Diplomatic Revolution facts for kids
The Diplomatic Revolution of 1756 was a major shift in who was friends with whom among the powerful countries in Europe. This happened right before the Seven Years' War began. Before 1756, Austria and Britain were allies, while Austria and France were enemies. But in 1756, everything changed! Austria became friends with France, and Prussia became an ally of Britain. The Dutch Republic, which had been a British ally for a long time, decided to stay neutral. A very important person in making these changes happen was an Austrian diplomat named Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz.
This big change was part of a larger pattern in the 1700s, where countries often changed their allies. This was done to keep a "European balance of power", meaning no single country or group of countries became too strong and could dominate others.
Contents
Why Alliances Changed
The old alliances broke down because Austria, Britain, and France started to have different goals. After the War of the Austrian Succession ended in 1748 with the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, Austria felt that being allied with Britain had cost them a lot.
Austria's Losses
Maria Theresa of Austria had fought hard to keep her family's throne. She succeeded, and her husband, Francis Stephen, became Emperor. However, she had to give up important lands. Britain had pushed her to give up parts of the Duchy of Milan and Bavaria. Even more importantly, she had to give up the rich province of Silesia to Prussia. This made Austria very unhappy with Britain.
The Weakening Dutch
Another reason the old system failed was the situation in the Austrian Netherlands. These lands were protected by fortresses built by the Dutch Republic. During the War of the Austrian Succession, French armies captured these fortresses. When the French left in 1748, they destroyed the defenses. This meant the Austrian Netherlands were now open and unprotected. Austria realized that Britain and the Dutch could no longer defend these lands. Austria felt its only choice was to become friends with France to protect these territories.
Prussia's Rise
During the war, Frederick II of Prussia had taken Silesia from Austria. This made Prussia a much stronger European power. Prussia now posed a big threat to Austria's lands in Germany and Central Europe. Britain, however, liked Prussia's growing power. They saw it as a way to balance France's power and reduce French influence in Germany.
The Westminster Convention
The War of the Austrian Succession showed Britain that Austria was no longer strong enough to keep France in check. Britain decided to support smaller states like Prussia instead. So, Britain and Prussia signed the Westminster Convention on January 16, 1756.
Britain and Prussia's Deal
In this agreement, Britain promised not to help Austria if Austria tried to get Silesia back from Prussia. In return, Prussia agreed to protect Hanover from France. Hanover was very important to Britain because it was a possession of its king, George II. Britain believed that Prussia, with its growing strength, could protect Hanover better than Austria could.
Austria Seeks New Friends
Meanwhile, Austria was determined to get Silesia back. With Britain now allied with Prussia, Austria realized its old friendship with Britain was useless. Maria Theresa decided to make Austria an ally of France instead. She knew that without a powerful ally like France, she could never hope to reclaim Silesia from Frederick. This agreement was followed by another one between Britain and Prussia in 1758.
First Treaty of Versailles
Maria Theresa sent her foreign minister, Count Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz, to France. His goal was to get France to agree to an alliance so Austria could get Silesia back. Kaunitz even spoke with Madame de Pompadour, who was Louis XV's mistress, to help with the talks. However, King Louis XV was not eager to sign a treaty with Austria. It took new fighting between France and Britain to convince Louis to join Austria.
Also, the lands controlled by the Habsburgs (Austria's ruling family) no longer surrounded France. Frederick II had made sure that Habsburg-German lands didn't border France directly. Because of this, France no longer saw Austria as an immediate threat. So, France and Austria signed a defensive alliance. In response to the Westminster Convention, Louis XV's ministers and Kaunitz signed the First Treaty of Versailles on May 1, 1756. In this treaty, both sides agreed to stay neutral and to provide 24,000 troops if either country got into a fight with a third country.
Second Treaty of Versailles
After getting France to agree to neutrality, Austria's diplomats actively started forming a group against Prussia. These actions alerted Frederick II of Prussia. He decided to attack first by invading Saxony. This started the Seven Years' War (1756–1763). Frederick hoped his actions would scare Russia out of supporting Austria, as Russia and Austria had a defensive alliance since 1746.
However, by invading Saxony, Frederick only made his enemies angrier. Russia, led by Empress Elizabeth, sent 80,000 more troops to help Austria. One year after the First Treaty of Versailles, France and Austria signed a new, stronger alliance. This was the Second Treaty of Versailles, signed on May 1, 1757.
In this new treaty, Austria promised France the Austrian Netherlands. In return, Maria Theresa would receive Parma, 129,000 French troops, and 12 million livres (French money) every year. This money would continue until Silesia was returned to Austria.
What Happened Next
As a result of these changes, Britain and Prussia faced a powerful group of enemies: Austria, France, and Russia. The Dutch Republic, no longer directly threatened by France because of the Franco-Austrian alliance, refused to fight for Britain and stayed neutral. Even with the flipped alliances, the main rivalries remained: Prussia against Austria, and Britain against France.
The war ended with a victory for Britain and Prussia. Britain's control of the seas grew stronger, especially after its amazing year in 1759, known as the annus mirabilis (year of miracles). France, Austria, and their European allies did not achieve their goals.
However, the alliance between Britain and Prussia did not last long. Britain stopped giving financial and military support to Prussia in 1762. Prussia then allied with Russia instead. This breakup of the alliance left Britain without allies when the American Revolutionary War began later.
See also
- Great Britain in the Seven Years' War
- Balance of power (international relations)
