Prussia: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Preussen • Prusy

Photos and Videos

Historical map showing the unification of Germany by Prussia in the late 19th century. The map highlights in green the Kingdom of Prussia as of 1866, and in yellow the additional territories that formed the German Empire by 1871-1918, encompassing most of north-central Europe. Neighboring countries such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Switzerland are labeled, with major regions and states within the empire clearly marked.

flag of Prussia

Painting by Antoine Pesne showing King Frederick I seated on an ornate silver throne, wearing elaborate royal robes and holding a scepter, with a crown on a table beside him.

Frederick William I

Portrait painting of Frederick II of Brandenburg, King of Prussia, wearing a dark coat with a star medal, yellow gloves, and holding a cane, with the inscription Fridericus II Rex Prussiae.

First Partition of Poland

Frederick William II

Karl August, Fürst von Hardenberg

Map of Europe in 1812 showing the greatest territorial extent of the Napoleonic Empire. The French Empire is highlighted in brown, surrounded by green areas representing states under Napoleon's control, purple for states allied with Napoleon, and orange for states opposed to Napoleon. Major countries and regions, including the United Kingdom, Russian Empire, Austrian Empire, Kingdom of Prussia, and Spain, are labeled with color coding to indicate their alignment or control.

Experience a trip to the Hohenzollern Castle in Swabia, Germany

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

Teutonic Order Prussian Civil Code Zollverein Ottoman Empire East Germany Austria-Hungary Bohemia West Germany Seleucid empire Kyivan Rus Dutch Republic Flanders Moravia

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Major Events

default image

Declaration of Pillnitz

Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon I

French Revolutionary wars

Illustration of the Battle of Blenheim showing cavalry and infantry in combat, fallen soldiers, and smoke rising from cannon fire across a hilly battlefield.

War of the Spanish Succession

Seven Years' War: Battle of Zorndorf

Seven Years’ War

Battles of Mars-la-Tour and Gravelotte

Battles of Mars-la-Tour and Gravelotte

Historical battle map showing troop positions at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, near Brussels, Belgium. Red lines represent Anglo-Dutch infantry and cavalry under Wellington, positioned north of French forces. Blue lines show French infantry and cavalry under Napoleon, with both armies facing each other across a central road. Key locations like Chateau de Goumont (Hougoumont) and Plancenoit are labeled, and an inset map highlights the location within present-day Belgium and Europe.

Battle of Waterloo

Watercolor etching by August Friedrich Andreas Campe showing diplomats and military officers in ornate uniforms gathered around a large table with maps at the Congress of Vienna.

Congress of Vienna

Franco-German War

Franco-German War

default image

Second Northern War

Francois Christophe Kellermann (1735–1820), Duc de Valmy

Battle of Valmy

Battle of Sedan

Battle of Sedan

Historic map showing the partitions of Poland from 1772 to 1795, with color-coded regions indicating territories annexed by Prussia, Austria, and Russia during the first, second, and third partitions. The map labels key cities and regions, and outlines the shifting borders that led to the disappearance of Poland as an independent state during this period.

Partitions of Poland

default image

War of the Austrian Succession

Map showing Schleswig-Holstein and surrounding regions after the Seven Weeks' War in 1866. Schleswig and Holstein are highlighted, with boundaries from 1866 marked, and neighboring areas labeled as Prussia, Denmark, and other German states. Current international boundaries and major cities such as Kiel, Lubeck, and Hamburg are indicated.

Schleswig-Holstein question

Napoleon on the Battlefield at Eylau, February 1807

Battle of Eylau

Franco-German War

Siege of Paris

Map showing Schleswig-Holstein and surrounding regions after the Seven Weeks' War in 1866. Schleswig and Holstein are highlighted, with boundaries from 1866 marked, and neighboring areas labeled as Prussia, Denmark, and other German states. Current international boundaries and major cities such as Kiel, Lubeck, and Hamburg are indicated.

Seven Weeks’ War

default image

Battle of Jena

default image

Neuchâtel crisis

default image

Memelland

historical territory, Germany

default image

Frisia

historical region, Europe

Sanssouci Palace

Brandenburg

historical margravate, Germany

Polish Corridor

Polish Corridor

region, Europe

Schleswig-Holstein after the Seven Weeks' War, 1866

Schleswig

historical region and duchy, Europe

default image

Dithmarschen

historical region, Germany

Map showing the German Empire as it existed from 1871 to 1918, with its borders outlined and regions color-coded. The map highlights the Kingdom of Prussia in green and the full extent of the German Empire in yellow, including regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, Westphalia, and East Prussia. Neighboring countries like France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria-Hungary, and the Russian Empire are also labeled. Major cities such as Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg are marked.

German Empire

historical nation, Germany

Post-World War I and post-World War II boundary changes of the area of former East Prussia and its major towns.

East Prussia

former province, Germany

Germany

country, Europe

default image

Hanover

historical state, Germany

Poland

country, Europe

Pomerania

Pomerania

historical region, Europe

Russia

country, Europe and Asia

Wrocław: old town square

Silesia

historical region, Europe

Key People

Immanuel Kant

German philosopher

Portrait painting of Frederick II of Brandenburg, King of Prussia, wearing a dark coat with a star medal, yellow gloves, and holding a cane, with the inscription Fridericus II Rex Prussiae.

Frederick II

king of Prussia

Otto von Bismarck in military uniform and cap, with a mustache, facing slightly to the side in a black-and-white portrait taken around 1880.

Otto von Bismarck

German chancellor and prime minister

Klemens von Metternich

Klemens von Metternich

Austrian statesman

Portrait of Catherine the Great of Russia by Richard Brompton, showing her in regal attire with a jeweled crown and fur-trimmed robe, set in an ornate oval frame.

Catherine the Great

empress of Russia

Max Weber

Max Weber

German sociologist

Helmuth von Moltke, 1871

Helmuth von Moltke

German general [1800–1891]

Karl, Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein

Karl, Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein

prime minister of Prussia

Rudolf Virchow

Rudolf Virchow

German pathologist and statesman

Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany in military uniform, wearing a fur hat with a prominent skull emblem and various medals and decorations on his chest.

Wilhelm II

emperor of Germany

Karl August, Fürst von Hardenberg

Karl August von Hardenberg

Prussian statesman

Carl von Clausewitz

Carl von Clausewitz

Prussian general

Ehrlich, Paul

Paul Ehrlich

German medical scientist

Baeck, Leo

Leo Baeck

German theologian

Frederick William IV

Frederick William IV

king of Prussia

Franz Boas

Franz Boas

German-American anthropologist

Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel

Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel

German astronomer

Savigny, Friedrich Karl von

Friedrich Karl von Savigny

German jurist and historian

Ferdinand Cohn

Ferdinand Cohn

German botanist

Driesch

Hans Adolf Eduard Driesch

German embryologist