"Maurice de Saxe and the Conquest of the Austrian" Topic

… Netherlands 1744-1748: Volume 1 The Ghosts of Dettingen

"The world's first truly global conflict erupted in 1740 over the question as to who would rule the Holy Roman Empire, with Europe divided between those who supported the Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria and those who endorsed the claim of Charles-Albert of Bavaria. As Europe divided, allies would become enemies and enemies, allies; with the conflict ultimately stretching from Europe, to India and the Americas. Lasting for eight years, the fighting ultimately escalated into an undeclared war between Europe's two superpowers – France and Great Britain – and by its end in 1748, with the loss of her bases at Louisbourg in New France and Pondichéry in India it looked as if France would end up the loser, her influence in Europe curtailed and her plans for colonial expansion dead in the water.

That she avoided this fate was down to the actions of the ‘least of Her generals' – Armand Maurice de Saxe – the illegitimate son of King August ‘the strong' of Saxony-Poland who, having defeated the Allied invasion of northern France in 1744, used this as a springboard to then conquer the Austrian Netherlands, defeating the Allies in three set piece battles (Fontenoy, 1745, Rocoux, 1746 and Lauffeld, 1747) and numerous sieges. Fortified by Saxe's victories, France went into the eventual peace negotiations in the ascendant and was able to secure a favourable treaty which ensured the return of her overseas colonies…"

Main page
link

Armand

Sorry Tango01, but again no link to the original publisher? ; )

Link goes to Amazon… (?)

Armand

Poet, try this link link
Looks interesting, and probably about time. I have only read Edmund B. D'Auvergne book "The Prodigious Marshall" which isn't far off it's centennial

Glad you like it….

Armand