Hohenzollern

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Hohenzollern German dynasty that ruled Brandenburg, Prussia, and Germany. The family acquired Brandenburg in 1415, and gained Prussia in 1618. Frederick William expanded their territories, and his son, Frederick I, adopted the title ‘King in Prussia’. Frederick William I built up the Prussian army, and Frederick II used it to great effect against the Habsburgs. Germany finally united in 1871, under the Hohenzollern Emperor William I.

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