How did Prussia rise to prominence in eighteenth-century Europe?
What will be an ideal response?
Answers will vary. Under the Hohenzollern dynasty centered in Brandenburg, Frederick William, also known as the Great Elector, consolidated his territories and built a huge and powerful army. He had received the duchy of Prussia through his vassalage to the king of Poland, and had the obedience of the states of Cleves and Mark as well. He was one of the eight electors of the Holy Roman emperor. However, his own lands had been devastated by the Thirty Years' War, losing as much as 50 percent of its population in some areas. In the 1650s, when Poland and Sweden were involved in the Great Northern War, he allied with Sweden first, then with Poland, on the condition that Prussia be recognized as independent from Poland. When Poland won in 1660, Prussia was independent. He also built his army up from 1,800 to about 30,000 and increased taxation to pay for this buildup. However, he cleverly created a twofold tax system, based on land tax in the country and an excise tax in towns, to prevent the population from forming a unified opposition to his taxation scheme. This limited the power of the local diets and cemented the authority of the Hohenzollerns, thus centralizing his control over all his lands. Later, Frederick took the title of King of Prussia and made it hereditary.
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The imperial capitals of Mesoamerica and the Andes had all of the following in common EXCEPT:
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The Homestead Act
a. allowed large landowners to get more land. b. gave away free as many as 160 acres to a family. c. provided low-cost loans for home builders. d. was passed over the opposition of railroaders. e. all of the choices above.