Who is this? It’s Hans Hermann von Katte, a person you have probably heard of if you’ve been following my blog for a while. Mainly because I’m a little bit in love with this idiot.
Why? Because his death was about as dramatic as it gets.
Why did he die? Well, because this guy,
Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia, had some problems with his dad.
Crown prince Frederick became close friends with Hans Hermann von Katte, a Prussian officer several years older than Frederick who served as one of his tutors. When he was 18, Frederick plotted to flee to England with Katte. Frederick and Katte were subsequently arrested and imprisoned in Küstrin. Because they were army officers who had tried to flee Prussia for Great Britain, Frederick William leveled an accusation of treason against the pair. The king forced Frederick to watch the decapitation of his confidant Katte, leading the crown prince to faint right before the fatal blow was struck.
