How did the standing army help Frederick William reduce the power of the provincial estates?

Frederick William, the Great Elector, utilized his standing army as a primary instrument to challenge and diminish the traditional privileges of the provincial estates. By establishing a permanent military force, he created an institution that necessitated consistent funding, which allowed him to bypass the estates' traditional control over tax appropriations.1

The process functioned through the following developments:

• Centralization of Finance: Frederick William successfully forced the provincial estates to support the standing army independently of the diets' approval.1
• Removal of Authority: In the latter half of his reign, he stripped the estates of their control over taxation and finances entirely.1
• Bureaucratic Foundation: This shift laid the groundwork for a powerful, centralized bureaucracy where officialdom became dependent solely on the sovereign rather than the local estates.1

By decoupling the military's financial support from the estates' consent, Frederick William effectively consolidated his power, establishing the foundations for the absolutist state of later Prussia.1