Ah Maria, It’s War!

Queen Maria Theresa began her rule with giants breathing down her neck, all quite interested in her loss of Silesia to Frederick.

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Frederick’s invasion of Silesia, the opening move in what became known as the War of the Austrian Succession, was rather modest as eighteenth century European battles went. Considering that it would become a war that would end up involving England, Russia, Spain, France, Sweden, Bavaria, The Dutch Republic, the kingdoms of Sardinia, Naples and Sicily, Saxony and Hanover, it was very modest indeed. From tiny acorns…

While the forces involved and the land in question were not large, the ramifications of Prussia’s attack not being repulsed were huge. All of Europe was watching closely. It wasn’t just a matter of what Austria would do, she would fight, everyone knew that, but how well she would fight and who would win were by no means a forgone conclusion.

To give you a modest idea of what was involved, part of the situation looked like this; should Austria lose, Bohemia and Upper Austria would go to the Elector of Bavaria, who would also be crowned Emperor; Moravia and Upper Silesia would go to Augustus, Elector of Saxony; Lower Silesia and Glatz would go to Prussia; Austrian Lombardy would go to Spain, which was none too firmly in the hands of the French.

Maria had allies, but for how long? Austria had treaties with France and England that should have offered protection, but as Maria was to learn, treaties were made to be broken. England, already deeply alarmed that the King of Spain was also, indirectly, heir to the throne of France, wanted French ambitions contained. This did not automatically translate into support for Austria. Far from it.

What Maria wanted was Prussia out of Silesia. What England wanted was for Maria to shut up and accept the loss of Silesia as a small price to pay for European peace. Yes Frederick was very naughty to have taken Silesia like that, but the deed was done. Fait accompli and all that sort of thing. Time to move on.

What England knew and Maria’s advisors should have known was that France had a plan for dismembering the Hapsburg Empire.. The plan would give France possession of much of Europe and prove a grave threat to England’s growing overseas empire. French designs in North America and India were already matters of deepest concern.

Not only that, but Frederick himself was only now beginning to realize what he had unleashed. Prussia was powerful, but it was no match for France. Once the French were done divvying up the goodies from the Holy Roman Empire how long would they allow a powerful Prussia to remain unchallenged?It did not take a diplomatic genius to see that France would sooner or later make common cause with Sweden and Russia, and maybe what was left of Austria, to take care of Prussia once and for all.

Frederick sent letters of accommodation to Austria. “I know you aren’t happy with what I’ve done, but hey, it was only business, nothing personal. Let’s not start some big o’l war over it.” To England he made his position clear. Prussia really, really, really didn’t want to, but if Maria Theresa could not be made to listen to the modest and totally justifiable reasons for Prussia’s permanent annexation of Silesia, then he, Frederick the soon-to-be Great, would have no choice but to ally himself with France.

England greatly increased the pressure on Maria to give in. Maria’s husband got his oar in, urging her to cave before even worse things happened. The decision was Maria’s and Maria’s alone. Austria’s army had taken a beating, she was surrounded by enemies and friends of dubious loyalty. Indeed, the aristocracy of the empire was of very dubious loyalty. England, a country she really wanted on her side, was telling her to throw in the towel. Her own husband, for the love of God, was telling her to fold and cut her losses.

Maria’s response? I’ll….think about it… Or words to that effect. Women! They just don’t know when the men-folks are doing them a favor! She agreed, in principal, to negotiate. In her heart she knew there was nothing to talk about. Prussia stole Silesia and they had to give it back. Period. King George weighed in with helpful advice. “Say, Fred, why don’t you content yourself with the duchies of Glogau, Schweibus and Grunberg?” Frederick replied, with admirable military logic, why should he content himself with those duchies if he could take whatever he wanted?

This really got Maria’s back up. Where the hell did the King of England get off suggesting ANYTHING to the Prussians? Silesia, or even the smallest part of it, was not England’s to give away. With friends like these….. Maria had her own plan. She would buy Frederick off. A sum of cash and a piece of the Austrian Netherlands. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was the best she could do at that time.

Time. Time, above all, was what she needed. The Austrian army was not irreparably bad. It was just badly led. And badly organized. And badly supplied. And badly paid. She would fix that, but she needed time. Meanwhile, Frederick decided to turn up the heat even more by signing a treaty with France.

Poor King George had a cow. He sent orders to Sir Thomas Robinson, the ambassador to Vienna, to get that silly girl to see reason. And do it before Prussia and France ratified that treaty. Sir Thomas (whom, it was rumored, was secretly in love with Maria, if so it was NOT reciprocated.) was received in audience after Maria’s coronation as Queen of Hungary.

He read a prepared statement, which she listened to in silence. Then he began laying out the reasoning behind the statement. She interrupted him “with exclamations and sudden starts of passion.” In the end, the pressure proved too great. She agreed to negotiate. But…(she told Sir Thomas)

“Not only for political reasons, but from conscience and honor, I will not consent to part with much in Silesia… No sooner is one enemy satisfied than another starts up; another , and then another must be appeased, all at my expense. I am convinced of your good will, but I pity you. Your mission to Silesia as that of Count Gotter was here; remember my words.”

( Count Gotter was Frederick’s envoy to Vienna. He delivered Frederick’s “message”, after he marched into Silesia, that Maria, if she knew what was good for her, had better roll over and play dead in light of his master’s overwhelming military superiority.)

— Mr. Al

You can find a list of the other installments of this series in the sidebar to the right.