Western Civilization II / Unit 6 WC2 0521 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Frederick the Great: Voltaire's Host, Serfs Freed on Royal Land, Exams for Office
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The idea
Frederick II, king from seventeen forty, read and wrote French, redecorated his palace, kept a salon, and hosted Voltaire for two years until they quarreled. He freed serfs on royal lands, banned the most onerous noble dues, and staffed a rationalized bureaucracy by formal examination.
In practice
German, he reportedly said, was for horses.
Where people slip
Exams opened limited mobility; serfdom on noble land stood.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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