Diplomatic Revolution
Encyclopedia : D : DI : DIP : Diplomatic Revolution
The Diplomatic Revolution is a term applied to the reversal of longstanding diplomatic alliances in the wake of the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle which concluded the War of the Austrian Succession in 1748. The essence of the revolution may be better understood with this diagram: France/Prussia Great Britain/Austria --> France/Austria Great Britain/Prussia.
The change was triggered by Great Britain, whose kings from the Brunswick-Lüneburg line found it unlikely that their long-time ally, Austria, would be able to defend their continental possession, Hanover, in case of a French takeover. As a result, Britain preferred to ally itself with Frederick the Great of Prussia, who had succeeded in transforming his country into a major power in Central Europe. Under the terms of the Convention of Westminster, signed in January 1756, Frederick promised Great Britain that he would not move against Hanover.
Maria Theresa of Austria, who had lost Silesia after Frederick's aggression a decade earlier, viewed Britain's alliance with Prussia as a backstab and sent envoys to Louis XV of France to conclude a defensive alliance against Prussia. Although France and Austria had been intermittently at war since the 16th century, traditionally rivalling each other for hegemony in Europe, the Franco-Austrian alliance (first defensive and then offensive) was finalized in May 1756. Empress Elizabeth of Russia acceded to the treaty before long.
As a result of this diplomatic revolution, Great Britain and Prussia faced Austria, France, and Russia. Despite this reversal of alliances, however, the basic antagonisms remained: Prussia versus Austria and Great Britain versus France. All these tensions erupted during the Seven Years' War, to which the Diplomatic Revolution is considered a prelude.
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.