Frederick William I of Prussia

His father had successfully acquired the title of king for the Duchy of Prussia for which he had paid the high price of 2 million ducats to Emperor [[Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold I]], 600,000 ducats to the German clergy and 20,000 thalers to the [[Jesuit order]].{{sfn|Schmidt|1996|pp=89−135}} In addition, Frederick was obligated to provide Leopold with 8,000 soldiers for the [[War of the Spanish Succession]]. To demonstrate his new status, he had the [[Berlin Palace]], [[Schloss Charlottenburg|Charlottenburg Palace]], and [[Königsberg Castle]] doubled in size and furnished at considerable expense. However, in doing so, he had largely ruined the state's finances.{{Sfn|Clark|2006|p=85}}

His father had successfully acquired the title of king for the Duchy of Prussia for which he had paid the high price of 2 million ducats to Emperor [[Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold I]], 600,000 ducats to the German clergy and 20,000 thalers to the [[Jesuit order]].{{sfn|Schmidt|1996|pp=89−135}} In addition, Frederick was obligated to provide Leopold with 8,000 soldiers for the [[War of the Spanish Succession]]. To demonstrate his new status, he had the [[Berlin Palace]], [[Schloss Charlottenburg|Charlottenburg Palace]], and [[Königsberg Castle]] doubled in size and furnished at considerable expense. However, in doing so, he had largely ruined the state's finances.{{Sfn|Clark|2006|p=85}}

On ascending the throne in 1713, Frederick William therefore dismissed his father's corrupt "[[Cabinet of Three Counts]]". He worked persistently to reorganize the finances that had been shattered by his father, furthermore to enhance the economic development of his far-flung countries and to build up one of the largest and best equipped and trained armies in Europe. He would expand the Prussian Army from 38,000 men in 1713 to 80,000 in 1740,{{sfn|Beloff|2013|p=106}} with an average of 1 out of every 25 Prussian men serving in the military.{{sfn|Duffy|1987|p=69}}He expanded military obligations for the peasant class{{sfn|Shennan|1995|p=55}} while replacing mandatory military service among the middle class with an annual tax, and he established schools and hospitals. The king encouraged commerce and farming, reclaimed marshes, stored grain in good times and sold it in bad times.

On ascending the throne in 1713, Frederick William therefore dismissed his father's corrupt "[[Cabinet of Three Counts]]". He worked persistently to reorganize the finances that had been shattered by his father, furthermore to enhance the economic development of his far-flung countries and to build up one of the largest and best equipped and trained armies in Europe. He would expand the Prussian Army from 38,000 men in 1713 to 80,000 in 1740,{{sfn|Beloff|2013|p=106}} with an average of 1 out of every 25 Prussian men serving in the military.{{sfn|Duffy|1987|p=69}}He expanded military obligations for the peasant class{{sfn|Shennan|1995|p=55}} while replacing mandatory military service among the middle class with an annual tax, and he established schools and hospitals. Frederick would also work to expand state income. He increased excise taxes, both on domestic and foreign goods, as well as subjecting the Prussian nobility to a land tax.{{sfn|Shennan|1995|p=54}}

Frederick would also work to expand state income. He increased excise taxes, both on domestic and foreign goods, as well as subjecting the Prussian nobility to a land tax.{{sfn|Shennan|1995|p=54}} He dictated the manual of Regulations for State Officials, containing 35 chapters and 297 paragraphs in which every public servant in Prussia could find his duties precisely set out: a minister or councillor failing to attend a committee meeting, for example, would lose six months' pay; if he absented himself a second time, he would be discharged from the royal service. In short, Frederick William I concerned himself with every aspect of his country, ruling an [[absolute monarchy]] with great energy and skill.

He dictated the manual of Regulations for State Officials, containing 35 chapters and 297 paragraphs in which every public servant in Prussia could find his duties precisely set out: a minister or councillor failing to attend a committee meeting, for example, would lose six months' pay; if he absented himself a second time, he would be discharged from the royal service. In short, Frederick William I concerned himself with every aspect of his country, ruling an [[absolute monarchy]] with great energy and skill.The king encouraged commerce and farming, reclaimed marshes, stored grain in good times and sold it in bad times.Lars Behrisch, "Statistics and Politics in the 18th Century." ''Historical Social Research/Historische Sozialforschung'' (2016) 41#2: 238–257. [https://dspace.library.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/1874/357697/Statistics.pdf?sequence=1 online]

The king also took an interest in [[German colonial projects before 1871|Prussian colonial affairs]]. In 1717, he revoked the charter of the [[Brandenburg Gold Coast|Brandenburg Africa Company]] (BAC), which had been granted said charter by his father to establish a colony in [[West Africa]] known as the [[Brandenburg Gold Coast]]. The king was unwilling to spend money on maintaining either the colony or the [[Prussian Navy]], preferring to utilise state revenues on enlarging the Royal [[Prussian Army]]. In 1717, Frederick William sold the Brandenburg Gold Coast to the [[Dutch West India Company]].{{sfn|Brahm|Rosenhaft|2016|p=26–30}}

The king also took an interest in [[German colonial projects before 1871|Prussian colonial affairs]]. In 1717, he revoked the charter of the [[Brandenburg Gold Coast|Brandenburg Africa Company]] (BAC), which had been granted said charter by his father to establish a colony in [[West Africa]] known as the [[Brandenburg Gold Coast]]. The king was unwilling to spend money on maintaining either the colony or the [[Prussian Navy]], preferring to utilise state revenues on enlarging the Royal [[Prussian Army]]. In 1717, Frederick William sold the Brandenburg Gold Coast to the [[Dutch West India Company]].{{sfn|Brahm|Rosenhaft|2016|p=26–30}}