The Role Of Prussia In The War Of Austrian Succession

The invasion of Silesia by Prussia in 1745 marked the beginnings of the War of Austrian Succession. Silesia was a wealthy territory with industry that majored in porcelain manufacture, raising its value and appeal tremendously. Frederick II led Prussia in the invasion of Silesia, which violated the Pragmatic Sanction. The War of Austrian Succession demonstrated the character of both leaders of the major players in war, Frederick the Great of Prussia and Maria Theresa of Austria, both of whom were young rulers at the time of the War of Austrian Succession. Frederick II teamed up with France, Spain, Bavaria, and Saxony, all of which hoped to see something come out of the war. Frederick II of Prussia and Maria Theresa of Austria had a role to play in their respective countries in the mid-seventeenth century and both acted out their respective personalities through their actions in leadership. Frederick II was born in Berlin, Germany and inherited the Prussian throne in 1740 at the age of 28. Frederick II, otherwise known as Frederick the Great, was born into the House

Frederick the Great grew up enjoying almost everything opposite of his dad, but he had a good amount of military training which made him capable of leading large invasions such as the one on Silesia. Silesia was a very valuable area, and Maria Theresa had followed the somewhat newly implemented Pragmatic Sanction, while Frederick II captured Silesia by invading Austria and therefore broke the guidelines set by the Pragmatic Sanction, the indivisible but divisible set of rules. Through the Peace Aix- la- Chapelle, Prussia gained Silesia and also became a dominating European power, while Austria was able to confirm the Pragmatic Sanction. However, Europe was not finished with warfare and would begin the Seven Years War shortly after the War of Austrian