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1.   "The Views of Count Kaunitz on the International System" (March 24, 1749)
Wenzel Anton Kaunitz-Rietberg (1711-94) formulated his views at great length after negotiating the....
2.   Edict Protecting the Brandenburg Woolens Industry (March 30, 1687)
Before the Industrial Revolution, when cotton grew in importance, sheep’s wool was the basic raw material for the clothing trade. With this edict, Frederick William’s government aimed to discourage....
3.   Electoral Agreement of King and Emperor Leopold I (July 18, 1658)
The Electoral Agreement of King and Emperor Leopold I of July 18, 1658, further strengthened the....
4.   Frederick II ("the Great") of Prussia, "General Principles of War," 134-Page Manuscript in French (1748), issued as Confidential Instructions to his Generals in 1753 (1748/1753)
Here, Frederick pithily expresses his pride in the largely home-grown Prussian soldiery and their noble-born officers. He also demonstrates his concern for the troops’ provisioning, his preference....
5.   Frederick II ("the Great"), Notes to Himself on the Invasion of Silesia (1740)
These reflections, jotted down in French soon after the unexpected death of Austrian Emperor Charles....
6.   Frederick William I ("the Soldier King") Demands Unvarnished Information from the Pomeranian Commissariat (July 20, 1722)
One weak point of all political systems headed by powerful (or seemingly all-powerful) individuals is the failure of subordinate officials to report to the political center on unwelcome conditions....
7.   Frederick William I ("the Soldier King"), Instructions on the Formation and Functioning of the General Directory (December 20, 1722)
This revealing document announced Frederick William’s decision to merge the hitherto multi-branched....
8.   Imperial Trade Ordinance [Reichshandwerksordnung] (August 16, 1731)
This ordinance required journeymen to submit their birth certificates and Lehrbriefe (proof of having fulfilled their apprenticeships) to employers as evidence of good behavior. It attempted....
9.   Introduction of the Brandenburg-Prussian Canton System of Military Recruitment [Kantonreglement], issued by Frederick William I ("the Soldier King"), as an Order to General Field Marshal Albrecht Konrad Finck von Finckenstein (May 1, 1733)
To avoid the high cost of foreign mercenaries, and to minimize desertions, the Prussian king decreed that the physically robust (and tall) sons of the Prussian common people, especially villagers,....
10.   Introduction of the Excise Tax in the Towns of Brandenburg (April 15, 1667)
The excise or sales tax that Elector Frederick William’s government imposed on Brandenburg’s towns (and which was later extended to most of his other provinces) was the urban counterpart to the direct....
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