Diplomatic Revolution

The mid-eighteenth-century realignment in which France and Austria ended their rivalry and allied against Prussia and Britain, reshaping European power politics before the Seven Years’ War.

Treaty of Versailles (1756): A 1756 treaty that formalized the defensive alliance between France and Austria. It made the new Franco-Austrian alignment a binding agreement.
War of the Austrian Succession: A European and colonial war fought from 1740 to 1748 over the Habsburg succession and contested territories. Its unresolved disputes, especially Austria’s loss of Silesia, set the stage for diplomatic change.
Louis XV: King of France from 1715 to 1774. He approved France’s rapprochement with Austria despite the kingdoms’ traditional rivalry.
War in Europe (Seven Years' War): The European theater of the Seven Years’ War, fought chiefly between Prussia and its continental opponents. It tested the alliance system created by the Diplomatic Revolution.
Diplomatic Revolution (1720): The 1720 realignment in which France and Britain reconciled after conflict and formed an alliance against Spain. It is an earlier diplomatic reversal that shares the same label but involves different powers.
Treaty of Westminster (1756): A 1756 neutrality pact between Britain and Prussia, concluded amid tensions over Hanover. Britain’s agreement with Prussia helped prompt France to seek Austria as an ally.
Silesian Wars: Three conflicts between Prussia and Austria from 1740 to 1763, fought chiefly over Silesia. Austria’s desire to regain Silesia gave the new alliance its central strategic aim.
William Pitt the Elder: British statesman who led the government during much of the Seven Years’ War. His policies strengthened Britain’s partnership with Prussia after the old alliance with Austria weakened.
French and Indian War: The North American theater of the conflict between Britain and France from 1754 to 1763. Britain’s struggle against France overseas unfolded alongside the European realignment.
Quadruple Alliance: An alliance formed in 1718 by Britain, France, Austria, and the Dutch Republic against Spain. Its cooperation among France and Austria contrasts with their later rivalry and reconciliation.

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