腓特烈二世(1712～1786年)
Frederick II
德语作Friedrich
别名腓特烈大帝（Frederick the Great）。
普鲁士国王（1740～1786年在位）。腓特烈.威廉一世之子，由於父亲的粗暴和任意凌辱，他早年生活过得不愉快。1730年试图逃跑未成，屈服於父亲，但继续研究学问和学习艺术。1740年腓特烈.威廉一世去世，腓特烈即位。他很快就使大臣们清楚，只有他一人才是决策者。加强普鲁士势力，在奥地利王位继承战争期间占据西里西亚。1756年入侵萨克森并推进至波希米亚。腓特烈在七年战争（1756～1763）几乎被击败，直到他的崇拜者彼得三世签订了俄普条约，局势改观。他和俄国缔结了一直延续到1780年的联盟。1772年第一次瓜分波兰，使普鲁士领土更大地连片。奥普之间的对抗，导致巴伐利亚王位继承战争（1778～1779）。为结束战争而签订的条约，对腓特烈是一次外交胜利。对哈布斯堡野心的忧虑继续缠绕着腓特烈，促使他建立德意志邦的联盟，成功地反对了约瑟夫二世。在他的领导下普鲁士成为欧洲大国之一，国土大增，军事力量引人注目。除了军事现代化外，腓特烈也拥护启蒙运动的思想，实行行政、经济及社会改革。
English version：
1712～1786年
Frederick II
known asFrederick the GreatKing of Prussia (1740-86). The son of Frederick William I, he suffered an unhappy early life, subject to his father's capricious bullying. After trying to escape in 1730, he submitted to his father but continued to pursue intellectual and artistic interests. On his father's death (1740), Frederick became king and asserted his leadership. He seized parts of Silesia during the War of the Austrian Succession, strengthening Prussia considerably. He invaded Saxony in 1756 and marched on into Bohemia. Frederick was almost defeated in the Seven Years' War (1756-63), until his admirer Peter III signed a Russo-Prussian peace treaty that lasted until 1780. The First Partition of Poland in 1772 led to enormous territorial gains for Prussia. Austro-Prussian rivalry led to the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778-79), a diplomatic victory for Frederick, but continued fear of Habsburg ambitions led him to form a league of German states against Joseph II. Under Frederick's leadership Prussia became one of the great states of Europe, with vastly expanded territories and impressive military strength. In addition to modernizing the army, Frederick also espoused the ideas of enlightened despotism and instituted numerous economic, civil, and social reforms.