A British fleet watched them, under the command of Admiral Richard Lestock, until Sir Thomas Mathews was sent out as commander-in-chief and as Minister to the Court of Turin. From 1746 to 1748 the war dragged on indecisively. Hoping to unify his disconnected lands and thus desiring the prosperous, resource-rich, and strategically located Austrian province of Silesia, Frederick declined to endorse the Pragmatic Sanction. On 23 August, Prince Charles withdrew from Alsace to defend Bohemia, with little interference from the French due to Louis' illness. At Lauffeld on 2 July 1747, Saxe won another victory over a British and Dutch army under the Prince of Orange and Cumberland; the French then besieged Maastricht and Bergen op Zoom, which fell in September. The French were no less active in all seas. [64], Frederick was left dangerously exposed, a situation worsened in early October when Saxony joined the coalition against him as an active belligerent. Under the August 'Convention of Hanover', Frederick and George II mutually guaranteed the borders of Hanover and Prussia to each other, and British diplomats tried to persuade Austria to end the Second Silesian War. Maastricht surrendered on 7 May and on 18 October 1748, the war ended with the signing of the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. Austria temporarily neutralized Prussia by allowing it to retain Silesia in July 1742, drove the French and Bavarians out of Bohemia (1742), and overran Bavaria. France and Great Britain were not yet openly at war, but both were engaged in the struggle in Germany—Great Britain as the ally of the Queen of Hungary, Maria Theresa; France as the supporter of the Bavarian claimant of the empire. The British retaliated with vigour. [71] Prussia was now isolated; attempts by Frederick to divide his opponents by supporting Frederick Augustus of Saxony for Emperor were unsuccessful, while neither Britain or Russia was willing to mediate for him with Austria. With French support, Prussia doubled in size with the acquisition of Silesia but twice made peace without informing their ally; Louis XV already disliked Frederick and now viewed him as untrustworthy. A third series of wars centred on the continued conflict between France and Britain over colonial possessions in India and North America (see Jenkins’ Ear, War of; King George’s War). However, when this provisional relationship was given a more durable and reliable character in the signing of the Treaty of Worms (1743) signed on 13 September 1743,[100] the government of Genoa became fearful. Cavalrymen were equipped with sabres and pistols or carbines; light cavalry were used principally for reconnaissance, screening and tactical communications, while heavy cavalry were used as tactical reserves and deployed for shock attacks. Szabo. Maria Theresa sent her envoy Count Schulenburg and King Charles Emmanuel sent the Marquis d'Ormea. 1:1, pp. [115], The Dutch Republic itself was now in danger and in April 1747, the French began reducing their Barrier Fortresses along the border with the Austrian Netherlands. The invasion of Austria and Bohemia by the French and Bavarian forces fell apart for lack of unity of purpose and military capability. [57] Success allowed Spain to land troops in Northern Italy, and in April they captured the important port of Villefranche-sur-Mer, then part of Savoy. The French admiral announced[how? Although Mathews prevented them exiting the Mediterranean and supporting the invasion attempt, he was forced to retreat, which led to his dismissal. [35], She was also helped by deep divisions among her opponents, and the duplicity of Frederick. [27], Austrian military resources were concentrated in Hungary and Italy, and they had fewer than 3,000 troops in Silesia, although this was increased to 7,000 shortly before the invasion. Within a month France’s Charles-Louis-Auguste Fouquet, comte (later marshal and duc) de Belle-Isle, constructed an alliance with Bavaria and Spain and, later, with Saxony and Prussia against Austria. The great issue dominating Austria in the years after the War of the Spanish Succession is again a problem of succession - this time relating to the remaining Habsburg territories, ruled from Vienna. The peace settlement brought the return of Madras to the British company, exchanged for Louisbourg in Canada. For much of the eighteenth century, French military strategy focused on potential threats on its eastern and northern borders, which required a strong land army. [21] The death of Emperor Charles VI on 20 October 1740 provided an opportunity to acquire Silesia but he needed to do so before Augustus of Saxony and Poland could pre-empt him. [30], Early in the year, an Austrian army under von Neipperg relieved Neisse, and marched on Brieg, threatening to cut the Prussians off. Ironically the same day Bärenklau captured his capital, Munich. The War of the Austrian Succession included the First and Second Silesian Wars in central Europe and a separate conflict between Britain and Spain — the so-called War of Jenkins's Ear, which began in 1739 and was eventually subsumed by the larger war. 639, 642, K. und K. Kriegsarchiv (1896), vol. Paperback. In October the French squadron was devastated by a cyclone, losing four ships of the line and suffering heavy damage to four more, and the surviving ships withdrew. Mathews fought with spirit but in a disorderly way, breaking the formation of his fleet, and showing no power of direction, while Navarro's smaller fleet retained cohesion and fought off the energetic but confused attacks of its larger enemy until the arrival of the French fleet forced the heavily damaged British fleet to withdraw. The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714 John A. Lynn. The War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48) – also known as King George's War in North America, and incorporating the War of Jenkins' Ear with Spain and two of the three Silesian wars – involved nearly all the powers of Europe, except for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Portuguese Empire and the Ottoman Empire. It was carried on by the Spaniards in the West Indies with great success, and actively at home. The War of Austrian Succession and its most notable battle The Battle of Fontenoy was one of the most notable engagements in The War of Austrian Succession. Further complexity then arose from the fact that the theoretically elected position of Holy Roman Emperor had been held by the Habsburgs since 1437. The Action of 14 June 1742 was a minor naval battle of the War of the Austrian Succession in which a small British squadron under Captain Richard Norris burned 5 Spanish royal galleys at the French port of Saint Tropez. 661–662, K. und K. Kriegsarchiv (1896), vol. The result was the realignment known as the Diplomatic Revolution in which Austria aligned itself with France, which marked the end of their centuries-old enmity, and Prussia became an ally of Britain. 4.5 out of 5 stars 19. In October 1740 the Holy Roman emperor Charles VI, the last male Habsburg ruler, died and was succeeded by his daughter Maria Theresa, the young wife of the grand duke of Tuscany, Francis Stephen of Lorraine. The imperial and commercial rivalry between Britain and France played an important role in the war. Velletri just happened to be the birthplace of Caesar Augustus, but now from June through August 1744, Velletri became the scene of extensive military maneuvering between the French-Spanish army under the command of the Count Gages and the Austrian forces under the command of Prince Lobkowitz[93] The King of Naples (the future Charles III of Spain) was increasingly worried about the Austrian army operating so close to his borders and decided to assist the Spaniards. [69], Charles' son and heir, Max Joseph made one last effort to drive the Austrians out of Bavaria, but his demoralised and ill-equipped army was out-manoeuvered by Count Batthyány, while a Franco-Bavarian army was defeated at Pfaffenhofen on 15 April. [116], Negotiations between Britain and France had been taking place at Breda since June 1746; the terms they agreed were then imposed on the other parties at Aix-la-Chapelle. War of the Austrian Succession, (1740–48), a conglomeration of related wars, two of which developed directly from the death of Charles VI, Holy Roman emperor and head of the Austrian branch of the house of Habsburg, on Oct. 20, 1740. Decisive field battles were relatively rare, though they played a larger part in Frederick's theory of warfare than was typical among his contemporary rivals. The year 1745 saw three of the greatest battles of the war: Hohenfriedberg, Kesselsdorf and Fontenoy. Accordingly, Lobkowitz was replaced with Count Schulenburg. This prompted the French to seize the strategic ports of Ostend and Nieuwpoort, threatening Britain's links to mainland Europe. [38], While Frederick completed his conquest of Silesia, a French force under Maurice de Saxe took Prague on 26 November 1741; the Bavarian elector, Charles Albert, was crowned King of Bohemia. [118] Although the Dutch city of Maastricht surrendered to French forces in May 1748, ending the war was increasingly urgent. European warfare in the early modern period was characterised by the widespread adoption of firearms in combination with more traditional bladed weapons. The Austrians were routed from three important hills around the town of Velletri during the attack. [101], Empress Maria Theresa, was frustrated with the failure of Lobkowitz to stop the advance of Gage. The War of the Austrian Succession (German: Österreichischer Erbfolgekrieg) was the last Great Power conflict with the Bourbon-Habsburg dynastic conflict at its heart. The first French force sent against Cuddalore was surprised and defeated nearby by the forces of the Nawab and the British garrison in December 1746. S&T 262, April 2010 – Frederick’s War: War of the Austrian Succession, 1741-48 Frederick’s War: War of the Austrian Succession (FW), is a wargame of intermediate complexity simulating the struggle for power in Europe during the highpoint of the Enlightenment, 1741-48. On the afternoon of 16 May, Charles of Lorraine's cavalry ran into Leopold's rearguard. Thus, the surprise attack has also been called the "first Battle of Velletri". CDN$67.20. On 14 October, another French convoy, protected by a strong squadron, was intercepted by a well-appointed and well-directed squadron of superior numbers—the squadrons were respectively eight French and fourteen British—in the Bay of Biscay. [110] As usual the plan of campaign had been referred to Paris and Madrid. [68] This was accompanied by ominous signs of Russian military activity in Livonia, followed by the death of Emperor Charles VII on 20 January. In July, the Russian court discovered an alleged plot to overthrow Tsarina Elizabeth, and restore three-year old Ivan VI, with his mother Grand Duchess Leopoldovna as his regent. The frontiers between New France and the British colonies of New England, New York, and Nova Scotia were the site of frequent small scale raids, primarily by French colonial troops and their Indian allies against British targets, although several attempts were made by British colonists to organise expeditions against New France. [7], Bavaria and Saxony refused to be bound by the decision of the Imperial Diet, while in 1738 France agreed to back the 'just claims' of Charles Albert of Bavaria, despite previously accepting the Pragmatic Sanction in 1735. The Prussian infantry during the Battle of Mollwitz, 1741, King George II at the Battle of Dettingen, 1743, The Duke of Lorraine and Imperial troops crossing the Rhine before Strasbourg, 1744, View of the British landing on the island of Cape Breton to attack the fortress of Louisbourg, 1745, The British fleet bombarding the Corsican port of Bastia in 1745, Colonels of the French Guards and British guards politely discussing who should fire first at the battle of Fontenoy, 1745, The Battle of Rocoux in 1746, between the French and the British, Dutch and Austrians, Marshal Maurice de Saxe at the Battle of Lauffeld, 1747, Taking and looting of the fortress of Bergen-op-Zoom in 1747, sfn error: no target: CITEREFBrowning1975 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFMitchell2018 (, K. und K. Kriegsarchiv (1896), vol. [48], In mid-June, the Pragmatic army arrived at Aschaffenburg, on the north bank of the River Main. The last major French success was Marshal Maurice de Saxe’s conquest of the Austrian Netherlands (1745–46), which followed his great victory at the Battle of Fontenoy on May 11, 1745. [6], A family issue became a European one due to tensions within the Holy Roman Empire, caused by dramatic increases in the size and power of Bavaria, Prussia, and Saxony, mirrored by the post-1683 expansion of Habsburg power into lands previously held by the Ottoman Empire. Thus, the Gallispan army never did combine with the Spanish army under Count of Gages in the south and now the Austro-Sardinian army lay between them. A closer watch was kept on the French coast, and effectual means were taken to intercept communication between France and her American possessions. [34], The aggressiveness of the Spanish in Italy forced Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and King Charles Emmanuel of Sardinia into negotiations in early 1742. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (see Aix-la-Chapelle, Treaty of) in October 1748 preserved the bulk of the Austrian inheritance for Maria Theresa. Another daughter, Maria Anna, follows in 1718. The French, skilfully conducted and marching rapidly, joined forces once more, but their situation was critical, for only two marches behind them the army of the King of Sardinia was in pursuit, and before them lay the principal army of the Austrians. Paperback. France 158,400 casualties[1] Naval losses: 20 ships of the line, 16 frigates, 20 minor ships, 2,185 merchant ships and 1,738 naval guns[2], Great Britain:26,400 casualties[1] Naval losses: 14 ships of the line, 7 frigates, 28 minor ships 3,238 merchant ships and 1,012 naval guns[2]. The war in the Alps and the Apennines had already been keenly contested before the Prince of Conti and the Gallispan army had come down out of the Alps. Paperback. The war confirmed the decline of the Dutch Republic; combined with a sense they received little value for the subsidies paid to Maria Theresa, Britain moved to align itself with Prussia, rather than Austria, in order to protect Hanover from French aggression.[124]. War of the Austrian Succession. 1:1, pp. A picked corps of the French army under the Chevalier de Belle-Isle (the younger brother of Marshal Belle-Isle[109]) was ordered to storm the fortified pass of Exilles on 10 July 1747. Since Maria Theresa's husband, Duke Francis, was the best-supported candidate to replace him, this was a major setback for the Franco-Prussian alliance. [47] Divided at the top, and their troops weakened by disease, the Franco-Bavarian forces offered limited resistance to the Austrian advance; on 9 May, the Bavarians were defeated outside Simbach, by Charles of Lorraine. Meanwhile, the King of Naples returned home. But the French force was ill-equipped, the admiral was nervous, his mind dwelt on all the misfortunes which might possibly happen, and the weather was bad. Indeed, early in 1746, Austrian troops, freed by the Austrian peace with Frederick II of Prussia, passed through the Tyrol into Italy. In September 1743 Savoy joined the Austrians, and the French withdrew toward their own borders. In the War of the Austrian Succession, the British were allied with Austria; by the time of the Seven Years' War, they were allied with its enemy, Prussia. [41] In early May, he took the offensive, and moved into North-East Bohemia; by 16 May, he had 10,000 infantry at Kutná Hora, and another 18,000 men under Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau a day's march behind.[42]. Corrections? Charles VII's son and heir, Maximilian III in Bavaria was not even considered a candid… In the war for the Austrian succession itself, France Despite their victories in Flanders, French Finance Minister Machault repeatedly warned of the impending collapse of their financial system. The military expedition prepared at Dunkirk to cross under cover of De Roquefeuil's fleet naturally did not start. [101] Consequently, the Genoese Republic signed a secret treaty with the Bourbon allies of France, Spain and Naples. In September 1746 Bourdonnais landed his troops near Madras and laid siege to the port. However, the Bavarians contented themselves with re-occupying Munich, while the French settled down to besiege Freiburg im Breisgau, a town of far less importance to Maria Theresa than Bohemia. No actual coronation took place as the insignia had already been taken to safety in Vienna. Because of this surprise attack, the combined army was able to take possession of the town of Velletri. The allies separated, Maillebois covering Liguria, the Spaniards marching against Browne. [62] Although Maria Theresa's main objective was to regain Silesia, the speed of the Prussian advance took them by surprise. [51] Whether this amounted to anything more than drunken gossip is disputed; one suggestion is that it was a fabrication by Frederick, designed to remove anti-Prussian opponents, chiefly Chancellor Bestuzhev-Ryumin. A final attempt in June 1748 avoided the fort and attacked the weakly fortified town of Cuddalore itself, but was routed by the British garrison. Although recovering Silesia remained a priority for decades, Maria Theresa was willing to agree a temporary truce with Prussia to improve her position elsewhere. Spain, which could do nothing of an offensive character, was almost neglected. [117], This was followed in November by a convention between Britain and Russia; in February 1748, a Russian corps of 37,000 arrived in the Rhineland. He disputed the succession of Maria Theresa to the Habsburg lands while simultaneously making his own claim on Silesia. [77] On 15 December, the Prussians forced Saxony out of the war with victory in the Battle of Kesselsdorf, leading to the Treaty of Dresden on 25th. [50], Frederick had responded to Dettingen by renewing his search for allies, and building up his army once again. Smoothbore artillery provided fire support and played the leading role in siege warfare. [citation needed]. This was the opening War of the Austrian Succession which eventually involved the major powers of Europe. War of the Austrian Succession is a wargame of Frederick the Great’s first military campaign, the First Silesian War of 1740-42. War of the Austrian Succession, (1740–48), a conglomeration of related wars, two of which developed directly from the death of Charles VI, Holy Roman emperor and head of the Austrian branch of the house of Habsburg, on Oct. 20, 1740. clarification needed] that he would support the Spaniards if they were attacked and Haddock retired. 2 words related to War of the Austrian Succession: Battle of Fontenoy, Fontenoy. His son Maximilian III Joseph gave up these claims and pledged to support Francis Stephen at the imperial election in return for Austria’s restoration of its conquests to Bavaria. [36] Hoping to weaken Saxony, on 9 October, Frederick signed the Klein–Schnellendorf agreement with Neipperg; in a now notorious piece of diplomatic subterfuge, the Austrians surrendered Neisse after a mock defence. This allowed him to threaten Vienna; a few Prussian patrols even appeared in the suburbs, before withdrawing. [74], On 4 June, Frederick won a major victory at Hohenfriedberg, but despite this, Austria and Saxony continued the war. Although technically all allies, Prussia, Saxony and Bavaria had no desire to see France established in the Empire, nor to see one another gain relative ground. A daughter, Maria Theresa, is born in 1717. Lestock, who was on the worst possible terms with his superior, took no part in the action. This was offset by similar divisions among their opponents; Charles Emmanuel was reluctant to see the Bourbons expelled from Italy, leaving the Habsburgs as the dominant power, while his territorial ambitions could only be achieved at Austrian expense. Villefranche and Montalbán[clarification needed] had been stormed by Conti on 20 April 1744. In the East Indies, attacks on French commerce by a British squadron under Curtis Barnett in 1745 led to the despatch of a French squadron commanded by Mahé de la Bourdonnais. [29] However, Frederick underestimated Maria Theresa's determination to reverse her loss, while the retention of Austrian fortresses in Southern Silesia meant a quick victory could not be achieved. 610–611, K. und K. Kriegsarchiv (1896), vol. In reality, he simply provided two of his rivals a legitimate claim to the Habsburg lands. [126], The war in the West Indies, after two other unsuccessful attacks had been made on Spanish territory, died down and did not revive until 1748. The Nawab of the Carnatic Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan intervened in support of the British and advanced to retake Madras, but despite vast superiority in numbers his army was easily and bloodily crushed by the French, in the first demonstration of the gap in quality that had opened up between European and Indian armies. [121] On the other hand, the Treaty confirmed her right to the Monarchy, while the Habsburgs had survived a potentially disastrous crisis, regained the Austrian Netherlands without fighting and made only minor concessions in Italy. This Second Silesian War was concluded by the Treaty of Dresden in December 1745. Between 1740 and 1748, most of Europe’s great powers were involved in a conflict caused by the question of Maria Theresa’s succession to the Austrian Habsburg crown. During the predawn hours of 11 August 1744, about 6,000 Austrians under the direct command of Count Browne staged a surprise raid on the town of Velletri. Theresa was unable to succeed the hereditary lands that belonged to her father due to the Frankish code of law prevented inheritance from by a women. [86] However, the next six months were wasted in inaction and Georg Christian, Fürst von Lobkowitz, joining Traun with reinforcements from Germany, drove back the Spanish to Rimini. On 10 September, only six days after the arrival of the French force, Madras surrendered. The financial burden finally pushed the powers to the conference table. [126], The French scheme to invade Britain was arranged in combination with the Jacobite leaders, and soldiers were to be transported from Dunkirk. One area was the Netherlands, particularly after British troops were recalled to deal with the 1745 Jacobite Rising. 589–590, K. und K. Kriegsarchiv (1896), vol. The Austrian ruler Maria Theresa (daughter of Charles VI) derived her main foreign support from Britain, which feared that, if the French achieved hegemony in Europe, the British commercial and colonial empire would be untenable. The mismanagement of the British fleet in the battle, by arousing deep anger among the people, led to a drastic reform of the British navy. However, after occupying Velletri and searching the entire town, the Austrians found no hint of the King of Naples. 1:1, p. 605, K. und K. Kriegsarchiv (1896), vol. [54], France and Spain responded with the Second Pacte de Famille in October, and Louis XV began plans to invade the Austrian Netherlands. The most significant incident was the capture of the French Fortress Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island (Île Royale) by an expedition (29 April – 16 June 1745) of colonial militia organised by Massachusetts Governor William Shirley, commanded by William Pepperrell of Maine (then part of Massachusetts), and assisted by a Royal Navy fleet. Compounded by the failure to prepare Maria Theresa for her new role, many European statesmen were sceptical Austria could survive the contest that would follow Charles' death, which finally occurred in October 1740.[9]. Neither of the two main protagonists appeared to have gained much for their investment and both viewed the Treaty as an armistice, not a peace. Consequently, the foreign policies of Austria and Spain in regards to Italy had a symmetry of interests and these interests were usually opposed to the interests of Bourbon controlled France. In return for Sardinian support in Lombardy, the Austrians ceded all their territories west of the Ticino River and Lake Maggiore, along with lands south of the Po River. 1:1, p. 573, K. und K. Kriegsarchiv (1896), vol. [89] King Charles Emmanuel of Savoy had followed the long-established foreign policy of Savoy of opposing Spanish interference in northern Italy. [60], As a result, the French made rapid progress, quickly capturing most of the Dutch-held Barrier fortresses along the border, including Menen and Ypres. War of the Austrian Succession is a wargame of Frederick the Great’s first military campaign, the First Silesian War of 1740-42. Since Salic law excluded women from the inheritance, this required approval by the various Habsburg territories and the Imperial Diet. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Jomini calls the concentration of forces which effected the victory "Le plus remarquable de toute la Guerre". [53] When Tsarina Elizabeth demanded Botta be punished, Maria Theresa refused, and the episode poisoned the relationship between Austria and Russia. AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION, WAR OF THE (1740 – 1748). [91] In preparation for the military campaign the Gallispan forces sought to cross the Alps in June 1744 and regroup the army in Dauphiné uniting there with the army on the lower Po.[92]. Soon Genoa revolted from the oppressive rule of the victors, rose and drove out the Austrians on 5–11 December 1746. AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION, WAR OF THE (1740 – 1748). 3.7 out of 5 stars 14. The War of Austrian Succession was an eight year military conflict between the great and lower powers of Europe over the issue of Maria Theresa succeeding to the Habsburg Monarchy. Under pressure from Charles of Lorraine and a combined Austro-Saxon force under Count Traun, the Prussians were forced to retreat; by the time they entered Silesia in late November, Frederick's army was reduced to 36,000, half of whom then died of dysentery. After an inconclusive clash off Negapatnam in July 1746, Edward Peyton, Barnett's successor, withdrew to Bengal, leaving Bourdonnais unopposed on the Coromandel Coast. [44] This suited Frederick, who was short of money and men and also suspected France was preparing a separate peace. 1:1, pp. [20] Armies were generally unable to sustain combat operations during winter and normally established winter quarters in the cold season, resuming their campaigns with the return of spring. The utter weakness of the French at sea, due to long neglect of the fleet and the bankrupt state of the treasury, was shown during the Jacobite rising of 1745, when France made no attempt to profit by the distress of the British government. The campaign in Italy in 1745 was also no mere war of posts. [98] The King of Sardinia was defeated yet again by Conti in a great Battle at Madonna dell'Olmo on 30 September 1744 near Coni (Cuneo). Britain regained Madras, in return for restoring Louisbourg, in Nova Scotia, much to the fury of British colonists. His victory enhanced the suspicion in Europe that the Habsburg dominions were incapable of defending themselves and thus ensured that the war would become general. In early August 1744, the King of Naples paid a visit in person to the newly captured town of Velletri. After two months of skilful defence by the Spanish, the British attack finally succumbed to a massive outbreak of disease and withdrew having suffered a dreadful loss of lives and ships. [126], In 1746 a British combined naval and military expedition to the coast of France—the first of a long series of similar ventures which in the end were derided as "breaking windows with guineas"—was carried out during August and October. This was the opening War of the Austrian Succession which eventually involved the major powers of Europe. https://www.britannica.com/event/War-of-the-Austrian-Succession, History World - The War of the Austrian Succession, Military History Encyclopedia on the Web - War of the Austrian Succession, Aleksey Petrovich, Count Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Louis-François de Bourbon, prince de Conti. The Spanish fleet then sailed to Italy where it delivered a fresh army and supplies that had a decisive impact upon the war. The latter was promptly and heavily reinforced and all that the Spaniards could do was to entrench themselves at Piacenza, Philip, the Spanish Infante as supreme commander calling up Maillebois to his aid. De Roquefeuil came up almost as far as The Downs, where he learnt that Sir John Norris was at hand with twenty-five sail of the line, and thereupon precipitately retreated. [65], Despite the surrender of Freiburg and French advances in the Southern Netherlands, Austria seemed well positioned at the end of 1744. Norris had surprised the galleys near Sainte-Marguerite and had chased and driven them into the French port. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.