The War of the Austrian Succession began after the death of Emperor Charles VI in 1740, when his daughter Maria Theresa inherited the Habsburg lands under the Pragmatic Sanction. Frederick II of Prussia invaded the rich province of Silesia, and other powers, including France, Bavaria and Spain, joined to claim parts of the Habsburg inheritance, while Britain and the Dutch Republic supported Austria. The fighting spread across central Europe, Italy, the Low Countries and overseas, where it merged with Anglo-French colonial rivalries known as King George's War in North America. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748 confirmed Maria Theresa's rule but left Silesia in Prussian hands. The outcome raised Prussia to the rank of a major power and contributed to the diplomatic realignment that led to the Seven Years' War.
Before and after
- 2 June 1740Birth of Marquis de Sade
- 20 October 1740Birth of Isabelle de Charrière
- 14 November 1740Founding of University of Pennsylvania
- from 29 November 1740 to 6 May 1757Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom
- from 16 December 1740 to 18 October 1748War of the Austrian Succession
- 1741Steller's sea cow is discovered and then hunted to extinction
- 28 July 1741Death of Antonio Vivaldi
- 13 April 1742Handel's Messiah premieres in Dublin
- 14 August 1742Birth of Pius VII
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 17 January 1558 to 26 May 1583Livonian War
- from 2 April 1562 to 30 April 1598French Wars of Religion
- from 1683 to 1699Great Turkish War
- from September 1688 to September 1697Nine Years' War
- 1713Pragmatic Sanction of 1713
- from 28 May 1754 to 7 October 1763French and Indian War
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.