Ruqayyah Snyder
France and Austria have historically been two great geopolitical rivals in Europe, with their rivalry playing out in the Italian Wars, the Thirty Years' War, and the Nine Years' War. Despite this, the two nations formed a diplomatic and military alliance, the Franco-Austrian Alliance, in 1756, after the First Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Campo Formio, signed on October 17, 1797, was a peace settlement between the two nations, following the defeat of Austria in Napoleon Bonaparte's first Italian campaign. Later, the Treaty of Pressburg, signed on December 26, 1805, was an agreement between Austria and France that imposed severe terms on Austria.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | October 17, 1797 |
| Treaty Name | Treaty of Campo Formio |
| Location | Campo Formio (now Campoformido, Italy) |
| Signatories | France and Austria |
| Context | End of the First Italian Campaign |
| Terms | France gains Venice's Ionian Islands in the Adriatic Sea; Austria gains Venetian territory east of the Adige River, including Istria, Dalmatia, and the city of Venice; Austria gives up Belgian provinces to France; France annexes territory on the left bank of the Rhine River from Basel to Andernach, including Mainz; France helps Austria obtain Salzburg and part of Bavaria |
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What You'll Learn
Treaty of Campo Formio, 1797
The Treaty of Campo Formio, signed on 17 October 1797, was an agreement between the French Republic and the Austrian monarchy that ended the War of the First Coalition. The treaty was signed by Napoleon Bonaparte, representing France, and Count Philipp von Cobenzl, representing Austria. The treaty followed the armistice of Leoben in April 1797, which had been forced on the Habsburgs by Napoleon's victorious campaign in Italy.
The Treaty of Campo Formio reshaped the map of Europe and marked a major step in Napoleon's rise. The public articles of the treaty concerned only France and Austria and called for a Congress of Rastatt to negotiate a final peace for the Holy Roman Empire. The secret articles of the treaty, however, committed Austria, as the personal state of the Emperor, to work with France towards certain ends at the congress.
One of the most significant outcomes of the treaty was the definitive end of the ancient Republic of Venice, which was disbanded and partitioned between France and Austria. The French and Austrians divided the territories of the Republic of Venice, with the French acquiring the Ionian Islands of Corfu and other Venetian possessions in the Mediterranean. The treaty also transferred a number of other Austrian territories to France, including the Austrian Netherlands (most of modern-day Belgium).
The Treaty of Campo Formio left Great Britain as the only country still fighting against revolutionary France. While the treaty was intended to bring peace, it ultimately only provided a temporary respite. One consequence was the Peasants' War that erupted in the Southern Netherlands in 1798 following the French introduction of conscription.
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French and Austrian rivalry
The rivalry between France and Austria, or more specifically, the Habsburgs, dates back to the 1500s. The Habsburg dynasty, which ruled over vast swaths of land in Europe, held territories surrounding France, leading to French fears of encirclement. This fear, coupled with political interests in Italy, sparked a series of conflicts known as the Italian Wars, which lasted from 1494 to 1559. While various European powers were involved, the primary belligerents were France and the Habsburg dynasty, marking the beginning of their long-standing rivalry.
The French intervention in the Thirty Years' War, which began as a religious conflict between Protestant and Catholic states, further exemplifies their efforts to curb Habsburg influence. The Habsburgs, including the Austrian and Spanish branches, were on the Catholic side, while France supported the Protestant Dutch Republic in their struggle for independence against Habsburg Spain. The French king Henry IV also intervened to prevent the Habsburgs from gaining influence in Jülich.
The rivalry continued through the 17th century, with France's success in the war leading to the installation of Nevers as the Duke of Mantua, weakening the Habsburg position in Italy. The Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 marked the beginning of Spain's decline, signalling the end of the Habsburg regime there. The Nine Years' War (1688-1697) further demonstrated the ongoing tensions, as Louis XIV of France clashed with a European coalition that included Austria, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and other powers.
In the 18th century, European politics underwent a significant restructuring. Austria, the dominant power in Central Europe, faced rising competitors such as Prussia and Britain, which challenged France's hegemony. Despite their hostility, a notable shift occurred in 1756, known as the Diplomatic Revolution. Through the efforts of Austrian diplomat Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz, France and Austria became allies, sealing their alliance with the marriage of Austrian princess Marie Antoinette to the future King Louis XVI of France.
In more recent history, the issue of Austria's independence and its relationship with Germany has been a complex one, particularly during and after World War II. The Anschluss in 1938 resulted in Austria being regarded as a part of Nazi Germany. However, in 1943, the Allies agreed in the Moscow Declaration to treat Austria as the first victim of Nazi aggression and support its independence. After the war, Austria was jointly occupied by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union until 1955, when it regained its independence.
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First Treaty of Versailles, 1756
The First Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1756, was a diplomatic agreement between France and Austria. It was signed at the Palace of Versailles in France and established the Franco-Austrian Alliance, which lasted around 30 years.
The Treaty was formed in response to the Westminster Convention of the same year, in which Britain and Prussia agreed that Britain would not aid Austria in a renewed conflict for Silesia if Prussia agreed to protect Hanover (which was in personal union with Britain) from France. In the wake of this, Austria, recognising the need for a powerful ally, sent foreign policy minister Count Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz to France to secure an alliance to enable Austria to reclaim Silesia.
The Treaty itself included an agreement that both sides would remain neutral and provide 24,000 troops if either got into conflict with a third party. Within months, France and Austria found themselves engaged in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) against the Anglo-Prussian Alliance. Austria's actions alerted Frederick, who decided to strike first by invading Saxony, commencing the Seven Years' War.
The First Treaty of Versailles was followed by the Second Treaty of Versailles in 1757, which promised even closer cooperation between France and Austria.
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Franco-Austrian Alliance
The Franco-Austrian Alliance refers to a diplomatic and military alliance between France and Austria that was first established in 1756 after the First Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles of 1756, which begot this alliance, has been described as a "Diplomatic Revolution" due to the fact that France and Habsburg Austria were two traditional geopolitical great rivals in Europe.
The alliance was at its strongest during the Seven Years' War, when France and Austria joined forces to fight their common foe, Prussia. In 1757, a French invasion overran Hanover, Austrian troops recaptured Saxony, and Austria liberated its own province of Bohemia, which had been occupied by Prussia. With the signing of a Second Treaty of Versailles in 1757, the French committed to an offensive war and sent troops and financial aid to support the Austrians against Prussia. However, two decisive Prussian victories at Rossbach and Leuthen ended the offensive, and the war became a stalemate that was extremely costly for both France and Austria.
The failure to defeat Prussia and the disappointing military performances of both sides led to a cooling of relations between France and Austria. By the 1780s, the alliance had weakened considerably, and Austria even considered entering the American War of Independence on Britain's side against France. The Franco-Austrian Alliance ultimately collapsed during the French Revolution, when France declared itself a constitutional monarchy and later executed its king. In response, Austria went to war with the new French Republic in an attempt to restore the French monarchy.
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Treaty of Pressburg, 1805
The Treaty of Pressburg, also known as the Peace of Pressburg, was signed on December 26, 1805, in Pressburg (now Bratislava, Slovakia). It was an agreement between Emperor Napoleon I of France and Holy Roman Emperor Francis II (also Emperor of Austria), following Napoleon's victories at Ulm and Austerlitz. The treaty imposed harsh terms on Austria, forcing them to cede significant territories and reducing their influence in Germany.
As per the treaty, Austria gave up all Venetian territory gained from the Treaty of Campo Formio to Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy. This included Venetia, Istria, and Dalmatia. Austria also ceded the Tyrol, Vorarlberg, and several smaller territories, such as Augsburg, to Bavaria. Western lands of the Habsburg monarchy, including Swabian territories, were yielded to Württemberg and Baden. These concessions effectively excluded Austria from influence in Italy and significantly diminished its role in Germany.
Additionally, Austria agreed to recognise the elevation of the Electors of Bavaria and Württemberg to the rank of kings. This recognition foreshadowed the end of the Holy Roman Empire, as it further weakened the authority of the empire and led to its dissolution within months of the treaty's signing. To compensate for these losses, Napoleon allowed Austria to annex Salzburg, as well as Berchtesgaden and the estates of the Teutonic Order.
The Treaty of Pressburg also included an indemnity clause, with Austria agreeing to pay 40 million gold francs to France. This treaty was an integral part of Napoleon's strategy to establish a ring of French client states beyond the Rhine, the Alps, and the Pyrenees. The treaty's negotiation and signing followed a truce agreed upon on December 4, 1805, after the Battle of Austerlitz, which resulted in a French victory over the Russians and Austrians.
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Frequently asked questions
The Treaty of Vienna, also known as the Treaty of Schönbrunn, was signed in Vienna, Austria.
The Treaty of Vienna was signed on October 14, 1809, and ratified by Napoleon on October 15, 1809.
The Treaty of Vienna officially ended France's war with Austria. The treaty included the release and repatriation of prisoners of war, the inviolability of the possessions of the emperor of Austria, and the abdication of the grand mastership of the Teutonic order by the emperor of Austria.
In addition to the Treaty of Vienna, France and Austria have signed the Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 and the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1919. The Treaty of Pressburg imposed severe terms on Austria, including territorial concessions and financial indemnities, while the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye dissolved the Austro-Hungarian Empire and imposed war reparations on Austria.
