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CHAPTER XXII

THE AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION WAR.  WILLIAM IV, 1740-1751

The death of the Emperor Charles VI in October, 1740, was the signal for the outbreak of another European war.  All Charles’ efforts on behalf of the Pragmatic Sanction proved to have been labour spent in vain.  Great Britain, the United Provinces, Spain, Saxony, Poland, Russia, Sardinia, Prussia, most of the smaller German States, and finally France, had agreed to support (1738) the Pragmatic Sanction.  The assent of Spain had been bought by the cession of the two Sicilies; of France by that of Lorraine, whose Duke Francis Stephen had married Maria Theresa and was compensated by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany for the loss of his ancestral domain.  The only important dissentient was Charles Albert, Elector of Bavaria, who had married the younger daughter of Joseph I and who claimed the succession not only through his wife, but as the nearest male descendant of Ferdinand I. On the death of Charles VI, then, it might have been supposed that Maria Theresa would have succeeded to her inheritance without opposition.  This was far from being the case.  The Elector of Bavaria put forward his claims and he found unexpected support in Frederick II of Prussia.  Frederick had just succeeded his father Frederick William I, and being at once ambitious and without scruples he determined to seize the opportunity for the purpose of territorial aggression.  While lulling the suspicions of Vienna by friendly professions, he suddenly, in December, 1740, invaded Silesia.  Maria Theresa appealed to the guarantors of the Pragmatic Sanction.  She met no active response, but on the part of Spain, Sardinia and France veiled hostility.  Great Britain, at war with Spain since 1739, and fearing the intervention of France, confined her efforts to diplomacy; and the only anxiety of the United Provinces was to avoid being drawn into war.  An addition was made to the army of 11,000 men and afterwards in 1741, through dread of an attack on the Austrian Netherlands, a further increase of 20,000 was voted.  The garrisons and fortifications of the barrier towns were strengthened and some addition was made to the navy.  But the policy of the States continued to be vacillating and pusillanimous.  The Republican party, who held the reins of power, desiring peace at any price, were above all anxious to be on good terms with France.  The Orangist opposition were in favour of joining with England in support of Maria Theresa; but the prince would not take any steps to assert himself, and his partisans, deprived of leadership, could exert little influence.  Nor did they obtain much encouragement from England, where Walpole was still intent upon a pacific policy.