Explanation: Frederick William I, King of Prussia, was a… piece of work. He regarded his son (who would be known as Frederick II of Prussia) as weak and unmanly, for the reason of his interests - like ‘philosophy’, ‘music’, and ‘reading things other than the Bible’. Despite both father and son sharing a genuine enthusiasm for the military, it was not enough to ‘cancel out’ what Frederick William I considered to be unfit interests, and would beat and humiliate his son for them regularly in an attempt to ‘correct’ his ways.

Frederick II was also homosexual, and his father caught wind of at least two of his affairs - neither of which ended well because of it. In the second case, Frederick II, despite being the literal crown prince, preferred to attempt to escape to England with his lover than endure his father’s bullshit for however long the miserable old man was determined to live.

Frederick William I forced his son to watch as his lover was hanged, then had the body left dangling outside of Frederick II’s bedroom window overnight. He also put his son on trial and may have seriously considered executing him as well, but for the intervention of another European monarch who raised the question of whether it was actually legal to execute a crown prince without an imperial trial.

The two men, understandably, were not close at the time of Frederick William I’s death.

Frederick II would become better-known as “Frederick the Great”, a man of immense intelligence and drive who was not only a peerless military commander, but also a great reformer, patron of the arts and philosophy, and wit. In addition to his military exploits, he put great investment into agricultural reforms and land reclamation, expanded public schooling and religious tolerance, lessened the tax burden on the common people, reformed the justice system, and reduced noble privileges. For these reasons, he is generally considered one of the most accomplished rulers of Early Modern Europe. Frederick the Great’s court was also famously cultured, and infamously gay. Frederick himself would both compose and play flute music during his reign.

One imagines Frederick William I would not be thrilled about the non-military endeavors of his son’s tenure as monarch.

Hitler: Ah, Fredrick the Great, my hero. Definitely not gay or anything.

“As a small child, Fritz was awakened each morning by the firing of a cannon.”

A-plus parenting, holy shit.

Wasn’t he already long dead by then?

Also, Frederick William I: “My son is gay? Inconceivable! Gather my hand-picked regiment of the biggest, buffest men to console me!”

… while looking in the mirror.