Damon Mcknight
The Austrian province of Silesia was lost to Prussia during the First Silesian War, which lasted from 1740 to 1742. The war was fought between Prussia and Austria, with Prussia citing its centuries-old dynastic claims on parts of Silesia as a casus belli. The conflict was also influenced by Realpolitik and geostrategic factors, as Prussia sought to strengthen itself relative to regional rivals such as Saxony and Bavaria. The war resulted in Prussia seizing most of the region of Silesia, with the 1742 Treaty of Berlin recognising Prussia's seizure of the majority of Silesia and parts of Bohemia. The loss of Silesia, a wealthy and strategically important province, dealt a significant blow to the prestige of the House of Habsburg.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Austria losing Silesia | 1742 |
| First Silesian War | 1740-1742 |
| Treaty recognising Prussia's seizure of Silesia | Treaty of Berlin, 1742 |
| Reason for Prussia's invasion of Silesia | To unify disconnected lands under Frederick's rule |
| Result of the First Silesian War | Prussia's seizure of most of Silesia and parts of Bohemia |
| Result of the Second Silesian War | Prussia's confirmation of possession of Silesia |
| Result of the Third Silesian War | Prussian victory and retention of Silesia |
| Long-term impact | Prussia's confirmation as a first-rate power, enhancing the prestige of its king and army |
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What You'll Learn
Prussia's seizure of Silesia
The First Silesian War (1740-1742) was a war between Prussia and Austria that resulted in Prussia seizing most of the region of Silesia from Austria. The war was fought mainly in Silesia, Moravia and Bohemia and formed one theatre of the wider War of the Austrian Succession. In 1740, King Frederick II of Prussia invaded Silesia, one of the richest Habsburg provinces, citing its centuries-old dynastic claims on parts of the region. The war ended with the 1742 Treaty of Berlin, which recognised Prussia's seizure of most of Silesia and parts of Bohemia.
The Second Silesian War (1744-1745) was concluded by the Treaty of Dresden in December 1745. The Third Silesian War (1756-1763) was a theatre of the global Seven Years' War, in which Austria led a coalition of powers aiming to seize Prussian territory. The Third Silesian War confirmed Prussia's control of the region of Silesia, which ceased to be part of the Holy Roman Empire and was ruled by Frederick as King of Prussia.
The Silesian Wars had far-reaching consequences for both Prussia and Austria. Prussia emerged as a new European great power and the leading state of Protestant Germany, while the defeat of Catholic Austria by a lesser German power significantly damaged the House of Habsburg's prestige. The conflict over Silesia also initiated the Austria-Prussia rivalry that would shape German politics for more than a century.
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The War of Austrian Succession
The war was sparked by the death of Emperor Charles VI in 1740, and the inheritance of the Habsburg monarchy. The right of Maria Theresa, Charles VI's daughter, to succeed her father as ruler of the Habsburg monarchy was contested by other European powers, including Prussia, France, and Bavaria. On December 16, 1740, Frederick II of Prussia, hoping to unify his disconnected lands, invaded the Austrian province of Silesia, a prosperous, resource-rich, and strategically important region. This marked the onset of the War of Austrian Succession, as well as the First Silesian War, which was one theatre of the wider War of Austrian Succession.
The First Silesian War lasted from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia's seizure of most of the region of Silesia from Austria. The war was fought mainly in Silesia, Moravia, and Bohemia and ended with the Treaty of Berlin, which recognised Prussia's seizure of most of Silesia and parts of Bohemia. The conflict over Silesia continued, and Austria and Prussia were soon drawn into the Second Silesian War in 1744. This war ended with the Treaty of Dresden in 1745, which confirmed Prussian possession of Silesia.
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The First Silesian War
In the early 18th century, Prussia's ruling House of Hohenzollern held dynastic claims to various duchies within the Habsburg province of Silesia, a populous and prosperous region contiguous with Prussia's core territory in the Margraviate of Brandenburg. In 1740, Frederick saw in Austria's female succession an opportune moment for the seizure of Silesia, calling it "the signal for the complete transformation of the old political system" in a letter to Voltaire. Prussia cited its centuries-old dynastic claims on parts of Silesia as a casus belli, but Realpolitik and geostrategic factors also played a role in provoking the conflict.
The war began with a Prussian invasion of Habsburg Silesia in late 1740, and it ended in a Prussian victory with the 1742 Treaty of Berlin, which recognised Prussia's seizure of most of Silesia and parts of Bohemia. In December 1740, Frederick II of Prussia invaded Silesia, one of the richest Habsburg provinces. After several months of warding off Austrian counterattacks, Prussia was left in virtual control of Silesia by the Truce of Klein Schnellendorf (9 October 1741). From December 1741 to June 1742, the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria decided to make peace with Frederick, ceding in the Treaty of Breslau (11 June 1742) all of Silesia except the districts of Troppau, Teschen, and Jägerndorf. Austria retained the remainder of Bohemia and two small portions of the extreme southern end of Silesia, including the Duchy of Teschen and parts of the Duchies of Jägerndorf, Troppau, and Neisse. These lands would later be combined to form the crown land of Austrian Silesia.
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The Treaty of Berlin
Another Treaty of Berlin (German-Soviet Neutrality and Non-Aggression Pact) was signed on April 24, 1926, under which Germany and the Soviet Union pledged neutrality if either was attacked by a third party for five years. The treaty reaffirmed the German-Soviet Treaty of Rapallo (1922) and was registered in the League of Nations Treaty Series on August 3, 1926. It was renewed by an additional protocol signed on June 24, 1931, and ratified on May 5, 1933.
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The Austria-Prussia rivalry
The First Silesian War (1740-1742) was the first military confrontation between Prussia and Austria, resulting in Prussia seizing most of the region of Silesia (now in southwestern Poland). The war was part of the wider War of the Austrian Succession and was followed by two more Silesian Wars fought between Frederick the Great of Prussia and Maria Theresa of Austria. All three conflicts ended in Prussian control of Silesia, establishing Prussia as a first-rate power and enhancing the prestige of its king and army. This presented a long-term threat to Austria's hegemony in Germany and marked the initiation of the Austria-Prussia rivalry, which would shape German politics for over a century.
The rivalry between Austria and Prussia was characterized by territorial conflicts, economic, cultural, and political differences, and a struggle for supremacy among the smaller German states. The two powers first clashed in the Silesian Wars and the Seven Years' War in the mid-18th century. Despite periods of cooperation, such as during the Napoleonic Wars, their rivalry persisted and culminated in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. This conflict resulted in Prussian dominance over the German states and the abolition of the German Confederation, excluding Austria from German unification.
The rivalry between Austria and Prussia also extended beyond their borders, influencing the concept of a united Germany among German nationalists. The "Lesser Germany" solution favored Protestant Prussia annexing all German states except Austria, while "Greater Germany" favored Catholic Austria taking control of the separate German states. Ultimately, Prussia gained the upper hand, and Germany was unified under Prussia in 1871, forming the German Empire. The Austria-Prussia rivalry is generally considered to have subsided after the Congress of Berlin in 1878.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria lost most of Silesia to Prussia in the First Silesian War, which lasted from 1740 to 1742.
The First Silesian War was the first of three Silesian Wars fought between Frederick the Great of Prussia and Maria Theresa of Austria in the mid-18th century.
In 1760, the Austrians advanced into Lower Silesia, resulting in the Battle of Liegnitz on 15 August. The battle ended in a Prussian victory, restoring Prussian control of Lower Silesia.
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