World History: War of the Austrian Succession
France and Britain are close allies today but they have fought countless wars during middle ages and renaissance over crowns and territories. As both countries started expanding across the Atlantic Ocean, the same conflicts became an issue in the colonies.
Background
Beginning in 1713, England entered into a trade partnership with Spanish following the signing of the Treaties of Utrecht that ended Queen Anne’s War. England had gained access to trade with Spanish colonies. In exchange, the Spanish had the right to search British ships to make sure they were following the terms of the treaties. Through the 1730s, Spanish search and seizures of British ships became a big problem. After a particularly outrageous ship search, a British captain had an ear cut off by a Spaniard, ultimately leading to armed conflict between the two countries.
While the War of Jenkins’ ear raged on, a bigger problem was bubbling beneath the surface in Europe. There was a succession issue over the Austrian crown: who had legal right to the throne? At the time, England and its allies believed that the Austrian Maria Theresa should take the throne. Meanwhile, Spain and Prussia had other ideas. France quickly sided with Spain in the issue, a move that would give them a legitimate reason to go to war with England of territorial disputes in the New World.
England and France officially went to war on March 15, 1744. In Europe the struggle over the Austrian throne was known as the War of the Austrian Succession. The conflict ultimately spilled over into the colonies where it was known as King George’s War.
King George’s War
King George’s War began in earnest in spring of 1744 and lasted for about three years in the New World.
1744
Although England and France knew they were at war with each other, news of the conflict took a few months to spread through the colonies in the New World. On May 23, 1744, Jean-Baptiste-Louis Le Prevost du Quesnel, the French governor of Cape Breton Island, planned to take the British in Nova Scotia by surprise. With an expeditionary force of about 200 men, the French surprised less than 100 British colonists. The French burned buildings and took prisoners, ultimately leading the British to surrender. A prisoner exchange was quickly negotiated, and both sides agreed not to upset the fishing industry that French and English colonists relied on to survive.
Through the summer of 1744, tensions escalated. The French turned to Native American allies to help them against the British. In July of 1744, the French incited a Native American attack on Annapolis Royal, located in Nova Scotia. Fortunately for the British living in the area, the governor of Massachusetts was able to send reinforcements, causing the Native American attack to fail.
Beginning on September 8, the French tried once again to capture Annapolis Royal, but this time they tried to take it by siege. French troops surrounded Fort Anne, preventing supplies from coming in, and soldiers and civilians from coming out. Meanwhile, Native Americans raided the surrounding area by night. Once again, the Massachusetts governor sent reinforcements. The siege was lifted just after a month.
1745
In spring of 1745, the English colonists were ready to go on the offensive. Massachusetts governor, WIlliam Shirley, managed to put together the largest military operation of King George’s War. Roughly 4,000 men, many of which came from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire planned to capture Louisburg, a French stronghold in Canada. With aid from Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, Shirley’s troops were ready to take action. The assault began on April 4 when British colonists cut off supply lines to Louisburg. Through May, they used siege tactics and caused significant damage to the French fort. The French were forced to surrender the city on June 28, 1745. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, the British lost nearly 1,000 men alone just to exposure.
Through the remainder of 1745, the French did their best to recapture Louisburg, but to no avail. Thanks to poor weather, and a number of other mishaps, the French couldn’t catch a break. On August 13, 1745, the British managed to capture the French ship Notre Dame de la Deliverance off the coast of Louisburg.
1746 to 1747
Through 1746 to 1747, King George’s War was at a bit of a stalemate. The French still tried to take back Louisburg and incited Native American raids on British settlements, while the British did the same thing to the French.
One of the biggest battles of the conflict was fought on February 11, 1747. The French caught the British off-guard during the Battle of Minas. On the orders of French leader Jean-Baptiste-Nicolas Roch de Ramezay, about 200 Frenchmen and 50 Native Americans attacked about 500 English colonists from Massachusetts during a snowstorm. The British were forced to surrender.
The End of King George’s War
By the end of 1747, the British colonists living in the Americans had stopped fighting. England had promised to send money and aid to support the war effort, but neither of those things ever came. Tired of exhausting and costly raids, not to mention little territorial gain made by either side, the Americans were done. The War of the Austrian Succession and King George’s War came to an end on October 18, 1748. The Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle returned any and all conquests made during the war. This meant that Louisburg was given back to the French. The treaty was just a temporary fix to end the costly war. In reality, it did not fix the deep underlying issues between France and England.
