As a soldier he received the usual training of a Prussian prince, obtained his lieutenancy in 1784, became a colonel in 1790, and took part in the campaigns against France of 1792-1794. On December 24, 1793, Frederick William married Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. They had ten children. In the Kronprinzenpalais (Crown Prince's palace) in Berlin, Frederick William lived a civil life with a problem-free marriage, which did not change even when he became King of Prussia in 1797.
Reign
Royal Monogram
He succeeded to the throne on 16 November 1797 and took over personal power without giving responsibility to his ministers. Unfortunately he was not able to follow a consistent course for himself.
His sense of duty can be seen from this quote:
“
Every civil servant has a dual obligation: to the sovereign and to the country. It can occur that the two are not compatible; then, the duty to the country is higher.
”
At first Frederick William tried to follow a policy of neutrality in the Napoleonic Wars. But in the end he entered into war in October 1806. On 14 October 1806, at the Battle of Jena-Auerstädt, the French defeated the Prussian army, and it collapsed. The royal family fled to East Prussia, where Emperor Alexander I of Russia (who, rumour has it, had fallen in love with Queen Louise) helped them against Napoleon.
But Alexander was defeated as well. At Tilsit France made peace with Russia and Prussia. Napoleon dealt with Prussia very harshly, Prussia lost many of its Polish territories, as well as all territory west of the Elbe, and had to pay for French troops that occupied Prussia.
Although Frederick William himself resigned to Prussia's fate, his ministers set about a reform of Prussia's administration and military.
After Napoleon's defeat in Russia (1813) Frederick William turned against France and signed an alliance with Russia. Prussian troops played a key part in the victories of the allies in 1813 and 1814.
At the Congress of Vienna, Frederick William's ministers succeeded in securing important territorial increases for Prussia. After the war, Frederick William did not keep the promises he had made in 1813 to supply Prussia with a constitution.
He died after a long illness in 1840. His eldest son, Frederick William IV, succeeded him.
