18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 33

[cahn]

And, I mean, it doesn't have to be just 18th century characters, either!

(also, waiting for Yuletide!)

Comments

1730 Recent Diplomacy: 1731 Treaty of Vienna

[mildred_of_midgard]

In the process of being negotiated when Fritz appears in France. Historically signed in March 1731. Signed in this AU? Who knows!

Context

Britain is trying to get Austria to agree to the terms that Britain and France just agreed to with Spain. They're also trying to settle a number of other issues. This treaty represents them finally abandoning the French alliance (they did try to convince the French to be okay with the separate treaty with Austria, but the French were having none of it), and going back to the "old system" of England and Austria against France and Spain, which felt more natural to most people.

Terms

Austria finally agrees to shut down the Ostend Company for good.

Austria agrees to allow the Spanish garrisons in Parma and Tuscany so that Don Carlos can be heir when the local dukes die (the Duke of Parma in fact has already just died, in January 1731).

Britain agrees to the Pragmatic Sanction. Britain, Austria and the Dutch Republic gave each other a reciprocal territorial guarantee against aggression. 

A month after this treaty, George II finally gets the investitures for Bremen and Verden. The timing is significant because G2 wanted to hold out for the investitures as part of the treaty, but the Hanoverian concerns were abandoned in favor of getting Britain the badly needed treaty with Austria asap.