Ruqayyah Snyder
The War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48) was a conglomeration of related wars, two of which developed directly from the death of Charles VI, the Holy Roman Emperor and head of the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg. The war ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in October 1748, which preserved the bulk of the Austrian inheritance for Maria Theresa, confirming her as Archduchess 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.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 16 December 1740 to 18 October 1748 |
| Cause | Death of Holy Roman Emperor and Austrian Habsburg Charles VI |
| Conflict | Between various European powers, including Austria, Britain, France, Prussia, Spain, Bavaria, and Saxony |
| Outcome | Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which preserved the bulk of the Austrian inheritance for Maria Theresa, who was confirmed as Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary |
| Result | Prussia acquired Silesia from Austria, undermining the Anglo-Austrian Alliance; realignment known as the Diplomatic Revolution, with Austria and France ending their rivalry and Prussia allying with Great Britain |
| Impact | Set the scene for the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1756 |
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What You'll Learn
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
The treaty preserved the bulk of the Austrian inheritance for Maria Theresa, who was confirmed as the ruler of Austria. However, she deeply resented Britain's insistence that she cede Silesia to Prussia, making it her main objective to regain it. The treaty also failed to resolve issues related to British and French colonial and commercial rivalries in India and North America, particularly along the Ohio River.
Under the treaty, Britain agreed to restore the fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, to France in exchange for French withdrawal from the Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium). This disappointed the New England colonists, who had made significant efforts to capture the fort for the British Empire, damaging relations between London and the colonists. Additionally, Don Philip of Spain was granted the Italian duchies of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla, and Anglo-Spanish trade disputes were settled. The treaty also confirmed the right of succession of the House of Hanover in Great Britain and Hanover.
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Prussia's invasion of Silesia
Silesia was a prosperous and strategically important region, contiguous with Prussia's core territory in the Margraviate of Brandenburg. The valley of the Upper Oder, situated in Silesia, formed a natural military conduit between Brandenburg, the Kingdom of Bohemia, and the Margraviate of Moravia. Control of this territory would provide a significant military advantage. Furthermore, Prussia held centuries-old dynastic claims to parts of Silesia, which they now sought to realise.
By the end of January 1741, almost the entirety of Silesia was under Prussian control, with the remaining Austrian strongholds of Glogau, Brieg, and Neisse under siege. In late March, an Austrian force managed to relieve the siege of Neisse, but this was short-lived. The main Prussian force engaged and defeated the Austrians in the Battle of Mollwitz on April 10, 1741, securing Prussian control of the region. This victory emboldened other powers to join the conflict, widening the war into what became known as the War of the Austrian Succession.
The First Silesian War ended in 1742 with the Treaty of Berlin, which recognised Prussia's seizure of most of Silesia and parts of Bohemia. However, the underlying conflict over Silesia remained unresolved, and both sides spent the years of peace preparing for renewed confrontation. This led to the Second Silesian War (1744-1745), which concluded with the Treaty of Dresden in December 1745, confirming Prussian possession of Silesia.
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The First and Second Silesian Wars
The War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748) was a conglomeration of related wars, two of which were the First and Second Silesian Wars. The First Silesian War was fought between Prussia and Austria from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia seizing most of the region of Silesia. The war was fought mainly in Silesia, Moravia, and Bohemia and formed one theatre of the wider War of the Austrian Succession.
The First Silesian War began with a Prussian invasion of Habsburg Silesia in late 1740. The Prussians cited their centuries-old dynastic claims on parts of Silesia as a casus belli. 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. 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.
The Second Silesian War was fought between Prussia and Austria from 1744 to 1745 and confirmed Prussia's control of Silesia. The war was fought mainly in Silesia, Bohemia, and Upper Saxony and formed one theatre of the wider War of the Austrian Succession. The Second Silesian War was concluded by the Treaty of Dresden in December 1745, which confirmed Prussian possession of Silesia. The underlying conflict over Silesia was unresolved, and both sides spent the years of peace making preparations for renewed conflict.
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The Battle of Piacenza
The War of the Austrian Succession, which took place between 1740 and 1748, involved most of Europe's great powers. The conflict was caused by the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the Austrian Habsburg crown following the death of Emperor Charles VI in 1740. The war can be divided into three separate but connected conflicts, with fighting on land focusing on Central Europe, Italy, and the Austrian Netherlands, along with a wider naval conflict.
The Austrian forces, led by Prince Josef Wenzel, were able to draw the Spanish line into a cavalry battle, causing it to break under pressure. With the Spanish retreating towards Piacenza, the Austrians pursued, and by 2 pm the battle was over. The Franco-Spanish forces suffered heavy casualties, with about 9,000 Spanish and 4,000 French soldiers wounded or killed, and 4,800 taken prisoner. The Austrian army also suffered significant losses, with about 3,400 casualties and over 700 killed. Despite the Austrian victory, the skilled leadership of Maillebois and his chief of staff, his son, allowed the Franco-Spanish army to escape and later defeat an Austrian corps at the Battle of Rottofreddo on 12 August 1746.
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The end of the Anglo-Austrian Alliance
The Anglo-Austrian Alliance was a military alliance formed in 1731 between Great Britain and Austria. The Treaty of Vienna, signed on March 16, 1731, formalised the alliance, with both sides agreeing to protect each other against aggression.
The War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) saw Britain and Austria fight together against France, Prussia, Bavaria, Spain, Sweden, and Saxony. However, the alliance was strained by Britain's refusal to aid Austria in retaining Silesia, a valuable Austrian province that was lost to Prussia during the war. Maria Theresa of Austria sought British support for a military action to reclaim Silesia but was denied, leading to her disenchantment with Britain.
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, signed in October 1748, preserved the bulk of the Austrian inheritance for Maria Theresa, but it also demonstrated the growing dissatisfaction of both parties with their partnership. Britain felt that its subsidies to Austria yielded little benefit, while Austria resented Britain's lack of support in preventing the French occupation of Brussels in 1746.
The end of the War of the Austrian Succession witnessed a reversal of alliances in Europe, known as the Diplomatic Revolution. Austria, dissatisfied with Britain, formed an alliance with its former enemy, France. Meanwhile, Britain, recognising the vulnerability of Hanover to Prussian attacks, allied with Prussia, which had been a traditional ally of France.
The Anglo-Prussian Alliance, formalised in 1758, allowed Britain to focus on its colonial conflicts with the French-led coalition, while Prussia took on the brunt of the fighting in Europe. The Anglo-Prussian Alliance lasted formally from 1756 to 1762, with strong ties remaining between the two kingdoms even after its dissolution. The end of the Anglo-Austrian Alliance marked a significant shift in European alliances and set the stage for the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1756.
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Frequently asked questions
The War of 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 caused by the death of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, and the question of his daughter Maria Theresa's succession to the Austrian Habsburg crown.
The war involved most of Europe's great powers, including Prussia, Austria, Britain, France, Bavaria, Spain, Sweden, Saxony, the United Provinces, and Russia.
The war ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in October 1748, which confirmed Maria Theresa as Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary. Prussia acquired Silesia from Austria and established itself as a regional hegemon. The war also set the stage for the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1756.
The war had significant geopolitical consequences. It led to a realignment of alliances, with Austria and France ending their long-standing rivalry, and Prussia emerging as a major power allied with Great Britain. The war also involved colonial conflicts between Britain and France in India and North America, which contributed to the global scope of the conflict.
