America's Involvement In The Austrian Succession War

The War of the Austrian Succession was fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The conflict was caused by the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the Austrian Habsburg crown following the death of her father, Emperor Charles VI. The war was fought between various European powers, including Prussia, France, Bavaria, Spain, Sweden, Saxony, Austria, Britain, the United Provinces and Russia. The conflict was not restricted to Europe, with battles also taking place in the colonial holdings in Asia, North America and India.

The First Silesian War (1740-1742)

The First Silesian War was fought mainly in Silesia, Moravia and Bohemia and formed one theatre of the wider War of the Austrian Succession. The war was sparked by the death of Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, Charles VI, in 1740. His eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, assumed the throne, but her succession was challenged by France, Prussia, Bavaria and Spain. Maria Theresa was supported by Britain, Hanover and the Dutch Republic.

Prussia's invasion of Habsburg Silesia in late 1740 marked the beginning of the First Silesian War. The war ended in a Prussian victory with the 1742 Treaty of Berlin, which recognised Prussia's seizure of most of Silesia and parts of Bohemia.

• December 1740: King Frederick II of Prussia invades the Austrian province of Silesia.
• January 1741: Almost the entirety of Silesia comes under Prussian control. The remaining Austrian strongholds of Glogau, Brieg and Neisse are besieged.
• March 1741: An Austrian force relieves the siege of Neisse but is defeated by the main Prussian force in the Battle of Mollwitz on April 10.
• June 1741: Britain declares itself neutral to prevent French or Prussian attacks on Hanover.
• October 1741: Austria and Prussia agree to a secret armistice known as the Convention of Klein Schnellendorf, under which Austria commits to eventually concede Lower Silesia in return for peace.
• December 1741: Prussian forces advance into Moravia, occupying the capital at Olmütz.
• May 1742: A Prussian army of 28,000 led by Frederick and Prince Leopold marches into the plains of the Elbe south-east of Prague, manoeuvring to block the Austrian advance.
• May 17, 1742: The two armies meet in the Battle of Chotusitz, resulting in a narrow Prussian victory.
• June 11, 1742: The First Silesian War ends with the Treaty of Breslau, in which Austria conceded most of Silesia to Prussia.

The First Silesian War marked the unexpected defeat of the Habsburg monarchy by a lesser German power and initiated the Austria-Prussia rivalry that would shape German politics for more than a century. Prussia's seizure of Silesia made the two nations lasting and determined enemies.

The Second Silesian War (1744-1745)

The War of the Austrian Succession was a conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, and the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King George's War in North America, the First and Second Silesian Wars, the War of Jenkins' Ear, and the First Carnatic War.

The Second Silesian War began with a Prussian invasion of Habsburg Bohemia in mid-1744. On 15 August 1744, Frederick led Prussian soldiers across the frontier into Bohemia. The invading army of around 70,000 men entered Bohemia in three columns, with the eastern column advancing from Silesia through Glatz and across the Giant Mountains, the central column marching through Saxony, and the western column, led by Frederick himself, advancing up the Elbe through Dresden and across the Ore Mountains.

Prussia entered the war hoping to prevent a resurgent Austria from taking back Silesia. Prussia had previously gained control of Silesia in the First Silesian War, and they intended to defend their seizure of the region. Prussia's intervention in Bohemia also seriously impeded the Austrian war effort against France.

The Second Silesian War ended in a Prussian victory with the Treaty of Dresden in December 1745, confirming Prussian control of Silesia. The conclusion of the war has been viewed as a victory for Prussia, which strengthened its position in the region. However, by making a separate peace while the French continued to fight, Frederick damaged his diplomatic credibility.

King George's War in North America

King George's War (1744–1748) was the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the wider War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of four French and Indian Wars and took place primarily in the British provinces of New York, Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire and Nova Scotia.

The conflict was inconclusive, with both sides conducting bloody border raids with the aid of their Native American allies. The only significant victory was the capture of the French fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island in 1745 by a combined British-New England force. The Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) restored Louisbourg to France in exchange for the city of Madras in India, which had been captured by the French from the British.

The War of the Austrian Succession

The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, and on the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas. The immediate cause of the war was the death in 1740 of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy. His eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, assumed the throne, but her succession was challenged by France, Prussia, Bavaria and Spain. Maria Theresa was supported by Britain, Hanover and the Dutch Republic. The war included the First and Second Silesian Wars in Central Europe and the War of Jenkins' Ear between Britain and Spain, which began in 1739.

King George's War

The colonial war was fought from Canada to the Caribbean Sea, with the British against the French and Spanish. British expeditions against Cartagena in South America and St. Augustine in Florida were unsuccessful. The French also raided British settlements in Nova Scotia, New York and New England, and the Wabanaki Confederacy of Acadia launched the Northeast Coast Campaign against the British settlements on the border of Acadia in northeast Maine.

The war took a heavy toll, especially in the northern British colonies. The losses of Massachusetts men alone in 1745–46 have been estimated as 8% of that colony's adult male population.

The War of Jenkins' Ear

The war was largely fought in New Granada and the Caribbean Sea, with major operations ending by 1742. It is considered a related conflict of the wider War of the Austrian Succession, which was fought between 1740 and 1748 and involved most of Europe's great powers. The War of Jenkins' Ear is significant in British naval history for Admiral George Anson's voyage around the world from 1740 to 1744.

The Incident Involving Robert Jenkins

In April 1731, the British brig Rebecca, captained by Robert Jenkins, was searched by Spanish coast guards who were looking for contraband. During the search, Jenkins was mistreated by the Spanish and allegedly had his ear severed. Jenkins later exhibited his amputated ear to a committee of the House of Commons in 1738, and the incident was swiftly exploited by opposition members of Parliament to stir up anti-Spanish sentiment and pressure the government of Robert Walpole into declaring war.

The War of the Austrian Succession

The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, and the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas. The war was caused by a dispute over the succession of Maria Theresa to the Austrian Habsburg crown. During the war, Prussia, France, Bavaria, Spain, and Saxony sought to exploit the succession struggle to acquire Habsburg possessions and diminish Austrian power. They were opposed by Austria, Britain, the United Provinces, and Russia.

The war included the First and Second Silesian Wars in Central Europe and a separate conflict between Britain and Spain known as the War of Jenkins' Ear. The war also involved colonial conflict, particularly between Britain and France in North America and India. The war proved disastrous for both Britain and France, with a British army suffering a significant defeat at the hands of the French at Fontenoy in 1745.

The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

The War of the Austrian Succession and the War of Jenkins' Ear were concluded by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. The treaty ended the wars but settled nothing, and all the powers involved were dissatisfied with the outcome. The treaty confirmed Maria Theresa as the Austrian ruler, and France agreed to leave the Austrian Netherlands and return Madras in India in exchange for the British-held Louisbourg in Canada. The war turned out to be little more than a truce, as hostilities continued in India and Canada, and would soon break out again between Prussia and Austria, leading to the Seven Years' War.

The First Carnatic War in India

The First Carnatic War (1744/1746-1748) was an extension of the War of the Austrian Succession, which broke out in Europe between 1740 and 1748. The First Carnatic War was the Indian theatre of the War of the Austrian Succession and was the first of a series of Carnatic Wars that established British dominance on the east coast of the Indian subcontinent.

In this conflict, the British and French East India Companies fought for control of their respective trading posts at Madras, Pondicherry, and Cuddalore, while naval forces of France and Britain engaged each other off the coast. The war was a continuation of the conflict between Britain and France, which had begun in 1739 with the War of Jenkins' Ear.

In September 1746, the French captured Madras with almost no resistance, and the British were taken as prisoners of war. The British leadership was sent to Pondicherry. It was initially agreed that the town would be restored to the British after negotiation, but this was opposed by the French Governor-General of Pondicherry, Joseph François Dupleix, who sought to annex Madras to French holdings. The remaining British residents were asked to swear not to take up arms against the French. A few refused, including a young Robert Clive, and were kept under weak guard as the French prepared to destroy the fort. Clive and three others escaped, disguising themselves as natives, and made their way to Fort St. David (the British post at Cuddalore), around 100 miles south.

The Carnatic troops of the Nawab of Carnatic, Anwaruddin Khan, attempted to take Fort St. George from the French, but Dupleix's small force of 930 troops successfully repulsed their attacks. The French then launched an assault on Fort St. David, forcing the British defenders inside the fort's walls. However, a timely counterattack by the British and the Nawab turned the tables, and the French withdrew to Pondicherry.

In late 1748, with the arrival of reinforcements from Europe, the British besieged Pondicherry. The siege was lifted in October 1748 with the arrival of the monsoon, and the war ended in December with the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. Under its terms, Madras was returned to British control. The First Carnatic War witnessed a series of French successes over their British rivals in southern India, and the conflict set the stage for the rapid growth of French hegemony in the region.

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