Frederick II had the most coherent policy among the belligerents, though his public principles shifted with circumstances. He had seized Silesia during the War of the Austrian Succession and wanted to enlarge the state he personally ruled. He could denounce female succession when opposing Maria Theresa and accept it when an alliance made that convenient. His consistency lay in strategic purpose rather than rhetoric.
Notable Point · 23:27-25:16
Frederick the Great's pragmatic opportunism
Frederick's shifting arguments about rulers and alliances reveal a Prussian strategy driven by dynastic expansion rather than consistent ideology.