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How did Frederick II try to limit the burdens placed on Prussian peasants?
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Frederick II
Frederick II, painting in the Castello di Miramare, Trieste, Italy.
Frederick II’s efforts to limit the burdens on Prussian peasants were primarily motivated by a desire to ensure a stable supply of military recruits rather than a fundamental restructuring of the social order. Because he relied heavily on the Junker nobility to officer his army and administer the countryside, he avoided policies that would significantly disrupt their power or the existing system of serfdom.
His specific actions included:
- Legal Decrees: In 1749 and 1764, he issued decrees intended to limit the obligations peasants owed to their landlords.
- Protective Orders: In 1748, he instructed officers not to treat their men like serfs.
- Tenure and Status: Following the Seven Years’ War, he attempted to abolish serfdom in Prussian Pomerania and sought to provide peasants in Upper Silesia with greater security of tenure.
Ultimately, these measures were largely gestures; Frederick never intended to implement significant changes to the social hierarchy, and his policies had little practical effect on the lives of the peasantry.1