Third Silesian War
The Third Silesian War lasted from 1756 to 1763. It was fought mainly in Silesia, Bohemia and Upper Saxony. It formed one theatre of the Seven Years’ War. It ended in a Prussian diplomatic victory with the 1763 Treaty of Hubertusburg.
About Third Silesian War in brief
The Third Silesian War lasted from 1756 to 1763. It was fought mainly in Silesia, Bohemia and Upper Saxony. It formed one theatre of the Seven Years’ War. No particular triggering event initiated the conflict; rather, Prussia struck opportunistically to disrupt its enemies’ plans. The war’s cost in blood and treasure was high on both sides, and it ended inconclusively when neither of the main belligerents could sustain the conflict any longer. The conflict formed part of the ongoing Austria–Prussia rivalry that would shape German politics for more than a century. It ended in a Prussian diplomatic victory with the 1763 Treaty of Hubertusburg, which confirmed Prussian control of Silesie. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which had concluded the latter war, confirmed Prussia’s seizure of the region of Silesia from the Habsburg Monarchy through two Silesians Wars. The defeated Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria nevertheless fully intended to retake the lost province and reassert Austria’s hegemony in the Holy Roman Empire. Despite dynastic links, British King George II viewed Prussia as an ally and proxy of the French, while Empress Elizabeth of Russia saw Frederick’s kingdom as a rival for influence in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1746 Maria Theresa formed a defensive agreement with Elizabeth known as the Treaty of Two Empresses, which aligned Austria and Russia against Prussia. The treaty resulted in no territorial changes, but Austria agreed to recognise Prussia’s sovereignty in Sileia in return for Prussian support for the election of Maria Theresa’s son, Archduke Joseph, as Holy Roman Emperor.
On 16 January 1756 Prussia and Britain agreed to the Convention of Westminster, under which Prussia undertook to finance the deployment of a Russian army that would stand ready to attack Hanover. This move would offer Britain’s withdrawal of its military subsidies of Russia to offer Prussia a guarantee of its withdrawal of Russia’s military support for Britain from the Austrian coalition by allaying King George’s concern for allaying his concern for Russia’s concerns for Hanover’s safety. The convention of Westminster ended in 1756 and Prussia agreed to withdraw its military guarantee against Hanover, in return for Britain’s receipt of its military subsidies of Russia’s support for Britain’s move against French attack on Hanover in 1755. It also prompted Prussia to attack the electorate of Westphalia, Hesse and Lower Saxony and Upper Saxony, which in turn promised Britain a reconciliation with Russia in return for its recovery from the French attack in 1755. In 1750 Britain joined the anti-Prussian compact in return for guarantees of Austrian and Russian support in the case of a Prussia attack on the Electorate of Hanover, which also ruled in West phalia and Lower Saxony.
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