A Modern Study of King Frederick II of Prussia and Russia

This review analyses the latest monograph of a German expert on the eighteenth-century history of German-Russian relations. Peter Hoffman has conducted a comprehensive historical analysis of Prussian-Russian relations and conflicts during the reign of Frederick II, paying special attention to the image of Russia in Frederick’s eyes and, thereby, in the eyes of part of the German elite. The reviewer focuses on the most acute aspects and moments of these relations as they are dissected and presented by Hoffman: from the nature of Frederick’s attempts to establish personal ties with the rulers of Russia to his revelations about Russia as the most dangerous country for Prussia. The reviewer demonstrates Hoffman’s “empathy for the Russians” and the associated danger of a “one-sided” view on the protagonists: on the one hand, there is Prussia and King Frederick, who is prone to persistently “false assessments” of Russia, and on the other hand, there is “open-mindedness” that was “generally characteristic of Russian diplomacy”. According to the reviewer, the author generally provides too little concrete factual material and too often requires the reader to know the sources and literature he refers to in order to defend these judgments.