We all know that the predecessor of Germany was the Kingdom of Prussia, a country that fought invincible opponents all over Europe; When the combat effectiveness is off the chartsPrussia fought with one enemy and three at the same time, and at the same time fought France, Russia, and Austria without losing the upper hand. But what is less known is that the country of Prussia grew from a small hospital.
Let's take a look at how a hospital has developed into a country.
Blue for the Kingdom of Prussia.
Back in time to the Third Crusade, between 1189 and 1192, this crusade was launched by King Charles I of England, King Philip II of France, and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I with the goal of capturing Jerusalem, which was then controlled by the Arabs.
The Catholic world had very high expectations for this crusade, but it did not expect that the unexpected would come sooner than the victory, on the evening of June 10, 1190While crossing the Salefa River on horseback, Frederick I suffered a heart attack that caused him to fall from his horse and die. The sudden death of the Emperor disheartened the Holy Roman Emperor's army.
Many soldiers believed that they had been abandoned by the so-called God, and although the Holy Roman Empire nobles who accompanied the army stabilized the situation, the combat effectiveness of this army had been greatly reduced; When the Crusaders arrived in the city of Acre in present-day northern Israel, a large-scale plague broke out among the Crusaders due to their unaccustomed climate and lack of adaptation.
Third Crusade.
Frederick I.
At that timeThe doctors in the army were all from England and France, so it was natural that they would help their compatriots first, and since Frederick I had died, there was no one to call the shots of his armyAs a result, the army of the Holy Roman Empire became a motherless child, and suffered heavy losses.
In order to change this,In 1191, soldiers from the cities of Bremen and Lübeck took over a hospital in AcreDedicated to the rescue of the Crusaders of the Holy Roman Empire, the hospital was renamed "Teutoni".Because most of the soldiers who took over the hospital were Teutonic of the Germanic branch.
Located at the crossroads of the Arab and Catholic worlds, the city of Acre has been ravaged by war for many years, so the city has low security and a complex social environment. in this environmentDriven by the need to defend the hospital, the Teutonic Hospital began recruiting Catholic knightsand formed its own cavalry corps, so the Teutonic hospital was given a military function.
Teutonic Knights.
The Teutonic Knights fought against their enemies.
The Teutonic hospital was also often involved in the Crusades. On March 5, 1198, with the approval of Pope Clement III, the Teutonic Hospital was officially reorganized into the Teutonic Knights. The Order is an armed force peculiar to the Catholic Church, whose mission is to go to various places to conquer the infidels or enemies of the Pope.
ThereforeInIn the minds of Catholics, it is a great privilege to join the OrderThis means that you are fighting against the enemies of God and the Pope, and in addition to increasing your reputation, you will also gain practical benefits from joining the Order; If you are in debt or have sinned, as long asJoin the Knights, no matter beforeHow much sin was committed, how much money was owed,will be written off
Because Catholicism had absolute dominion in ancient Europe; Not only that, but these people joined the Order after hisThe family also gains some political and economic privileges; As a result, the reorganized Teutonic Order attracted a large number of Catholics to join, and its strength grew rapidly.
The Teutonic Knights conquered Prussia.
Duke Conrad.
Later, the Arab world launched a large-scale offensive against the Catholics entrenched in the Middle EastCatholic strongholds, including the city of Acre, fell, and the Teutonic Knights were forced to leave the Middle Eastbegan a life of wandering; During this time, the Teutonic Knights were hired by the Catholic nations as mercenaries to help them against their pagan enemies.
In 1225, at the invitation of Duke Conrad of Poland, the Teutonic Knights participated in the Northern Crusade against the PrussiansThe Prussians were not Catholics at the time, and the goal of the Northern Crusaders was to convert them to Catholicism. From 1226 onwards, the Teutonic Knights fought against the Prussians, suppressing the Prussian revolt in the occupied territories.
It took more than fifty years to completely conquer the Prussians and assimilate them into Catholicism. In 1309 the Teutonic Knights established Königsberg as their capital and established the Teutonic Knights in the Prussian territories they had conquered. It was not easy to grow from a hospital to a state, and in order to consolidate the gains of victory, the Teutonic Knights encouraged the people of the Holy Roman Empire to settle down.
Duchy of Prussia.
The people who came to settle were not only nobles, commoners, but also a large number of slaves, which greatly enriched the national power of the Teutonic Knights; At the same time, the Catholic Prussians were slowly assimilated into the Teutonic Knights and became part of the Germanic peoples.
For the next two hundred years, the Teutonic Knights, one of the Pope's main allies, remained active on the front lines against the infidels of the Orthodox Church, Lomvaism, and the Arab world, while expanding their territory in Prussia. In 1510 Albert von Hohenzollern became Grand Governor of the Teutonic KnightsAt the same time, the Reformation arose in Europe.
Catholicism had declined, and few people were interested in the Crusaders and the Knights anymore; Inside the Teutonic OrderThe Knights and the local nobility were also at odds, and the people lost confidence in the Order's state system
Under these circumstances, Albert, the leader of the Order, visited Martin Luther, the leader of the Reformation, to seek a solution to the internal conflicts of the Teutonic Knights and to appease the people. Martin Luther suggested the secularization of the Teutonic Knights, free from Catholic control of state power.
Albert von Hohenzollern accepted the suggestion after much deliberation and swore no more faith in Catholicism in favor of the Reformed Christianity initiated by Martin Luther. After adequate preparation,In 1525 Albert announced the dissolution of the Teutonic Knights and changed the theocratic Teutonic Knights to the monarchical Duchy of PrussiaHe served as the first Grand Duke.
In this way, Prussia, the predecessor of Germany, stepped onto the stage of history; From a hospital to a state, the Teutonic Knights' founding was legendary in itself, and after becoming a secular state, Prussia and later Germany would write even more legendary history.