In 1794, Prussia promulgated the "Prussian General State Law." At the very beginning, this law used the term "residents" rather than "subjects," a designation embodying egalitarianism and emphasizing that, regardless of social standing, class, or gender, the laws of the state bound all its members. Yet in Article 82, when the code discussed "the duties and rights of nobles," it stated bluntly that "the nobility is the first estate of the state." Their foremost vocation and duty was to defend their status, noble members could be tried only by the Supreme Court, nobles had the privilege of entering "places of national honor," and "only nobles had the right to own noble estates."
Prussia's ruler at the time was no longer Frederick the Great, but his nephew, Frederick William II, a typical Baroque king.
Although Frederick the Great had depleted the country's population, he still left behind a substantial inheritance, said to amount to as much as 51 million Thaler. Yet it was squandered away during Frederick William II's eleven-year reign. He had countless wives and concubines, while the army expanded to 240,000 men, the largest in Prussian history.
On top of that, he used tax cuts to curry favor with the public, causing Prussia's debt to climb as high as 48 million Thaler. The "Prussian General State Law" stipulated that the state had a duty to provide "compensation" to those forced to sacrifice their particular rights for the common good. In other words, Frederick William II recognized that the state had an obligation to care for war orphans and the disabled, and institutions caring for these groups developed and expanded during his reign. Yet financial conditions left him willing but unable.
When Frederick William III ascended the throne, he was utterly unlike his father. He was faithful to his queen