Western History 111: What was the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) about?

The Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI died in October 1740 and was succeeded by his daughter, Marie Theresa.  This was the first time that the Hapsburg had a female ruler and Charles had to use a great deal of diplomacy beforehand to ensure that her position would be respected on the continental scale following his death. Female succession stood in opposition against Salic law that had existed prior to the Carolingians . Nevertheless Charles appeared to be successful in his efforts, so it seemed.

Not so according to the Prussian monarch, Frederick II who used the opportunity of succession to seize and take control of the rich Hapsburg province of Silesia. His forces defeated the Austrians at Mollwitz (April 1741). However it wasn’t just the Prussians who got into the act. So did the French who joined with Bavaria and Spain to take up arms against Marie Theresa’s Austria. They were joined later by Saxony.

Frederick II of Prussia source: history.com

Marie Theresa needed an ally and she found this in Britain.  The Austrians struck back  in 1742 against the French and drove the Bavarians out of Bohemia. Austrian troops actually occupied Bavaria proper. Meanwhile the British joined by the Hanoverians and Hessians defeated the French at Dettingen (July 1743) with Savoy helping to push the French back to their borders. Bavaria would give up all claims to Austrian succession.French pride was restored by the victory of Maurice de Saxe’s troops at the Battle of Fontenoy (May 1745).

A Young Marie Theresa source: friendsinvienna.com

The war entered a Second phase in December 1745 with Frederick re-entering the fray to consolidate his position in Silesia. This would finally be recognized by the Treaty of Dresden in 1745.

From 1746 to 1748 the war became a cagey affair. The British could not commit themselves any further to continental affairs as there was a struggle back home over the Stuart claim to the British throne. The Young pretender Charles Edward was seeking to oust the ruling House of Hanover.

In 1748 the War was bought to a close by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Marie Theresa retained much of her territory except for Silesia which was now firmly under Prussian control.

One of the aspects of the War of the Austrian Succession that is worth mentioning is that it offered up many peripheral theatres of conflict. In North America the conflict  was known as King George’s War. It was in this theatre that the British captured the fort of Louisbourg (located on Cape Breton) from the French. In India the fighting was known as the First Carnatic War (Madras was taken by the French and then won back by the British).

Fort Louisbourg source: novascotia.com

The oddly named War of Jenkin’s Ear known as Guerra del Asiento in Spain was another spin off conflict that saw the British and Spanish extend the conflict into the Caribbean and Central America.

War of Jenkins Ear in a nutshell source: Epik Fails of history (Yes Epik with a k)