Treaty of Füssen
Encyclopedia
The Peace of Füssen was a peace treaty
signed at Füssen
, Bavaria
, between the Electorate of Bavaria
and Habsburg Austria
. Signed on 22 April 1745, it ended the participation of Bavaria
on the French
side in the War of the Austrian Succession
.
by Bavarian and French
troops on 26 November 1741, Elector Charles Albert of Bavaria declared himself King of Bohemia
. Elected Emperor Charles VII
on January 24, 1742, Charles Albert was then crowned on 12 February.
On the same day as his coronation in Frankfurt
, however, Austrian troops occupied Bavaria and Hungarian
hussar
s plundered Munich
. With French assistance, Bavaria fought Austria for three years, but was unable to secure victory.
When Charles VII died in Munich on January 20, 1745, his successor as Elector of Bavaria, Maximilian III Joseph, signed a preliminary peace with Austria. But a strong war-party led by Ignaz von Törring and supported by France wanted to continue the war.
After the decisive defeat in the Battle of Pfaffenhofen
on April 15, Maximilian Joseph chose for peace.
Maximilian abandoned his father's claims on Bohemia and the imperial crown and recognized the Pragmatic Sanction
. Austria did not demand any reparations and recognized the legitimacy of Charles VII's election as Holy Roman Emperor
. Maximilian III promised to support the imperial candidacy of Maria Theresa's husband, Francis Stephen of Lorraine
, and to influence the votes of the Electoral Palatinate and the Electorate of Cologne, both ruled by the Wittelsbach
.
The treaty was signed by Joseph Fürst zu Fürstenberg of Bavaria and Rudolf Graf von Colloredo of Austria.
Peace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a state of war between the parties...
signed at Füssen
Füssen
Füssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu situated from the Austrian border. It is located on the banks of the Lech river. The River Lech flows into the Forggensee...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, between the Electorate of Bavaria
Electorate of Bavaria
The Electorate of Bavaria was an independent hereditary electorate of the Holy Roman Empire from 1623 to 1806, when it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Bavaria....
and Habsburg Austria
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
. Signed on 22 April 1745, it ended the participation of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
on the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
side in the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
.
Background
After the conquest of PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
by Bavarian and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
troops on 26 November 1741, Elector Charles Albert of Bavaria declared himself King of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. Elected Emperor Charles VII
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VII Albert a member of the Wittelsbach family, was Prince-elector of Bavaria from 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from 24 January 1742 until his death in 1745...
on January 24, 1742, Charles Albert was then crowned on 12 February.
On the same day as his coronation in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, however, Austrian troops occupied Bavaria and Hungarian
Royal Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary between 1538 and 1867 was part of the lands of the Habsburg Monarchy, while outside the Holy Roman Empire.After Battle of Mohács, the country was ruled by two crowned kings . They divided the kingdom in 1538...
hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
s plundered Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. With French assistance, Bavaria fought Austria for three years, but was unable to secure victory.
When Charles VII died in Munich on January 20, 1745, his successor as Elector of Bavaria, Maximilian III Joseph, signed a preliminary peace with Austria. But a strong war-party led by Ignaz von Törring and supported by France wanted to continue the war.
After the decisive defeat in the Battle of Pfaffenhofen
Battle of Pfaffenhofen
The Battle of Pfaffenhofen was fought on April 15, 1745 between France and Austria. The Austrians under Karl Josef Batthyány defeated the outnumbered French under General Ségur, ending the war in Bavaria.-Prelude:...
on April 15, Maximilian Joseph chose for peace.
Peace treaty
The formal peace treaty signed in Füssen consisted of seventeen articles, two side articles, and a secret additional clause.Maximilian abandoned his father's claims on Bohemia and the imperial crown and recognized the Pragmatic Sanction
Pragmatic sanction
A pragmatic sanction is a sovereign's solemn decree on a matter of primary importance and has the force of fundamental law. In the late history of the Holy Roman Empire it referred more specifically to an edict issued by the Emperor....
. Austria did not demand any reparations and recognized the legitimacy of Charles VII's election as Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
. Maximilian III promised to support the imperial candidacy of Maria Theresa's husband, Francis Stephen of Lorraine
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...
, and to influence the votes of the Electoral Palatinate and the Electorate of Cologne, both ruled by the Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
.
The treaty was signed by Joseph Fürst zu Fürstenberg of Bavaria and Rudolf Graf von Colloredo of Austria.