P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A P R U S S I A.
Prussia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation, Jump to search For other uses, see Prussia (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Russia. "Prussian" redirects here. For the extinct Baltic language, see Old Prussian language. For the extant inland Germanic language, see High Prussian dialect. For the extant coastal Germanic language, see Low Prussian dialect. Prussia Preußen (German) 1525–1947 Flag Flag (1892–1918) Coat of arms (1866–1918) Coat of arms (1866–1918) Motto Gott mit uns (High German) Nobiscum deus (Latin) "God with us" Prussia (in blue) at its peak as the leading state of the German Empire Capital Königsberg (1525–1701) Berlin (1701–1947) Languages German (official) Religion Majority: Protestant (Lutheran and Reformed; since 1817 Prussian United) Minorities: Demonym Prussian Government Monarchy (until 1918), Republic Duke1 • 1525–1568 Albert I (first) • 1688–1701 Frederick III (last) King1 • 1701–1713 Frederick I (first) • 1888–1918 Wilhelm II (last) Prime Minister1, 2 • 1918 Friedrich Ebert (first) • 1933–1945 Hermann Göring (last) Historical era Early modern Europe to Contemporary • Duchy of Prussia 10 April 1525 • Union with Brandenburg 27 August 1618 • Kingdom of Prussia 18 January 1701 • Free State of Prussia 9 November 1918 • Abolition (de facto, loss of independence) 30 January 1934 • Abolition (de jure) 25 February 1947 Area • 1907 348,702 km2 (134,635 sq mi) • 1939 297,007 km2 (114,675 sq mi) Population • 1816 est. 10,349,0003 • 1871 est. 24,689,000 • 1939 est. 41,915,040 Density 141/km2 (366/sq mi) Currency Reichsthaler German gold mark (1873–1914) German Papiermark (1914–1923) Reichsmark (since 1924) Today part of Germany Poland Russia Lithuania Denmark Belgium Czech Republic Switzerland 1 The heads of state listed here are the first and last to hold each title over time. For more information, see individual Prussian state articles (links in above History section). 2 The position of Ministerpräsident was introduced in 1792 when Prussia was a Kingdom; the prime ministers shown here are the heads of the Prussian republic. 3 Population estimates:[1] Prussia (/ˈprʌʃə/; German: Preußen, pronounced [ˈpʁɔʏsn̩] (About this sound listen)) was a historically prominent German state that originated in 1525 with a duchy centred on the region of Prussia. It was de facto dissolved by an emergency decree transferring powers of the Prussian government to German Chancellor Franz von Papen in 1932 and de jure by an Allied decree in 1947. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organised and effective army. Prussia, with its capital in Königsberg and from 1701 in Berlin, decisively shaped the history of Germany. In 1871, German states united to create the German Empire under Prussian leadership. In November 1918, the monarchies were abolished and the nobility lost its political power during the German Revolution of 1918–19. The Kingdom of Prussia was thus abolished in favour of a republic—the Free State of Prussia, a state of Germany from 1918 until 1933. From 1933, Prussia lost its independence as a result of the Prussian coup, when the Nazi regime was successfully establishing its Gleichschaltung laws in pursuit of a unitary state. With the end of the Nazi regime, in 1945, the division of Germany into allied-occupation zones and the separation of its territories east of the Oder–Neisse line, which were incorporated into Poland and the Soviet Union, the State of Prussia ceased to exist de facto.[2][3] Prussia existed de jure until its formal abolition by the Allied Control Council Enactment No. 46 of 25 February 1947.[4] The name Prussia derives from the Old Prussians; in the 13th century, the Teutonic Knights—an organized Catholic medieval military order of German crusaders—conquered the lands inhabited by them. In 1308, the Teutonic Knights conquered the region of Pomerelia with Gdańsk (Danzig). Their monastic state was mostly Germanised through immigration from central and western Germany, and, in the south, it was Polonised by settlers from Masovia. The Second Peace of Thorn (1466) split Prussia into the western Royal Prussia, a province of Poland, and the eastern part, from 1525 called the Duchy of Prussia, a fief of the Crown of Poland up to 1657. The union of Brandenburg and the Duchy of Prussia in 1618 led to the proclamation of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701. Prussia entered the ranks of the great powers shortly after becoming a kingdom,[5][6][7][8] and exercised most influence in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the 18th century it had a major say in many international affairs under the reign of Frederick the Great. During the 19th century, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck united the German principalities into a "Lesser Germany", which excluded the Austrian Empire.
