History is messy. Usually, when we talk about big global conflicts, people point to World War I or the Napoleonic era, but the War of the Austrian Succession was basically the original world war, just with more powdered wigs and bayonets. It started in 1740, and honestly, it was a giant land grab disguised as a legal dispute.
Imagine you’re Maria Theresa. Your dad, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, spends his entire life trying to make sure you can actually inherit the family business—the Habsburg Monarchy. He gets every major power in Europe to sign a piece of paper called the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. It says, "Hey, even though she’s a woman, she gets the throne." Then he dies. Suddenly, everyone who signed that paper conveniently forgets how to read. They see a young woman on the throne and think, "Free real estate."
The Spark: Frederick the Great’s Big Gamble
Frederick II of Prussia—history knows him as Frederick the Great—didn’t wait for a formal invitation to the party. He was young, aggressive, and had a brand-new army his dad had obsessively built up. Without a declaration of war, he marched into Silesia. This was a wealthy, industrial province belonging to the Austrian crown.
It was a total shock.
Maria Theresa was only 23. She had no money, a weak army, and a cabinet of advisors who were, frankly, pretty useless. Most people thought she’d fold in a week. They were wrong. She ended up being one of the most capable rulers in European history, but at that moment, the War of the Austrian Succession was just a desperate scramble for survival. Frederick’s move triggered a domino effect. France saw an opportunity to finally crush their long-time rivals, the Habsburgs. Spain wanted territories in Italy. Bavaria wanted the Imperial title. It was a pile-on.
Who Was Fighting Whom?
It’s easy to get confused because the alliances shifted like sand. Essentially, you had two sides, but they weren't always loyal to each other.
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- The Pragmatic Alliance: This was Austria, Great Britain, the Dutch Republic, and eventually Russia. Britain didn't care that much about Maria Theresa’s right to rule, but they hated the French. They wanted to keep the "balance of power" so France wouldn't dominate the continent.
- The Anti-Pragmatic Side: Prussia, France, Spain, and Bavaria. They wanted to carve up the Habsburg lands like a Thanksgiving turkey.
The fighting wasn't just in Europe. Because Britain and France were involved, the conflict bled over into North America (where it’s called King George's War) and India. If you were a merchant in Madras or a settler in New England, the War of the Austrian Succession affected your life, even if you couldn't point to Vienna on a map.
The Battle of Fontenoy and the Peak of "Gentlemanly" Warfare
There’s this famous, probably slightly embellished story from the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745. The French and British guards allegedly bumped into each other, and instead of firing, they tipped their hats. The legend says a British officer shouted, "Gentlemen of the French Guards, fire first!" to which the French replied, "No, we never fire first!"
Reality was bloodier.
Fontenoy was a tactical masterpiece by Maurice de Saxe, a French Marshal who was so sick he had to be carried around the battlefield in a wicker carriage. He effectively used "redoubts"—basically mini-forts—to funnel the British into a kill zone. Even though the British infantry showed incredible discipline, marching forward under heavy fire in a massive column, they eventually broke. It was a massive win for King Louis XV of France, who was actually present at the battle with his son.
Maria Theresa: Not Your Average Empress
While the men were playing chess with battalions, Maria Theresa was doing the hard work of holding a crumbling empire together. She famously rode to Hungary, appeared before the diet (their parliament) while holding her infant son, and pleaded for their help. The Hungarian nobles, moved by her spirit (and some political concessions), shouted "Vitam et sanguinem!"—Our life and blood!
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She got her army.
She wasn't just a figurehead. She reformed the military, overhauled the tax system, and proved that a woman could navigate the hyper-masculine world of 18th-century diplomacy. She never forgave Frederick the Great for stealing Silesia, though. To her, he was "that evil man in Sanssouci." The War of the Austrian Succession wasn't just about borders for her; it was personal.
The War at Sea and Abroad
While Frederick was winning battles like Mollwitz and Chotusitz, the British were busy being a nuisance on the water. This war saw the rise of the Royal Navy as the world's dominant maritime force. They captured Louisbourg in North America, a massive French fortress that guarded the entrance to the St. Lawrence River.
The French were winning on land in Europe, but the British were winning everywhere else. This created a stalemate. France could take the Austrian Netherlands (modern-day Belgium), but they couldn't protect their colonies. Britain could fund the Austrians, but they couldn't stop the Prussian infantry.
Why the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle Satisfied No One
By 1748, everyone was broke. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the War of the Austrian Succession, but it felt like a collective shrug.
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- Maria Theresa stayed on the throne.
- Prussia got to keep Silesia (the only real winner).
- France gave back all the land they conquered in the Netherlands in exchange for getting Louisbourg back in Canada.
The French public was furious. They had a saying, "as stupid as the peace," because they felt they’d fought for years and gained nothing. The British colonists in America were also livid that the fortress they’d died to capture was handed back to the French by bureaucrats in London.
The Real Legacy: A Prelude to Something Bigger
The War of the Austrian Succession didn't actually solve the underlying tensions in Europe. It just paused them. It set the stage for the Diplomatic Revolution of 1756, where old enemies became friends. Austria dumped Britain and teamed up with France. Prussia teamed up with Britain. This led directly into the Seven Years' War.
We often overlook this conflict because it doesn't have a singular "villain" or a clear-cut ending. But it defined the borders of modern Europe. It cemented Prussia as a major power, which would eventually lead to the unification of Germany. It also proved that the Habsburgs weren't going anywhere just yet.
What You Should Take Away From This
Understanding this war helps make sense of why Europe looks the way it does today. It wasn't just about a crown; it was about the shift from "dynastic" interests to "state" interests.
If you're looking to dive deeper into this era, here is how you should approach it:
- Focus on the Memoirs: Read the writings of Frederick the Great. He’s surprisingly honest about his own cynicism. He admitted he attacked Silesia because he had an army and wanted to make a name for himself.
- Look at the Maps: Compare a map of Europe in 1739 to one in 1749. The change is small—just Silesia moving from Austria to Prussia—but that one change shifted the entire balance of power in Central Europe for the next 150 years.
- Study Maria Theresa’s Domestic Reforms: Her military and educational reforms actually outlasted her wars. She’s the reason Austria stayed a superpower until 1918.
- Visit the Battlefields: If you’re ever in Belgium or Poland, many of these sites (like Fontenoy or Hohenfriedberg) are accessible. Seeing the terrain explains why the "oblique order" of battle worked so well for the Prussians.
The War of the Austrian Succession is a reminder that treaties are only as strong as the armies willing to enforce them. It’s a cynical lesson, but a historically accurate one.