Frederick the Great

Frederick the Great is invoked as evidence of the imbalance and instability within the German confederacy: he was repeatedly opposed to his imperial sovereign and commonly proved stronger than him. The example supports the essays’ broader argument that a federation built on the sovereignty of its members could struggle to govern them or defend itself collectively.

The German Confederacy and Its Weakness

The essays describe the German empire as a community of sovereigns whose diet represented sovereign bodies and whose laws were addressed to them rather than directly governing individuals. Despite its extensive formal powers, this arrangement is characterized as incapable of regulating its members, vulnerable to outside danger, and continually troubled by internal conflict. The history offered in support includes wars between emperor and princes, conflicts among the member states, and requisitions of men and money that were disregarded or only partly met.

Frederick the Great as an Example

Within this account of recurring conflict, Frederick the Great stands out as a ruler who could challenge the emperor from within the imperial order. The essays state that the late king of Prussia was more than once pitted against his imperial sovereign and commonly proved an overmatch for him. The point is not developed as a biography of Frederick or as an account of any particular campaign; his role is comparative, demonstrating that the confederacy’s central authority could be outmatched by an individual member.

Significance in the Argument

The example helps make concrete the contrast between the empire’s formal constitutional structure and its practical weakness. When member states retained sovereign standing and the federal government lacked reliable power over them, conflicts could be settled by the relative strength of the participants rather than by effective common authority. Frederick’s repeated advantage over the emperor thus forms part of the essays’ evidence that a union of sovereigns could be unstable both internally and in the face of external threats.