The contradiction between the major European countries, the competition between Britain and France in trade and colonial conquest, and Prussia's aggressive ambition are the fundamental reasons for the outbreak of this war. The so-called dispute over Austria's succession to the throne is just a fire fighting incident. 1740101On October 20th, Emperor Carl VI of the Holy Roman Empire died. As he has no male heir, according to the national will 17 13 issued by Karl VI in13, his eldest daughter maria theresia has the right to inherit her Austrian grand duke. However, one party of France, Spain, Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Sardinia, Piedmont and Naples Union does not recognize the national will 17 13. The three vassal states in the alliance, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony, did their best to help maria theresia's cousin karl albrecht ascend to the throne of the Holy Roman Empire. At this point, war is inevitable. Prussia, the most active party in the anti-Austrian camp, officially declared war on Austria in174016, while Austria joined forces with Britain, Bohemia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Silesia and Russia to resist the invasion of the anti-Austrian camp. The eight-year Austrian war of succession to the throne, marked by two Silesia wars, officially broke out.
At the beginning of the war, the Austrian army was at a disadvantage everywhere. 174012,25,000 Prussian troops invaded Silesia, Austria, under the command of Friedrich II, and the first Silesia War began. The Austrian army was unable to resist and was losing ground. 174 1 year, Brest, the capital of Silesia, was occupied by Prussia. At the end of the war174165438+10, the whole of Silesia was occupied by Pu Jun, except for the three blockades of Glogau, Briggs and Nieise. The Austrian army retreated to Moravia, while the Pu Jun army set up a cordon on the Moravian border for winter garrison. Since then, in order to cut into each other's communication lines, destroy each other's supplies, and force each other to retreat and give up their occupied land, both sides have adopted a lasting and mobile mode of warfare, and the warring sides rarely engage in major battles. 174 1 In April, the two sides fought the biggest battle-the Battle of Molwitz in the village of Molwitz in Silesia. King Friedrich II led 2 16000 men to a decisive battle with the 19000 Austrian army commanded by General Nieberg. Pu Jun is superior in infantry and artillery, while the Austrian army is superior in cavalry. The two sides fought fiercely, and finally the Austrian army was forced to retreat because of the heavy artillery fire in Pu Jun.
174 1 In the middle, most European countries were involved in the war. Prussia joined forces with France, Bavaria, Saxony and Spain to attack Austria to strengthen the offensive. The Austrian army took the initiative to attack Bavaria in order to force Bavaria to quit the war and advance to Bohemia. King Friedrich II of Prussia immediately led 34,000 troops from Prussia, France and Saxony into the Austrian border to besiege Wei and rescue Zhao. After the crisis between Bavaria and Bohemia was resolved, Pu Jun's army moved northward, and in May 1742, it fought a decisive battle with 30,000 Austrian troops under the command of Prince Carl of Lorraine in Hotusitz. After a fierce battle, the two sides won and lost each other, but Austria suffered heavy casualties and the Austrian army was forced to retreat. In view of the military defeat, Austria and Prussia signed an armistice agreement on 174 10/0.9, and signed the Berlin Peace Treaty with Prussia on July 28th, 1742. At the expense of the cession of Silesia and Graz to Prussia, the two countries stopped fighting and the first Silesia War came to an end.
After the Silesia War stopped, Austria was not satisfied with this humiliating peace treaty, so it allied itself with Britain, Hanover, Hesse and the Netherlands, attacked other allies in the anti-Austrian camp except Prussia, and took active actions in other war zones. By the end of 1742, Austrian troops occupied Bogmia and Bavaria and drove the French and Bavarian allied forces out of the Czech Republic. 1743 In February, the Austrian army, under the command of Count Traun, fought a decisive battle with the Spanish army under the command of Motmatt in Italy, and both sides suffered heavy losses. 1743 In June, about 40,000 allied troops, mainly British and Austrian troops, marched into Aschaffenburg under the command of King George II and Austrian general Naiberg, and fought a decisive battle with about 60,000 French troops under the command of Marshal NoEilers in the suburbs of Dettingen. The French army was defeated and forced to retreat. At the same time, Austria once again formed an alliance with Saxony, and its military potential became stronger. 1743 In June, the British and Dutch allied forces defeated the French army on the Main River. /kloc-in the summer of 0/744, the allied forces of Austria and Britain entered Alsace, and the Austrian army invaded the kingdom of Naples.
At this time, Prussia attacked again: it invaded Saxony and Czech Republic without declaring war, and captured Prague in September 1744, posing a threat to Austria. Thus the Second Silesia War broke out. In the first few months of the war, Austria suffered many failures. Later, the Austrian army concentrated a large number of troops against Pu Jun and carried out mobile operations aimed at destroying Pu Jun's traffic lines and avoiding decisive battles. Pu Jun was forced to abandon Prague and retreated to Silesia in June 1744+0 1, and the trench and heavy artillery were also lost. At the beginning of 1745, the Austrian army defeated the French army and the Bavarian army in succession. In this favorable situation, the main force of the Austrian army did not continue to take active action against the Pu Jun army, which led to passivity. Pujun troops regrouped, took the initiative again, and suddenly attacked and defeated the Austrian and Saxon Coalition forces. 1745 In September, the Austrian-Saxon allied forces fought Pu Jun again in Sol, but were defeated by Pu Jun again. 65438+February Pu Jun occupied Dresden, the capital of Saxony. Faced with the threat of Russian support for Austrian participation in the war, Pu Jun's army stopped fighting. On February 25th, 65438, Prussia signed the Dresden Peace Treaty with Austria and Saxony. According to the peace treaty, Prussia kept Silesia, but recognized maria theresia's husband Flantz Stephen as the "Holy Roman Empire" emperor. The second Silesia War ended.
In the later time, Austria once again formed an alliance with Russia, and fought with the French army in the Netherlands, northern Italy and at sea, winning and losing each other. 1746, France held peace talks with Britain and Austria and signed the Peace Treaty of Aachen, ending the war caused by Austria's succession to the throne.
The war took place in the transitional period between feudal society and capitalist society. It not only has the general characteristics of the war in the late Middle Ages, but also breeds the bud of the war in the new period, which provides reference for the future operational ideas and methods.