had to pay a lot of money to France. French troops also stayed in key Prussian areas.

Even though the king seemed to accept Prussia's difficult situation, many smart ministers worked to reform the country. These included Baron vom Stein and Prince von Hardenberg. Queen Louise encouraged these reforms, but she sadly passed away in 1810. After her death, Frederick William relied more on a group of close advisors.

In 1813, after Napoleon's army was defeated in Russia, Frederick William finally turned against France. He made an alliance with Russia. Prussian troops played a very important role in the victories of 1813 and 1814. The king himself traveled with the main army.

At the Congress of Vienna, Prussia gained more land. However, they didn't get everything they wanted. After the war, Frederick William became more traditional. He went back on his promises to give Prussia a constitution.

Uniting the Churches

Equestrian portrait of Frederick William III by Franz Krüger (1831)

Frederick William wanted to unite the Protestant churches in Prussia. He aimed to make their worship, organization, and buildings similar. His long-term goal was for the king to have full control over all Protestant churches.

Merging the Lutheran and Calvinist churches was very controversial. Many people, especially the "Old Lutherans," strongly disagreed. The king tried to stop the protests. Some Lutherans were forced to join, and their churches were taken over. Some pastors were even sent away. By 1834, the churches were officially united, but many still had different beliefs. The king's strong actions caused tension within the government.

The Church of the Prussian Union was formed, bringing together the two main Protestant groups. This meant the Prussian government had full control over church matters, with the king acting as the main leader.

In 1824, Frederick William III married again to Countess Auguste von Harrach. This was a special type of marriage where their children would not inherit royal titles. They did not have any children together.

In 1838, the king gave parts of his land to 422 Protestant refugees from Austria. These refugees built homes in a special style in the Silesian village.

Death of the King

Frederick William III passed away on June 7, 1840, in Berlin, due to a fever. His eldest son, Frederick William IV, became the next king. Frederick William III is buried in the Mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin.

His Children

Frederick William III had ten children with his first wife, Queen Louise.

Honors and Awards

Frederick William III received many honors from different countries during his life. These awards showed his importance and the alliances Prussia had.

Siblings

Frederick William III had several brothers and sisters:

• Frederica Charlotte (1767–1820), who married Frederick, Duke of York.
• Christine (1772–73)
• Louis Charles (1773–96)
• Frederica Louisa Wilhelmina (1774–1837), who became Queen of the Netherlands.
• Augusta (1780–1841)
• Henry (1781–1846)
• William (1783–1851)

See also

In Spanish: Federico Guillermo III de Prusia para niños