Though Frederick William was a very competent leader , he had anger issues that occasionally made him get physical with his slaves or his children when he was a little bit angry , his savage character worsened his hereditary porphyritic sickness and that made him eat a lot and eventually made him obese and have regular abdominal aches . Frederick also despised the French Republic and have a fit occasionally when the territory is mentioned . Nevertheless it did n't prevent him from supporting the exodus of French Protestant foreigners to Prussia .
Although a highly effective ruler , Frederick William had a short temper which sometimes drove him to physically attack servants ( or even his own children ) at the slightest provocation ; his violent nature was exacerbated by his inherited porphyritic illness , which gave him gout , obesity and frequent stomach pains . [ Mitford , Nancy `` Frederick the Great '' ( 1970 ) P6 ] He also had a notable contempt for France , and would sometimes fly into a rage at the mere mention of that country , although this did not stop him from encouraging the immigration of French Huguenot refugees to Prussia.
Frederick William I of Prussia