Frederick III or Friedrich III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days between March and June 1888, during the Year of the Three Emperors. Known informally as "Fritz", he was the only son of Emperor Wilhelm I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service. Although celebrated as a young man for his leadership and successes during the Second Schleswig, Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars, he nevertheless professed a hatred of warfare and was praised by friends and enemies alike for his humane conduct. Following the unification of Germany in 1871 his father, then King of Prussia, became the German Emperor. Upon Wilhelm's death at the age of ninety on 9 March 1888, the thrones passed to Frederick, who had by then been German Crown Prince for seventeen years and Crown Prince of Prussia for twenty-seven years. Frederick was suffering from cancer of the larynx when he died, aged fifty-six, following unsuccessful medical treatments for his condition.
Frederick married Victoria, Princess Royal, oldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The couple were well-matched; their shared liberal ideology led them to seek greater representation for commoners in the government. Frederick, in spite of his conservative militaristic family background, had developed liberal tendencies as a result of his ties with Britain and his studies at the University of Bonn. As the Crown Prince, he often opposed the conservative German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, particularly in speaking out against Bismarck's policy of uniting Germany through force, and in urging that the power of the Chancellorship be curbed. Liberals in both Germany and Britain hoped that as emperor, Frederick would move to liberalise the German Empire.
Frederick and Victoria were great admirers of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. They planned to rule as co-monarchs, like Albert and Queen Victoria, and to reform what they saw as flaws in the executive branch that Bismarck had created for himself. The office of Chancellor, responsible to the Emperor, would be replaced with a British-style cabinet, with ministers responsible to the Reichstag. Government policy would be based on the consensus of the cabinet. Frederick "described the Imperial Constitution as ingeniously contrived chaos." According to Michael Balfour:
The Crown Prince and Princess shared the outlook of the Progressive Party, and Bismarck was haunted by the fear that should the old Emperor die—and he was now in his seventies—they would call on one of the Progressive leaders to become Chancellor. He sought to guard against such a turn by keeping the Crown Prince from a position of any influence and by using foul means as well as fair to make him unpopular.
However, Frederick's illness prevented him from effectively establishing policies and measures to achieve this, and such moves as he was able to make were later abandoned by his son and successor, Wilhelm II. The timing of Frederick's death and the length of his reign are important topics among historians. His premature demise is considered a potential turning point in German history; and whether or not he would have made the Empire more liberal if he had lived longer is still a popular discussion among historians.
Sol turns thousands of years of human wisdom from the world’s spiritual traditions into a totally unique personality profile. To get your own profile, check compatibility with friends and much more, download the Sol App today.
Some of their strengths
Emperor of Germany Friedrich III has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Intelligent, Diplomatic, Smart, Intuitive, Energetic, Polite, and Altruistic.
Intelligent and Inquisitive
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Emperor of Germany Friedrich III is someone who is an intelligent, inquisitive, and imaginative person, who is practical, considerate, kind, and diplomatic in dealings with others. A person who is a bit of a "lone wolf".
Passionate and Intense
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Emperor of Germany Friedrich III well know them as someone who can be passionate, proud, and intense, like the sun or a blazing fire.
Ambitious and Forceful
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Emperor of Germany Friedrich III as someone who is ambitious, hard-working, determined, and intelligent.
A person who has a knack for identifying opportunities, has amazing concentration and focus, who can work independently, who likes starting new things, and who is somewhat of an intellectual.
Emotionally Intelligent and Intuitive
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Emperor of Germany Friedrich III is someone who tends to have strong emotional intelligence and intuition, and who can be a catalyst of change for others.
They are also someone who is altruistic, tolerant, and sophisticated, and who tends to be a perfectionist who is always working to try and make everything and everyone better.
Justice-seeking and Peaceful
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Emperor of Germany Friedrich III tends to be someone who loves peace and is ready to go to any costs to achieve it. Who has a taste for the good things in life, tends to be a good organizer, has a thirst for knowledge, and who tends to have the respect of friends and acquaintances.
Some of Emperor of Germany Friedrich III's challenges
While Emperor of Germany Friedrich III has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Emperor of Germany Friedrich III can be Hesitant, Narcissistic, Indecisive, Unrealistic, Complicated, Brusque, and Relentless.
Hesitant and Narcissistic
One of Emperor of Germany Friedrich III's key challenges is that they are someone who can be hesitant and narcissistic.
Emperor of Germany Friedrich III must also exercise caution as they can be short-tempered and aggressive.
Relentless and Inflexible
Emperor of Germany Friedrich III is someone who can be relentless, obsessive, and inflexible, who can be confrontational with work colleagues, can have difficulty communicating feelings and be somewhat reclusive, and who can be self-destructive, overindulgent, and extravagant.
Pleasure-seeking and Indecisive
Finally, Emperor of Germany Friedrich III also can put others first too much, and hem-and-haw too much when making a decision.