| Frederick II | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Johann Heinrich Tischbein | |
| Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel | |
| Reign | 1 February 1760 – 31 October 1785 |
| Predecessor | William VIII |
| Successor | William IX |
| Born | 14 August 1720 Kassel |
| Died | 31 October 1785 (aged 65) Kassel |
| Spouse | |
| Issue |
|
| House | Hesse |
| Father | William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel |
| Mother | Dorothea Wilhelmina of Saxe-Zeitz |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism, prev. Calvinism |
Frederick II (German: Landgraf Friedrich II von Hessen-Kassel) (14 August 1720 – 31 October 1785) was Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) from 1760 to 1785. He ruled as an enlightened despot, and raised money by renting soldiers (called "Hessians") to Great Britain to help fight the American Revolutionary War. He combined Enlightenment ideas with Christian values, cameralist plans for central control of the economy, and a militaristic approach toward international diplomacy.[1]
- ^ Charles W. Ingrao, The Hessian Mercenary State: Ideas, Institutions, and Reform under Frederick II, 1760–1785 (2003)