An Introduction to the War of Austrian Succession
The war of the Austrian succession went on from the year 1740 to the year 1748. It turned out to be a series of wars. It resulted in the death of Charles VI who was the Holy Roman emperor during that time. He was also the ruler of the Habsburg Monarchy.
(Image will be uploaded soon)
The death of Charles VI took place on the 20th of October, 1740. During the war, France managed to provide their support to the false claims made by the regions of Spain, Saxony, and Bavaria regarding the regions of the Habsburg domain. France also provided aid to the claims of Charles Albert who was the elector of Bavaria during that time. The country supported his claim to the imperial crown. This was all done in order to cripple the region of Austria which was during that time the longest-standing enemy of France. The war of Austrian succession has a very important historical significance because it led to an array of other wars that dominated the entire European history due to the effect that it had.
What Caused The War of Austrian Succession?
Another very important war that was a part of the Austrian war of succession was the First and the Second Silesian War. The first Silesian war occurred from 1740 to 1742 while the second one was from 1744 to 1745. In this particular war, Frederick II who was the representative of Prussia signed an alliance with France. After that, he managed to wrest the provinces of Silesia from Austria and then managed to hold on to the region for a very long period of time as well. There was also the third series of wars which came to effect due to the continued efforts of France and Britain in order to have power over the regions of North America and India. These wars were also a part of the war of the Austrian succession.
What everyone knows today about the war of Austrian succession actually began on the 16th of December 1740. This was when Frederick II managed to invade the region of Silesia. The region of Silesia during that time was known to be one of the richest provinces of Habsburg. The army of Federick II managed to defeat the Austrian army on April 1741 at Mollwitz. This was when he overran Silesia on the commands of France. The victory of Frederick II confirmed the suspicions in the European regions that the dominions of Habsburg weren’t capable of providing proper defense and hence the war would have a general direction from then.
It was during that time of the Austrian war of succession when Charles-Louis-Auguste Fouquet of France formed an alliance with Spain and Bavaria and then with Prussia and Saxony against the Austrian regime. The rule of Austria during that time was Maria Theresa who was the daughter of Charles VI. She derived main support from Great Britain who already had a fear of losing the colonial empire from France. Thus, the basic idea of the Austrian War of Succession was just a struggle for power between France and Great Britain.
The Aftermath of What Happened in The War of Austrian Succession
The result of the invasion occurring in Bohemia and Austria by the Bavarian Forces and the French forces didn’t end successfully due to a lack of military capability and unity amongst the forces. Austria managed to neutralize Prussia during that time by allowing the retention of Silesia and also managed to drive out the forces of Bavaria and France from Bohemia. It was during the Battle of Dettingen where the French army lost from Austria.
The final success of France was during the conquest of Marshal Maurice de Saxe for the capture of the Netherlands during the Battle of Fontenoy. The war of Austrian succession ran indecisively from 1746 to 1748. The British army had already withdrawn to England in order to fight the opposing forces of France leader Charles Edward in order to win the lands of England and Scotland. In the end, the powers of the countries were forced to the table as the financial burden of the wars was too much to handle for the kingdoms. This was when the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle came into existence in 1748. The treaty was signed in the month of October 1748 by the regions of France, Great Britain, and other prevailing nations as well. This treaty preserved a major share of the inheritance of Duchess Maria Theresa. Prussia gained control of Silesia as the treaty was signed. However, the colonial conflicts between Great Britain and France remained unresolved.
The war of Austrian succession significance is a lot in history because of the fact that it led to the falling out of many regimes and regions during the time. The main contestants of the war, Great Britain and France, however, didn’t manage to resolve their conflicts in the end.
FAQs on War of The Austrian Succession
The war of Austrian success was a compilation of many wars and battles that took place between the Austria and France regions. It was during these wars that the death of the leader of Austria Charles VI took place. The remaining regions of Austria were provided to the then heir of Austria, Maria Theresa. France and Britain fought against each other in the wars. In the end, the war came to conclusion with the Aix la Chapelle treaty that provided most of the inheritance of Charles VI to Maria Theresa. Great Britain and France, however, didn’t manage to solve any of the conflicts that were lurking around from the beginning of the war in the first place.
2. Describe the treaty of Aix la Chapelle.
The treaty of Aix la Chapelle was formed with the main purpose of ending the war of Austrian succession. This treaty was signed by three major parties: Great Britain, the Dutch Republic, and France. This particular treaty was due to the fact that all of the kingdoms were suffering from huge financial losses due to the effects of the ongoing wars and battles. After the treaty of Ais la Chapelle was signed, most of the Austrian inheritance was given to the Duchess of Austria Maria Theresa. Prussia was provided with the control of Silesia and hence the war ended. However, France and Great Britain couldn’t solve the colonial conflicts between themselves and thus the treaty didn’t manage to serve its purpose very well.
