Frederick William III of Prussia

King of Prussia from 1797 to 1840

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Lived 1770–1840, aged 70Germany

Germany Historical Figures

Wikipedia
57 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1770–1840
Aged 70
Awards
16
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

He inherited Prussia just as Napoleon was remaking Europe, spent years trying not to choose a side, then joined the fight that broke the French emperor. His reign is remembered less for the wars than for his obsession with church reform — he wanted one Protestant liturgy, one architecture, all under the crown.

Biography

About

Frederick William III became King of Prussia on 16 November 1797 and Elector of Brandenburg until the Holy Roman Empire dissolved in 1806. He ruled through the Napoleonic Wars, reluctant until he finally joined the Sixth Coalition in the German campaign of 1813. After Napoleon's defeat he attended the Congress of Vienna to help settle the post-Napoleonic order. Extremely shy and indecisive, he leaned heavily on his wife Queen Louise, who died in 1810, and the circle of reformers she led: vom Stein, Hardenberg, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau. Together they overhauled Prussia's administration, military,…

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