Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
Encyclopedia
On the 24 April 1748 a congress
assembled at Aachen
(French: Aix-la-Chapelle) for the purpose of bringing to a conclusion the struggle known as the War of Austrian Succession.
Between 30 April and 21 May the preliminaries were agreed to between Great Britain, France and the Dutch Republic
, and to these Maria Theresa, queen of Bohemia and Hungary
, the kings of Sardinia
and Spain
, the duke of Modena, and the republic of Genoa
successively gave their adhesion. The definitive treaty
was signed on 18 October, Sardinia alone refusing to accede, because the Treaty of Worms was not guaranteed.
Of the provisions of the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle the most important were those stipulating for:
Spain having raised objections to the Asiento clauses, the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle was supplemented by Treaty of Madrid
(5 October 1750), by which Great Britain surrendered her claims under those clauses in return for a sum of 100,000.
See AJH de Clercq, Recueil des traites de la France; FA Wenk, Corpus juris gentium recentissimi, 1735–1772, vol. ii. (Leipzig, 1786), p. 337; Comte G. de Garden, Hist. des traites de paix, 1848–1887, iii. p. 373.
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different nations, constituent states, independent organizations , or groups....
assembled at Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
(French: Aix-la-Chapelle) for the purpose of bringing to a conclusion the struggle known as the War of Austrian Succession.
Between 30 April and 21 May the preliminaries were agreed to between Great Britain, France and the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, and to these Maria Theresa, queen of Bohemia and Hungary
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
, the kings of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and Spain
Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
, the duke of Modena, and the republic of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
successively gave their adhesion. The definitive treaty
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle of 1748 ended the War of the Austrian Succession following a congress assembled at the Imperial Free City of Aachen—Aix-la-Chapelle in French—in the west of the Holy Roman Empire, on 24 April 1748...
was signed on 18 October, Sardinia alone refusing to accede, because the Treaty of Worms was not guaranteed.
Of the provisions of the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle the most important were those stipulating for:
- a general restitution of conquests, including Cape Breton IslandCape Breton IslandCape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
to France, Madras to England and the barrier townBarrier townThe Barrier towns were present-day Belgian towns, heavily fortified by the Dutch, on the Austrian Netherlands's border with France, and as such were particularly important in the wars between the Dutch Republic and Ancien Régime France....
s to the Dutch - the assignment to Don Philip of the duchies of ParmaParmaParma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, PiacenzaPiacenzaPiacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
and GuastallaGuastallaGuastalla is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.-Geography:Guastalla is situated in the Po Valley, and lies on the banks of the Po River... - the restoration of the duke of Modena and the republic of Genoa to their former positions
- the renewal in favour of Great Britain of the Asiento contract of the 16 March 1713, and of the right to send an annual vessel to the Spanish coloniesColonyIn politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
- the renewal of the article of the treaty of 1718 recognizing the Protestant succession in the English throne
- the recognition of the emperor Francis and the confirmation of the pragmatic sanction, i.e. of the right of Maria Theresa to the HabsburgHabsburgThe House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
succession - the guarantee to PrussiaPrussiaPrussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
of the duchy of SilesiaSilesiaSilesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
and the county of GlatzGlatzGlatz can refer to :Places* Glatz, German name of a city in Lower Silesia, since 1945 Kłodzko, Poland* Landkreis Glatz, Prussian/German county 1816–1945, in the Province of Lower Silesia* Grafschaft Glatz, Duchy of Glatz, since 1348People...
.
Spain having raised objections to the Asiento clauses, the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle was supplemented by Treaty of Madrid
Treaty of Madrid (1750)
The Spanish–Portuguese treaty of 1750 or Treaty of Madrid was a document signed by Ferdinand VI of Spain and John V of Portugal on January 13, 1750, concerning their empires and status of their territories in what is now Brazil....
(5 October 1750), by which Great Britain surrendered her claims under those clauses in return for a sum of 100,000.
See AJH de Clercq, Recueil des traites de la France; FA Wenk, Corpus juris gentium recentissimi, 1735–1772, vol. ii. (Leipzig, 1786), p. 337; Comte G. de Garden, Hist. des traites de paix, 1848–1887, iii. p. 373.