Germany / Prussia year 1850 2Sgr, Mi. 3 MH stamp

Germany / Prussia year 1850 2Sgr, Mi. 3 ☀ MH stamp

The Kingdom of Prussia existed as a German state between 1701 and 1918. It played a pivotal role in the unification of Germany in 1866 and was the leading state of the German Empire until its dissolution in 1918. While its name derived from the region of Prussia, its power base was in the Margraviate of Brandenburg, with its capital in Berlin. The kings of Prussia hailed from the House of Hohenzollern. Brandenburg-Prussia, the kingdom’s predecessor, emerged as a military power under Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, also known as “The Great Elector”. As a kingdom, Prussia continued to ascend, particularly during the reign of Frederick II, also known as “the Great”. Frederick the Great played a key role in initiating the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763), during which Prussia asserted itself against Austria, Russia, France, and Sweden, solidifying its dominant position among the German states and establishing itself as a European great power through the successes of the formidable Prussian Army. Prussia pursued efforts to unify all German states (excluding those in Switzerland) under its rule, with the inclusion of Austria being a contentious issue. The aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars led to the creation of the German Confederation, sparking the German revolutions of 1848–1849 as representatives from various states sought to unify under their own constitution. However, attempts to establish a federation failed, leading to the collapse of the German Confederation in 1866 following the Austro-Prussian War between its two most powerful member states. Subsequently, Prussia played a central role in establishing the North German Confederation in 1866, which evolved into the unified German Empire in 1871 and is considered the earliest continual legal predecessor of today’s Federal Republic of Germany. While the North German Confederation initially functioned as a military alliance in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War, many of its laws were later incorporated into the German Empire. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, culminating in victory for the German states against Napoleon III, solidified the unification of all German states under Prussian hegemony, fueled by a surge of nationalism following the triumph over a common enemy. The German Revolution of 1918–1919 resulted in the transformation of the Kingdom of Prussia into the Free State of Prussia.