Leslie Massey
The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The war was fought between most of Europe's great powers, including Prussia, France, Bavaria, Saxony, Spain, Sweden, Russia, Austria, Britain, the United Provinces and Hanover. The conflict was sparked by the death of Emperor Charles VI in 1740 and the question of his daughter Maria Theresa's succession to the Austrian Habsburg crown.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 1740-1748 |
| Conflict | War of the Austrian Succession |
| Reason | Question of Maria Theresa's succession to the Austrian Habsburg crown |
| Participants | Austria, Britain, the United Provinces, Russia, France, Bavaria, Spain, Sweden, Saxony, Prussia |
| Outcome | Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle; Maria Theresa retained Austrian inheritance |
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What You'll Learn
The conflict's pretext: Maria Theresa's right to succeed her father
The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The conflict was sparked by the death of Emperor Charles VI, the last remaining male heir to the Habsburg throne, in October 1740.
Charles VI's daughter, Maria Theresa, was born in 1717, six months after the death of her elder brother. As the only surviving male member of the House of Habsburg, Charles VI had hoped for a son to succeed him. However, in 1713, he issued the Pragmatic Sanction to ensure his eldest daughter's right to take over the throne in the absence of a male heir. Over the next seven years, Charles VI worked to gain support for the sanction from his crown lands and the great European powers, who eventually and begrudgingly agreed to honour it.
When Charles VI died in 1740, Maria Theresa, then 23 years old, became the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy. She was supported by Britain, the Dutch Republic, and Hanover, collectively known as the Pragmatic Allies. However, several European powers who had previously accepted the Pragmatic Sanction now opposed Maria Theresa's succession, arguing that she could not inherit the throne because she was a woman. These powers, led by King Frederick II of Prussia, formed a coalition against her. They invaded and occupied the Austrian province of Silesia, a rich Habsburg region, in December 1740, sparking the War of the Austrian Succession.
Bavaria and France soon joined the invasion of Habsburg territories, with France aiming to cripple or destroy Austria, its long-standing continental enemy. The conflict widened, drawing in other participants, including Spain, Sardinia, Saxony, Sweden, and Russia. The war ended in 1748 when Austria was forced to cede Silesia to Prussia and three Italian territories to France. Despite these losses, the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle preserved the bulk of the Austrian inheritance for Maria Theresa.
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The war's start: Frederick II of Prussia invades Silesia
The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748. The war was fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. The conflict was sparked by the death of Emperor Charles VI in 1740 and the question of his successor. The war was fought between those who supported Charles VI's daughter, Maria Theresa, and those who supported Charles Albert of Bavaria.
On 16 December 1740, Frederick II of Prussia, who had ascended to the throne in May 1740, invaded Silesia, one of the richest Habsburg provinces. Within seven weeks, Frederick had occupied almost all of Silesia. His victory enhanced the suspicion in Europe that the Habsburg dominions were incapable of defending themselves. Within a month, France's Charles-Louis-Auguste Fouquet had constructed an alliance with Bavaria and Spain, and later with Saxony and Prussia, against Austria.
Prussia's claims to Silesia were based on a 1537 inheritance treaty between the Silesian Piast Duke Frederick II of Legnica and the Hohenzollern Prince-Elector Joachim II Hector of Brandenburg. According to the treaty, the Silesian Duchies of Liegnitz, Wohlau, and Brieg were to pass to the Hohenzollerns of Brandenburg should the Piast dynasty in Silesia become extinct. However, at the time, the Habsburg King Ferdinand I of Bohemia, who was Silesia's feudal overlord, rejected the agreement.
In 1603, the Hohenzollern Elector Joachim III Frederick of Brandenburg separately inherited the Silesian Duchy of Jägerndorf from his cousin, Margrave George Frederick of Brandenburg-Ansbach, and installed his second son, Johann Georg, as duke. In the 1618 Bohemian Revolt and the ensuing Thirty Years' War, Johann Georg joined the Silesian estates in revolt against the Catholic Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II. In 1685, when Austria was engaged in the Great Turkish War, Emperor Leopold I gave Great Elector Frederick William immediate control of the Silesian exclave of Schwiebus in return for military support against the Turks and the surrender of the outstanding Hohenzollern claims in Silesia. However, in 1694, the Emperor took back control of Schwiebus, claiming that the territory had only been assigned to the late Great Elector for life. As a monarch, Frederick III repudiated the agreement and reasserted the old Hohenzollern claims to Jägerndorf and the Silesian Piast heritage.
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France's aims: Crippling or destroying Austria
The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748. The war was caused by the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the Austrian Habsburg crown following the death of her father, Emperor Charles VI, in 1740.
France's aims in the War of the Austrian Succession were to cripple or destroy Austria, which was France's long-standing continental enemy. To this end, France supported the claims of Bavaria, Saxony, and Spain to parts of the Habsburg domain, as well as supporting the claim of Charles Albert, elector of Bavaria, to the imperial crown.
France sought to exploit the succession struggle to acquire Habsburg possessions and diminish Austrian power. They formed an alliance with Bavaria, Spain, Saxony, and Prussia against Austria. The French and Bavarian forces invaded Austria and Bohemia but were ultimately driven back by Austrian forces and their allies, including the British, Hanoverians, and Hessians.
The British, who were allied with Austria during this conflict, played a significant role in the war. They sought to prevent the French from overrunning the Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium) and to protect their Hanoverian territory. The British troops demonstrated their fighting qualities and scored victories against the French, such as at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743. However, the British also faced setbacks, such as their defeat at the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745.
The war also involved colonial conflicts between Britain and France, with both sides vying for control of colonial possessions in India and North America. The French seized the British East India Company's trading base of Madras, while the British captured the French fortress of Louisbourg in Canada. Ultimately, the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, signed in October 1748, brought an end to the war, with France agreeing to leave the Austrian Netherlands and return Madras to British control.
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Britain's involvement: Protecting Hanoverian territory
The War of the Austrian Succession was a European 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 crown. Maria Theresa was the daughter of Emperor Charles VI, and her right to succeed him as ruler of the Habsburg monarchy was disputed by France, Prussia, and Bavaria.
Britain's involvement in the war was driven by its desire to protect its Hanoverian territory and prevent the French from gaining dominance in Europe. King George II of Britain was also Elector of Hanover, and the vulnerability of Hanover to Prussian attacks was a significant concern for Britain. The British pursued a strategy of naval blockade and bombardment of enemy ports, utilising their naval power to expand their colonial influence. They also employed troops from nearby colonies, particularly in North America, where they found greater success against the French.
In the Battle of Dettingen in 1743, British forces fought alongside those of Hanover and Austria against the French, marking the last time a British monarch personally led troops in battle. The British and Hanoverian forces withstood numerous assaults at Dettingen but were eventually forced to withdraw, demonstrating their fighting capabilities.
The British also sought to prevent the French from overrunning the Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium) and supported the Austrians in this theatre of the war. However, divisions among the allies, particularly between the British and Hanoverians, hindered their ability to formulate a consistent strategy. The Dutch, who were also allies, were reluctant to declare war on France and instead focused on protecting their own Barrier fortresses.
The war ended in 1748 with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which preserved the bulk of the Austrian inheritance for Maria Theresa. However, the conflict set the stage for the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1756, as it led to a realignment of alliances, with Austria and France ending their rivalry and Prussia allying with Great Britain.
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The war's end: Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
The War of the Austrian Succession, which lasted from 1740 to 1748, was ended by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in October 1748. The treaty was negotiated primarily by Britain and France, with other powers following their lead. The treaty preserved the bulk of the Austrian inheritance for Maria Theresa, guaranteeing her right to the Austrian lands. However, she was forced to make several concessions, including ceding Silesia to Prussia, which was a significant source of resentment for Austria.
The treaty was marked by the mutual restitution of conquests, with the fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, returned to France, and Madras in India returned to Britain. The Dutch also received the Barrier forts, Maastricht, and Bergen op Zoom. Additionally, Britain exchanged its monopoly contract to supply slaves to Spanish America, granted in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, for £100,000 in the 1750 Treaty of Madrid. A commission was established to resolve competing claims between French and British colonies in North America.
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle also had significant political implications. It led to the exile of Charles Edward Stuart, the Jacobite Pretender to the thrones of Britain, from France. The decline of the Dutch Republic exposed the vulnerability of Hanover, George II's German possession. The treaty's failure to resolve the issues that caused the war, along with the resentment and dissatisfaction of many signatories, contributed to the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1756.
The War of the Austrian Succession was a conglomeration of related wars, two of which developed directly from the death of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, and head of the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg, in 1740. The conflict centred on the right of Maria Theresa, daughter of Charles VI, to succeed her father as ruler of the Habsburg monarchy. France, Prussia, and Bavaria challenged her claim, while she was backed by Britain, the Dutch Republic, and Hanover, collectively known as the Pragmatic Allies. The war involved most of Europe's great powers and extended beyond Europe to colonial conflicts in India and North America.
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Frequently asked questions
The Austrian Succession, also known as the War of the Austrian Succession, started on 16 December 1740 when King Frederick II of Prussia invaded Silesia, a Habsburg province.
Most of Europe's great powers were involved in the conflict, including Prussia, France, Bavaria, Saxony, Spain, Sweden, Russia, Austria, Britain, the United Provinces and Hanover.
The conflict was about the right of Maria Theresa, daughter of Emperor Charles VI, to succeed her father as ruler of the Habsburg monarchy.
The conflict ended in 1748 with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which preserved the bulk of the Austrian inheritance for Maria Theresa.
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