Prussia's Gains From The Austrian War Of Succession

The War of the Austrian Succession was a conflict that took place from 1740 to 1748, sparked by a succession crisis following the death of Emperor Charles VI. The war established Prussia as a regional hegemon, altering the balance of power in Europe. Prussia's primary gain from the war was the acquisition of Silesia from Austria, which was confirmed by the Treaty of Dresden in 1745 and the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. This outcome undermined the Anglo-Austrian Alliance, as Maria Theresa resented Britain's insistence on ceding Silesia and made it her primary objective to regain the province. The war also had significant colonial repercussions, including the First Carnatic War in India and King George's War in North America.

Prussia gains Silesia

The War of the Austrian Succession was a conflict that took place from 16 December 1740 to 18 October 1748, between the various European powers of the time. The war was sparked by a succession crisis upon the death of the Habsburg Emperor Charles VI in 1740. The crisis arose because the Salic law, which excluded women of the royal family from inheriting the throne, was contradicted by the 1703 Mutual Pact of Succession, which stated that if the male line of the Habsburgs became extinct, the female line would take precedence.

In April 1713, Charles issued the Pragmatic Sanction, which allowed female inheritance by the progeny of Charles VI, effectively placing the rights of his own children before those of his nieces, Maria Josepha and Maria Amalia. The birth of his daughter Maria Theresa in 1717 ensured that conflict was inevitable.

On 16 December 1740, King Frederick II of Prussia invaded the Austrian province of Silesia, one of the richest Habsburg provinces. This invasion was motivated by Frederick's desire to exploit the succession crisis. His victory suggested that the Habsburg dominions were incapable of defending themselves, prompting other countries to enter the fray.

In April 1741, the Prussians defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Mollwitz and overran Silesia. In December 1741, Frederick allied with France, agreeing to support the Bavarian elector, Charles Albert, as the next emperor.

In February 1742, Charles Albert was elected the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII. However, he was soon forced to flee when Bohemia was overwhelmed by Maria Theresa's men. In 1742, as part of the Peace of Breslau, Maria Theresa ceded most of Silesia to Prussia.

In June 1745, Frederick II won a tactical victory at the Battle of Hohenfriedberg, in present-day Poland, approaching the enemy in "oblique order" and focusing his attack on one flank while presenting a solid front. This left the enemy with no room to adjust their positions or regroup.

In December 1745, Leopold I won at Kesselsdorf in Germany, and in 1746, Marshal Maurice de Saxe's French forces won at the battle of Rocoux, outside Liege. France now occupied the whole of the Austrian Netherlands, threatening the United Provinces to the north.

The war was resolved by the 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Prussia's control over Silesia was confirmed, and Spain gained Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla in Italy. For all the years of bloodshed, Prussia gained the most: its possession of Silesia and its status as a military power were confirmed.

Spain gains central Italy

The War of the Austrian Succession was a conflict that took place from 16 December 1740 to 18 October 1748 between the various European powers of the time. The war was not restricted to Europe, with conflict also occurring in colonial holdings in Asia. The war established Prussia as a regional hegemon, altering the balance of power in Europe.

During the war, Prussia allied itself with France, Bavaria, Spain, Sweden, and Saxony. These states all sought to exploit the succession struggle to acquire Habsburg possessions and diminish Austrian power. Ranged against them were Austria, Britain, the United Provinces, and Russia.

The Spanish gains in Italy were deemed inadequate, as they failed to recover Menorca or Gibraltar, and they viewed the reassertion of British commercial rights in the Americas as an insult.

• In 1741, an army of 40,000 Spaniards and Neapolitans under the Duke of Montemar advanced towards Modena. Francesco III d'Este, Duke of Modena, allied himself with them. However, the Austrian commander, Count Otto Ferdinand von Traun, outmanoeuvred them, capturing Modena and forcing the Duke to make a separate peace.
• The aggressiveness of the Spanish in Italy forced Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and King Charles Emmanuel of Sardinia into negotiations in early 1742. These negotiations, held in Turin, resulted in the Convention of Turin, which resolved many differences and formed an alliance between the two countries.
• In 1743, the Spanish achieved a victory over Traun at Campo Santo on 8 February. However, the next six months were wasted, and the Spanish were driven back to Rimini by Johann Georg Christian, Prince of Lobkowicz, who joined Traun with reinforcements from Austria.
• In 1744, the Italian war became more serious. Spain and Austria had previously been ruled by branches of the same royal house, resulting in symmetry in their foreign policies regarding Italy. However, since the Treaty of Utrecht and the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, Spain had been ruled by a Bourbon grandson of the French king Louis XIV, Philip of Anjou, who became Philip V. As a result, Spanish dominance and Italian territories passed to Austria. Now, France and Spain shared foreign policy interests in Italy, opposing Habsburg Austria. King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia, faced with a grandiose military plan by the combined Spanish and French armies for the conquest of northern Italy, allied with Austria in the Convention of Turin.
• In 1745, Count de Gages moved from Modena towards Lucca, and the Gallispan army in the Alps advanced through the Italian Riviera to the Tanaro. In mid-July, the two armies united between the Scrivia and the Tanaro, forming a force of 80,000 men. They swiftly marched on Piacenza, drew away the Austrian commander, and then defeated the Sardinians at Bassignano on 27 September. This victory was followed by the capture of Alessandria, Valenza, and Casale Monferrato.
• In 1746, Austrian troops passed through the Tyrol into Italy, capturing Genoa after a siege. The Gallispan winter quarters at Asti were attacked, and a French garrison of 6,000 men was forced to capitulate. Maximilian Ulysses Browne led an Austrian corps to strike at the allies on the Lower Po, cutting off their communication. A series of minor actions completely destroyed the Gallispan troops, and the Austrians reconquered the Duchy of Milan and took possession of much of northern Italy.
• In 1747, Count de Gages moved from Modena towards Lucca, and the Gallispan army advanced through the Italian Riviera to the Tanaro. They united between the Scrivia and the Tanaro, forming a force of 80,000. They swiftly marched on Piacenza, drew away the Austrian commander, and defeated the Sardinians at Bassignano on 27 September. This victory was followed by the capture of Alessandria, Valenza, and Casale Monferrato.

France briefly gains the Austrian Netherlands

The War of the Austrian Succession was a conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. The war was caused by the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the Austrian Habsburg crown. During the war, most of Europe's great powers were involved, including Prussia, France, Bavaria, Spain, Sweden, Saxony, Austria, Britain, the United Provinces, and Russia.

By early 1748, France held most of the Austrian Netherlands, but they were close to bankruptcy due to the war's cost and a British naval blockade. This stalemate led to the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which confirmed Maria Theresa as the ruler of Austria and Queen of Hungary. However, the treaty did little to resolve the underlying tensions between the signatories, and many were unhappy with the terms.

France's brief gain of the Austrian Netherlands was part of a wider conflict between France and Britain, which had colonial implications in India and North America. The French invasion of the Austrian Netherlands contributed to their dominance on land, while Britain's victories at sea cemented its naval power.

The French conquest of the Austrian Netherlands was led by Marshal Maurice de Saxe, who also won the Battle of Fontenoy on May 11, 1745. De Saxe's victories established French dominance in the Netherlands and caused disputes between Britain and the Dutch. Despite their success in the Austrian Netherlands, the French eventually withdrew, as part of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which ended the war.

The Austrian Netherlands, also known as the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire, was a territory that changed hands multiple times between 1568 and 1797. The area was held by the Habsburgs but was under Bourbon control during the War of the Spanish Succession. The Austrian Netherlands was of strategic importance, as it bordered France and the Dutch Republic.

Maria Theresa is confirmed as ruler of Austria

Maria Theresa's confirmation as ruler of Austria was the result of a complex series of events and negotiations.

Maria Theresa was the eldest daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI and his wife, Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Charles was the last surviving prince of his line, and, in an effort to preserve the Habsburg dominions, he issued the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, allowing female inheritance by the progeny of Charles VI. This effectively placed the rights of his own children before those of his nieces, Maria Josepha and Maria Amalia, who were the daughters of his elder brother, Emperor Joseph I. The birth of Maria Theresa in 1717 ensured that conflict was on the horizon.

Maria Theresa's father spent his entire reign securing her inheritance through international diplomacy. However, he neglected to prepare her for the role, and she lacked the knowledge and experience necessary to rule effectively. She was, however, groomed from an early age to preserve Habsburg territory and influence.

Upon Charles VI's death in October 1740, Maria Theresa became ruler of the Habsburg dominions. Her succession sparked the War of the Austrian Succession, as it was challenged by several European powers, including Prussia, France, Bavaria, and Saxony, who all sought to exploit the succession struggle to acquire Habsburg possessions for themselves and diminish Austrian power.

During the war, Maria Theresa successfully defended her rule over most of the Habsburg monarchy, apart from the loss of Silesia to Prussia and a few minor territories in Italy. She derived her main foreign support from the British Empire, which feared that a French hegemony in Europe would threaten the British commercial and colonial empire.

The war ended in 1748 with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which confirmed Maria Theresa as ruler of Austria and Queen of Hungary. The treaty reflected a stalemate, as most of the commercial issues that had led to the war were left unresolved, and many of the signatories were unhappy with the terms. Maria Theresa herself deeply resented Britain's insistence that she cede Silesia to Prussia as part of the peace agreement.

Despite the confirmation of her rule, Maria Theresa's position remained precarious. She had to navigate complex domestic and international politics, and she faced several more military conflicts during her 40-year reign, including the Seven Years' War and the War of the Bavarian Succession. Nonetheless, she successfully preserved the bulk of the Habsburg territories and is considered one of the most successful Habsburg monarchs.

The war ends with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

The War of the Austrian Succession ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which was signed on 18 October 1748. The treaty was signed by Great Britain, France, the Habsburg Empire, the United Provinces of the Low Countries (Netherlands), Prussia, Spain, Modena, Genoa, and Sardinia.

The treaty was the result of a congress assembled on 24 April 1748 in the Free Imperial City of Aachen. The two main antagonists, Britain and France, had opened peace talks in the Dutch city of Breda in 1746. However, the negotiations were delayed by Britain, which hoped to improve its position. When this failed to occur, a draft treaty was agreed upon on 30 April 1748.

The treaty largely returned the world situation to the status quo of 1744. Prussia kept the former Austrian province of Silesia, and France regained the fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Austria recognised the Prussian acquisition of Silesia, and Britain and France exchanged Louisbourg for Madras in India. The treaty also included the cession of several duchies and territories in Italy, the withdrawal of French and British forces from the Austrian Netherlands and Maastricht, and the renewal of the Asiento de Negros (a monopoly contract to supply slaves to Spanish America).

The treaty failed to resolve the issues that had caused the war, and many of the signatories were unhappy with the terms. Maria Theresa deeply resented Britain's insistence that Austria cede Silesia and the concessions made in Italy. Britain, meanwhile, felt it had gained little benefit from the enormous subsidies paid to Austria. These issues, among others, led to the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1756.

Frequently asked questions