The disasters of the Seven Years’ War are all charged to Mme. de Pompadour.  The motive which caused her to decide in favor of an alliance with Austria against Frederick the Great was a personal desire for revenge; the latter monarch had dubbed her “Cotillon IV,” and had rather scorned her, refusing to have anything to do with a Mlle. de Poisson, “especially as she is arrogant and lacks the respect due to crowned heads.”  The flattering propositions of the Austrian ambassador, Kaunitz, who treated with her in person and won her over, did much to set her against Germany, and induced her to influence Louis XV. to accept her view of the situation—­a scheme in which she was victorious over all the ministers; the result was the Austrian alliance.  The letter of Kaunitz to her, in 1756, will illustrate her position: 

“Everything done, Madame, between the two courts, is absolutely due to your zeal and wisdom.  I feel it and cannot refuse myself the satisfaction of telling you and of thanking you for having been my guide up to the present time.  I must not even keep you ignorant of the fact that their Imperial Majesties give you the full justice due you and have for you all the sentiments you can desire.  What has been done must merit, it seems to me, the approbation of the impartial public and of posterity.  But what remains to be done is too great and too worthy of you for you to give up the task of contributing and to leave imperfect a work which cannot fail to make you forever dear to your country.  I am, therefore, persuaded that you will continue your attention to an object so important.  In this case, I look upon success as certain and I already share, in advance, the glory and satisfaction which must come to you, no one being able to be more sincerely and respectfully attached to you than is your very humble and obedient servant, the Count de Kaunitz-Rietberg.”

She received her first check when, Damiens having attempted to assassinate the king, the dauphin was regent for eleven days.  She was confined to her room and heard nothing from the king, who was in the hands of the clergy.  Among the friends who abandoned her was her protege Machault, the guard of the seals, who conspired with D’Argenson to deprive her of her power and went so far as to order her departure.  After the king’s recovery, both D’Argenson and Machault were dismissed and Mme. de Pompadour became more powerful than before.

Her influence and usurpation of power bore heavily upon every department of state; she appointed all the ministers, made all nominations, managed the foreign policy and politics, directed the army and even arranged the plans of battle.  Absolute mistress of the ministry, she satisfied all demands of the Austrian court, a move which brought her the most flattering letter from Kaunitz, in which he gives her the credit for all the transactions between the two courts.