Editing Frederick the Great (section)

== Early life ==
Frederick was the son of then-Crown Prince [[Frederick William I of Prussia|Frederick William of Prussia]] and [[Sophia Dorothea of Hanover]].{{sfn|Schieder|1983|p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreat0000schi/page/1 1]}} He was born between 11 and 12 p.m. on 24 January 1712 in the [[Berlin Palace]] and was baptised with the single name ''Friedrich'' by [[Benjamin Ursinus von Bär]] on 31 January.{{sfn|MacDonogh|2000|p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatli00macd/page/28 28]}} The birth was welcomed by his grandfather, [[Frederick I of Prussia|Frederick&nbsp;I]], as his two previous grandsons had died in infancy. With the death of Frederick&nbsp;I in 1713, his son Frederick William I became King in Prussia, thus making young Frederick the crown prince. Frederick had nine siblings who lived to adulthood. He had six sisters. The eldest was [[Wilhelmine of Bayreuth|Wilhelmine]], who became his closest.{{sfn|Gooch|1947|p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatru0000gooc_n4j0/page/217 217]}} He also had three younger brothers, including [[Prince Augustus William of Prussia|Augustus William]] and [[Prince Henry of Prussia (1726–1802)|Henry]].{{sfn|Schieder|1983|p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreat0000schi/page/39/mode/2up 39]}} The new king wished for his children to be educated not as royalty, but as simple folk. They were tutored by a French woman, [[Madame de Rocoulle|Madame de Montbail]], who had also educated Frederick William.{{sfn|Kugler|1840|pp=[https://archive.org/details/pictorialhistor00menzgoog/page/n39 21–22]}}

Frederick William&nbsp;I, popularly dubbed the "Soldier King", had created a large and powerful army that included a regiment of his famous "[[Potsdam Giants]]"; he carefully managed the kingdom's wealth and developed a strong centralised government. He had a violent temper and ruled [[Brandenburg-Prussia]] with absolute authority.{{sfnm|Asprey|1986|1pp=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatma00aspr/page/n43 14–15]|MacDonogh|2000|2pp=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatli00macd/page/16 16–17]}} In contrast, Frederick's mother Sophia, whose father, [[George I of Great Britain|George Louis of Brunswick-Lüneburg]], had succeeded to the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|British throne]] as King George I in 1714, was polite, charismatic and learned.{{sfn|Kugler|1840|pp=[https://archive.org/details/pictorialhistor00menzgoog/page/n38 20–21]}} The political and personal differences between Frederick's parents created tensions,{{sfnm|Fraser|2001|1pp=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatki00fras/page/12 12–13]|Ritter|1936|2pp=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_520010744/page/24 24–25]}} which affected Frederick's attitude toward culture, his role as a ruler, and his relationship with his father.{{sfn|Lavisse|1892|pp=[https://archive.org/details/youthoffrederick00lavirich/page/128 128–220]}}

In his early youth, Frederick lived with his mother and sister Wilhelmine,{{sfn|Lavisse|1892|pp=[https://archive.org/details/youthoffrederick00lavirich/page/128 128–220]}} although they regularly visited their father's hunting lodge at [[Königs Wusterhausen]].{{sfnm|Kugler|1840|1pp=[https://archive.org/details/pictorialhistor00menzgoog/page/n72 54–55]|Mitford|1970|2pp=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreat00mitf_0/page/28 28–29]|Schieder|1983|3p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreat0000schi/page/7 7]}} Frederick and his older sister formed a close relationship,{{sfn|Lavisse|1892|pp=[https://archive.org/details/youthoffrederick00lavirich/page/128 128–220]}} which lasted until her death in 1758.{{sfn|Christian|1888|pp=[https://archive.org/details/memoirswilhelmi00wilhgoog/page/n19 11–12]}} Frederick and his sisters were brought up by a [[Huguenots|Huguenot]] [[governess]] and [[Tutoring|tutor]] and learned French and German simultaneously. Undeterred by his father's desire that his education be entirely religious and pragmatic, the young Frederick developed a preference for music, literature, and French culture. Frederick Wilhelm thought these interests were effeminate,{{sfnm|MacDonogh|2000|1p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatli00macd/page/47 47]|Mitford|1970|2p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreat00mitf_0/page/19 19]|Showalter|1986|3p= [https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatma00aspr/page/n17 xiv]}} as they clashed with his militarism, resulting in his frequent beating and humiliation of Frederick.{{sfnm|Kugler|1840|1pp=[https://archive.org/details/pictorialhistor00menzgoog/page/n57 39–38]|MacDonogh|2000|2p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatli00macd/page/46 47]|Ritter|1936|3pp=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_520010744/page/26 26–27]}} Nevertheless, Frederick, with the help of his tutor in Latin, [[Jacques Duhan de Jandun|Jacques Duhan]], procured a 3,000-volume secret library of poetry, [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] and [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] classics, and philosophy to supplement his official lessons.{{sfn|MacDonogh|2000|p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatli00macd/page/37 37]}}

Frederick William&nbsp;I had been raised a [[Calvinism|Calvinist]] in spite of the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] state faith in Prussia, but feared he was not one of God's [[Unconditional election|elect]]. To avoid the possibility of his son Frederick being motivated by the same concerns, the king ordered that his heir not be taught about [[predestination]]. Despite his father's intention, Frederick appeared to have adopted a sense of predestination for himself.{{sfnm|Fraser|2001|1p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatki00fras/page/58 58]|MacDonogh|2000|2p=[https://archive.org/details/frederickgreatli00macd/page/35 35]|Ritter|1936|3p= [https://archive.org/details/isbn_520010744/page/54 54]}}