In a presentation combining military strategy, European history, psychology, and kabbalah, Rabbi Shais Taub explains why the Alter Rebbe told his grandson the Tzemach Tzedek that the chasidic approach to personal refinement was actually based on the battle strategy of Prussian King Frederick the Great.

In order to understand this cryptic statement, we delve into the fascinating history of the "world war" that took place between all of the European empires during the Alter Rebbe's youth and how Frederick the Great of Prussia developed a new battle strategy which was then identified by the Maggid's son, R' Avraham the Malach, as the conduit for revealing a brand new strategy for waging the inner battle between the animal and G-dly souls.