Frederick Franz II (Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin)

Friedrich Franz graduated from the Dresden gymnasium, Blochmann Institute in Dresden and entered the University of Bonn . However, after studying for three semesters, in connection with the death of his father, he ascended the throne at the age of nineteen.

Friedrich Franz maintained contact with the Romanov Dynasty , in 1843 he spent almost a month in Russia . Emperor Nicholas I was awarded the rank of general.

In 1849, Friedrich Franz concluded a military convention with Prussia .

After the revolution of 1848, he wanted to carry out a liberal reform of public administration in Mecklenburg, but he could not do anything due to the strong opposition of the nobility, supported by the then reactionary policies of Prussia and Austria . Although the nobility , frightened by the events of 1848, at first agreed to the drafting of a constitution, but after the widespread triumph of reaction in Germany, the constitution was not introduced, and Friedrich Franz was forced to restore the old state system.

During his reign, a railway network was laid in the duchy, and the magnificent Schwerin Castle was built on the island of Schweriner See . Friedrich Franz granted his duchy a constitution.

In 1864, he took part in a campaign against Denmark , being at the main apartment of Field Marshal Wrangel .

During the war of 1866 with Austria, Friedrich Franz commanded the second Prussian reserve army, with which he moved to Bavaria and occupied Nuremberg .

With the opening of the Franco-Prussian War, Frederick Franz was entrusted with the protection of the coastal strip, and when this turned out to be superfluous, he was appointed commander of the 13th Army Corps and took part in the siege of Metz ; then led the siege of Thule and Soissons . In October, he was entrusted with command of a detachment operating against the French Loire Army, and he successfully completed his task. Under the command of Prince Friedrich-Karl, he took a significant part in the battle of Orleans , commanded the left wing of the army approaching Le Mans in January 1871, and after the battle of Le Mans occupied Alanson and Rouen .

Later he was an inspector general of the second army inspection.

In the Prussian army he had the rank of Colonel General and the honorary rank of Colonel General in the rank of Field Marshal (September 2, 1873), received by him for participating in the Franco-Prussian War. On October 8, 1870, Russian Emperor Alexander II granted the Order of St. Friedrich Franz for distinction in this war . St. George 3rd degree (No. 515 according to the list of the companions Sudravsky).

March 6, 1842 was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called ^[4] .

• March 19, 1842 - Major General (Prussian Service)
• September 5, 1848 - Lieutenant General (Prussian Service)
• July 12, 1855 - General of the infantry (Prussian service)
• September 2, 1873 - Colonel General of the Infantry with the rank of Field Marshal (Generaloberst der Infanterie mit dem Rang eines Generalfeldmarschalls) (Prussian service)

Frederick Franz II was married three times. In November 1849, he married Augusta Reiss-Schleitz-Köstritz (1822–1862); she died of lung disease. Children:

• Frederick Franz III (1851-1897)
• Paul Friedrich (1852-1923)
• Maria Pavlovna (1854-1920), married to Vladimir Alexandrovich
• Nicholas (1855-1856)
• Johann Albert (1857-1920)
• Alexander (1859)

The second time in July 1864 was on Anna Hesse-Darmstadt (1843–1865), who died during the birth of her first child.

• Anna of Mecklenburg (1865-1882)

The third wife is Maria Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1850-1922), children:

• Elizabeth Alexandrina (1869-1924)
• Friedrich Wilhelm (1871-1897)
• Adolf Friedrich (1873-1969)
• Henry (1876-1934), married the Queen of the Netherlands Wilhelmina .

• Carl Schröder: Friedrich Franz III., Grossherzog von Mecklenburg-Schwerin: Aus seinem Leben und seinen Briefen. Schwerin: Bahn 1898 ( [1] )
• Heinrich von Stein: Friedrich Franz II. und die Universität Rostock . Rostock 1891.
• Bruno Garlepp: Friedrich Franz II. von Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Breslau 1892.
• Berthold Volz: Großherzog Friedrich Franz II. von Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Ein deutsches Fürstenleben. Wismar 1893.
• Friedrich Schlie: Das Denkmal des Großherzogs Friedrich Franz II. von Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Zur Erinnerung an den 24.8.1893 . Schwerin 1893.
• Rene Wiese: Orientierung in der Moderne. Großherzog Friedrich Franz II. von Mecklenburg in seiner Zeit. Bremen 2005. ISBN 3-86108-053-2 .
• Rene Wiese: Vormärz und Revolution. Die Tagebücher des Großherzogs Friedrich Franz II. von Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1841-1854 . Böhlau, Köln 2014. ISBN 978-3-412-22271-0 .
• René Wiese: Friedrich Franz II. Herrschen im Zeichen von Revolution und Reichsgründung. In: Bernd Kasten, Matthias Manke, René Wiese: Die Großherzöge von Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Hinstorff Verlag, Rostock 2015. ISBN 978-3-356-01986-5 . S. 68-101.
• Jürgen Borchert: Mecklenburgs Großherzöge. 1815-1918. Demmler Verlag, Schwerin 1992. ISBN 3-910150-14-4 . S. 45-69.

• Friedrich-Franz II // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.