Was Fredrick The Great Of Prussia An "Enlightened Despot"�?

It is debatable indeed to state that Frederick II was an Enlightened Despot during his reign which began in 1840. Foreign observers predicted and expected a new era of Enlightenment to flourish throughout the lands of Prussia when Frederick came to the throne. As Crown Prince Frederick, he established a reputation as a thinker, writer musician, and a lover in all that was best in literature and philosophy. He corresponded with one of the most famous of the philosophes, Voltaire, from as early as 1736.

Frederick also produced a number of writings regarding his Enlightened ideas. However, he very rarely practiced what he preached as he was concerned in keeping the status quo for the good of Prussia. He showed himself reluctant to change a system which had worked so well under his father, Frederick William. He tended to pick and chose those of the fashionable theories that suited him and which helped him to run the country more efficiently. Where they did not comply with his aims, he ignored the Enlightenment.