Skip to main content
Frederick William III of Prussia

Frederick William III of Prussia

1 9.9
King of Prussia from 1797 to 1840 who led the country during the wars with Napoleon
  • proper noun
: Federico Guillermo III de Prusia
  • Frederick William III of Prussia reluctantly allied with Napoleon after Prussia's defeat in 1806.

Examples

  • Frederick William III of Prussia initiated a series of military reforms to strengthen his army during the Napoleonic Wars.

  • The leadership of Frederick William III of Prussia was critical during the wars against Napoleon.

  • Several reforms were enacted in Prussia during the reign of Frederick William III of Prussia.

  • Frederick William III of Prussia ruled.

  • What did Frederick William III of Prussia achieve?

  • Under Frederick William III of Prussia, the country experienced significant changes in governance and military strategy.

  • Frederick William III of Prussia is remembered for navigating Prussia through the challenges posed by the Napoleonic conflicts.

Surface Forms

Morphology

Frederick + William + III + of + Prussia

The phrase is compositionally transparent in that it names a person (given names + ordinal III) associated with a place (of Prussia), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to the third person with that name from Prussia. However, the specific encyclopedic meaning — that this individual was the King of Prussia who reigned 1797–1840 and led during the Napoleonic Wars — is not derivable from the words alone and requires historical knowledge.

Etymology

Frederick William III of Prussia shows he was the third king named Frederick William to rule Prussia, and the 'III' shows his place in the line of kings. So the full name points to that specific king who led Prussia through the wars with Napoleon.