War Of The Austrian Succession 1740 1748

This text includes chapters covering: the Prussian invasion of Silesia and the crisis of Habsburg power; the imperial election and the Habsburg conquest of Bavaria; the end of the war in Germany, 1742-1745; the naval and colonial struggle; and the results of the war. Set in motion by the disputed succession of Maria Theresa and her husband to the lands and dignities of Emperor Charles VI, this series of major conflicts (1740-48) involved far more than just the fate of the Habsurgs: soon, Austria, Prussia, France, Britain, Spain, Bavaria, Saxony and the Netherlands were embroiled in their different but interlocking power struggles, with profound long-term significance for Europe and beyond. The war marks the rise of Prussia to great-power status, and the opening of the struggle between France and Britain for maritime supremacy and colonial empire in North America, the Caribbean and India. This book examines the war and its consequences in their widest context.