Quote:
Originally Posted by ValoWay
I vaguely remember that the americans believed after WW2 that 'prussia' was the root of all evil in germany. I think they were trying to take steps to delete prussia from german history but never actually went through with it.
I'm confident you guys know what I believe to have heard there?
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True after WW1 anyway, they thought of Prussia as "the evil". Which is, b.t.w., complete bovine scatology. "Prussia" had not been one state though, but a patchwork of different smaller patches of land, alot of them belonging to polish kings of the time. Prussia then had an army alright, but if you compare the armies of the time Prussia's was much more "liberal" and enligthened, than others of the time. Prussia's kings (Friedrich1 and 2 or 'Frederick') of the time were also much more modern than kings of other countries.
Friedrich Wilhelm I. certainly forged a new army type, and gave lots of money for that. But despite the arms build-up he only fought one war, together with Denmark and Saxony, against Karl XII from Sweden. Tolerance and freedom of religion, the first health care, freedom of taxes, money, free places and free material for to build houses to help immigrants getting a new home, numerous other examples.
Maybe the US were just afraid that could plant new ideas in the heads of their people.
Good article in german:
http://www.planet-wissen.de/geschich...hte_preussens/