Viewpoint by Jonathan Power
LUND, Sweden (IDN) — Frederick the Great of Prussia was a friend of Voltaire and enjoyed ribald evenings with the philosopher discussing the intricacies of life’s dos and don’ts. Before becoming king, he was persuaded by Voltaire to become a pacifist. But on ascending to the throne, he became the most ferocious and successful of Europe’s warrior leaders. He said of himself that he was “doomed to make war just as an ox must plough, a nightingale sing and a dolphin swim in the sea.”