TIMELINE OF THE...
Sprawling empires, rising nations and powerful dynasties clash in a bid for control over Europe’s future
10 April 1741
BATTLE OF MOLLWITZ 03
Without bothering to declare war, Prussia invades Silesia, eager to add territory. The new Prussian monarch, Frederick II, takes the first steps towards building his formidable reputation with a narrow victory over the Austrians at Mollwitz, the first major battle of the war.
July 1742
TREATY OF BERLIN
With other nations joining the war, Prussia makes its exit, Frederick II being content with the massive gains in territory and population made in Silesia. The Treaty of Berlin sees him strike a separate peace with the Austrians and bow out of the fighting for the next three years.
19 April 1713
THE PRAGMATIC SANCTION 01
The document that is the spark for a war: Charles VI, ruler of the Habsburg monarchy and Holy Roman Emperor, declares that any female offspring he produces will be eligible to succeed him, superseding the claims of his nieces, the daughters of the previous emperor, Joseph I.
13 May 1717
BIRTH OF MARIA THERESA 02
Until Charles has children, the Pragmatic Sanction is purely academic, but that changes with the birth of Archduke Leopold Johann. Tragically, Leopold dies before the age of one and it is Charles’ second child, Maria Theresa, who stands in line for the Habsburg throne.
20 October 1740
DEATH OF THE EMPEROR
The death of Charles VI prompts the formation of two rival camps, one of which supports Maria Theresa’s claim to the throne and one of which opposes it, preferring other candidates. The major European powers choose sides and war quickly breaks out.
1 February 1742
THE CONVENTION OF TURIN 04
Sardinia and Austria agree to work together to resist Spanish incursions into Italy, and a period of inconclusive military manoeuvring and diplomatic intrigue opens. The Italian theatre will remain active for the entirety of the war.
BATTLE OF DETTINGEN 05
The last battle in which a British monarch leads an army in the field, George II narrowly avoids a catastrophic defeat when a well-laid French trap goes awry. The capture of the monarch may well have knocked Britain out of the war.
27 June 1743
