Prussia was unique in that, more than in any other country, the army developed a life of its own, almost independent of the life of the state. The distinctive military history of Prussia was developed early on it its history from the origins of the Teutonic knights and brought to a level of perfection throughout the reigns of Frederick William the Great Elector, Frederick William I and Frederick II. These gifted strategists due to their individual history and the accomplishments of the previous generation achieved military innovations.

The Teutonic knights were the German order of knights who were sent by Pope Gregory IX in 1225 to convert the Prussians after the failure of their attempt to conquer the Holy land. At that point in time Prussians were a people related to Lithuanians and Latvians, who were among the last remaining pagans in Europe. The Poles were pleased by the presence of the Teutonic knights, especially the Duke of Mazovia, to whom the Prussians were not only heathens, but also a constant militaristic nuisance. In a long war the Teutonic knights finally conquered Prussia by 1285, killing some, converting some and creating a feudal state.

Frederick William used his system for the gain of Prussia in foreign relations; he used his army as a powerful tool in efforts to gain independence from Poland. He became an ally to the Swedish side until they had military difficulties; he then joined the Polish side and finally accomplished his goal in 1660 from the Peace of Oliva Treaty. Frederick was a scrupulous ruler who worked for the interest of Prussia and only Prussia. " Frederick William was the founder of Prussian absolutism, the originator of the machinery that it required, and the obstinate champion of the social structure that the system demanded." (Jarmarriot, 91) Frederick William left it up to his son to create an even stronger Prussia when he died in 1668.

Frederick William managed to secure the whole of Pomerania and the eastern half of Cammin from the Treaties of Westphalia in 1648. Frederick used the successful army he created as an advantage towards creating an independent Prussian Duchy. Frederick created the standing army and the four to five thousand men he enlisted in 1641 grew to a permanent standing army of twenty-five the thirty thousand men by 1688. The magnitude of the army required special administrative systems for its finance, maintenance and efficiency. The army served as in instrument of unification, localized enlistment led to the direction of a centralized government. The army made its own reputation was sharply distinguished from public life. The militarization of the state meant that the ruler as well as his dominion was militarized, therefore interpreting life in military categories and regarding their military authority as the highest of all duties. Militaristic ideals such as duty, obedience, system, control, management and the presence of a higher authority became a part of all civil and political thought.

ter the order of knight succumbed to the growing power of Poland and Lithuania. Under the terms of the second Peace of Torun in 1466, the order cedes their territories west of the Vistula River to the Poles. In 1511 the knights elected Margrave Albert of Brandenburg from the Franconian line of the house of Hohenzollern as their grand master. In the time of the reformation, he introduced Lutheranism into his territory and dissolved the Teutonic Order. He headed Luther's advice to marry and secularize Prussia in order to save it from absorption by Poland. He married the daughter of the king of Denmark and was successful in his secularization of Prussia. His actions lead to Poland recognizing Margrave as the first duke of Prussia in 1525, thereby creating the Duchy of East Prussia. The house of Hohenzollern was now established in Prussia.

Frederick invaded Silesia without warning during the Austrian S

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Approximate Word count = 1836
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)