ABSTRACT
The contribution of Prussia to the German Reich in modern European history has spurred historians to look back with a questioning eye at the dynamic development of its predecessor, Brandenburg-Prussia, during the early modern period. The transformation of an insignificant north German state to the status of a major European power is an epic theme and one which appears to follow a certain logical progression. There has been a tendency to attribute its evolution to a fortuitous sequence of astute, able-bodied rulers, from the Elector Frederick William I (1640-88) to King Frederick II (1740-86), who understood and exploited the realities of power-politics. The success of these Hohenzollern princes lay in their creation of a strong military machine, supported by rigorous taxation, an efficient bureaucracy and a co-operative nobility, the junker class. By the end of the eighteenth century it could be said that Brandenburg-Prussia had established a particular tradition of successful militarism and autocracy. It had also achieved political parity with Austria within the Holy Roman Empire. The Hohenzollerns had thrown down the gauntlet to the Imperial Habsburgs for dominance in Germany.
