I am Frederick William I of Prussia, the Soldier King of Prussia.

I replaced silk with steel, luxury with discipline, and built the army that made Prussia feared across Europe.

This is my account of how a kingdom becomes strong.

Courtiers used to ask me which colours and fabrics I preferred for royal events.

My answer. Wool. Grey. Practical.

While other kings dressed in silk and jewels, I wore a simple military coat and boots. Easier to inspect troops. Harder to trip over nonsense.

If an outfit could not survive a walk through the barracks, it did not belong in my palace.

A king should be ready for drill at any moment, not a fashion show.

February 25, 1713. Berlin.

My father died, and the court prepared for weeks of ceremony and display. Instead, I asked for the treasury records.

What I saw disgusted me. A kingdom drowning in luxury and starving for strength. That same week, I began cutting royal expenses and redirecting money into the army and the state.

Prussia would no longer be known for silk and gold, but instead for order and discipline.

That was my first decision as king. And the most important.