About Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III (Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl; 18 October 1831 – 15 June 1888), or Friedrich III, was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days from 9 March 1888 until his death in June that year, during the Year of the Three Emperors. Known informally as "Fritz", he was the only son of Emperor Wilhelm I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service. Following the unification of Germany in 1871 his father, then King of Prussia, became German Emperor. Upon Wilhelm's death at the age of ninety on 9 March 1888, the thrones passed to Frederick, who had been German Crown Prince for seventeen years and Crown Prince of Prussia for twenty-seven years. Frederick was suffering from cancer of the larynx when he died at the age of 56, following unsuccessful medical treatments for his condition. Frederick married Victoria, Princess Royal, the oldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The couple were well-matched; their shared liberal ideology led them to support progressive and democratic reform. Despite his family's conservative and militaristic background, Frederick had developed liberal tendencies as a result of his ties with Britain and his studies at the University of Bonn. As crown prince, he often opposed the conservative Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, particularly in speaking out against Bismarck's policy of uniting Germany through force, and in urging that the power of the executive be curbed to the benefit of the Reichstag. Liberals in both Germany and Great Britain hoped that as emperor, Frederick would move to institute democratic reforms in the German Empire. Frederick and Victoria were great admirers of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. They planned to rule as joint monarchs and to reform what they saw as flaws in the government. Fredrick planned to institute responsible government, transforming the Empire into a liberal constitutional monarchy inspired by Britain, with ministers bound to the instructions of the Reichstag, rather than the Emperor. However, Frederick's illness prevented him from effectively establishing policies and measures to achieve this, and such moves as he was able to make were later abandoned by his son and successor, Wilhelm II. The timing of Frederick's death and the brevity of his reign are important topics among historians. His premature demise is considered a potential turning point in German history; whether or not he would have made the Empire more liberal if he had lived longer is still a popular discussion among historians. Hohenzollern princes were made familiar with the military traditions of their dynasty at an early age; Frederick was ten when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the First Guard Infantry Regiment of Foot. Wilhelm, who became emperor after Frederick's death, shared none of his parents' liberal ideas; his mother viewed him as a "complete Prussian".
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