War of the Austrian Succession

The War of the Austrian Succession was fought from 1740 to 1748 among the European great powers, mainly in Europe, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and is linked to related conflicts including King George's War, the War of Jenkins' Ear, the First Carnatic War and the First and Second Silesian Wars. It was triggered by a coalition of France, Prussia and Bavaria disputing Maria Theresa's right to inherit the Austrian Habsburg lands, with Britain, the Dutch Republic and Hanover backing her claim, and fighting began when Prussia seized Silesia in December 1740. Neither side reached a decisive victory, and by 1748 French finances were exhausted, leading to the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which confirmed Maria Theresa's titles while Austria ceded Silesia to Prussia and the Spanish Bourbons gained Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla.