Congress of Hanover
Encyclopedia
The Congress of Hanover took place in the Electorate of Hanover
in 1752. It was convened by the British
government who wished to agree up a schedule for the election of the next Holy Roman Emperor
. All of the eight voting German electors were invited to attend, as was a representative of France
. The Congress lasted, intermittently, from June until October 1752.
The British wanted a swift election of their favoured candidate, the Austrian heir apparent
Joseph, Duke of Lorraine. The British Secretary of State
the Duke of Newcastle
had travelled to the continent with George II of Great Britain
to oversee the Congress. The French were represented by Count Vergennes
a young diplomat.
The British had agreed to pay some of the smaller electors subsidies in order to gain their votes. Saxony
received a yearly payment of £48,000. The French perceived this as an attempt to forge a pro-British alliance of the German states to create a military coalition in any future war. They saw the sudden British interest in the election as a smokescreen behind which they were advancing their own interests in Germany. In response France applied pressure on Austria to try to block the scheme while Vergennes attempted to appear co-operative with Newcastle at the Congress.
The Congress finally concluded with the intention to elect the Austrian candidate.
he found the Austrians were unwilling to proceed using the requirement that they be forced to pay a small payment of money to the Palatine
as justification for their refusal. The Austrians were preparing for a war with Prussia
in which they would need France as allies, and so they had no wish to risk offending them. They also attempted to appease the British by suggesting alternative candidates.
Even when the British offered themselves to compensate the Palatines, Austria refused to agree. The Austrian rejection of the scheme was the beginning of the end for the long-standing Anglo-Austrian Alliance
which collapsed in 1756. Newcastle and his Austrophile
allies in the British cabinet were severely weakened by this and Newcastle was personally disappointed at the failure of a scheme into which he had put so much effort.
Joseph did eventually become Holy Roman Emperor
in 1765 following the Seven Years' War
. The lack of Austrian interest in acquiring the throne demonstrated how dramatically less important the role had grown in the eighteenth century.
Electorate of Hanover
The Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the ninth Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation...
in 1752. It was convened by the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
government who wished to agree up a schedule for the election of the next 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...
. All of the eight voting German electors were invited to attend, as was a representative of France
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
. The Congress lasted, intermittently, from June until October 1752.
The British wanted a swift election of their favoured candidate, the Austrian heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
Joseph, Duke of Lorraine. The British Secretary of State
Secretary of State for the Northern Department
The Secretary of State for the Northern Department was a position in the Cabinet of the government of Great Britain up to 1782. Before the Act of Union, 1707, the Secretary of State's responsibilities were in relation to the English government, not the British. Even after the Union, there was...
the Duke of Newcastle
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, KG, PC was a British Whig statesman, whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. He is commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle.A protégé of Sir Robert Walpole, he served...
had travelled to the continent with George II of Great Britain
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
to oversee the Congress. The French were represented by Count Vergennes
Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes
Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes was a French statesman and diplomat. He served as Foreign Minister from 1774 during the reign of Louis XVI, notably during the American War of Independence....
a young diplomat.
The British had agreed to pay some of the smaller electors subsidies in order to gain their votes. Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
received a yearly payment of £48,000. The French perceived this as an attempt to forge a pro-British alliance of the German states to create a military coalition in any future war. They saw the sudden British interest in the election as a smokescreen behind which they were advancing their own interests in Germany. In response France applied pressure on Austria to try to block the scheme while Vergennes attempted to appear co-operative with Newcastle at the Congress.
The Congress finally concluded with the intention to elect the Austrian candidate.
Aftermath
Newcastle believed that the election of Joseph was sealed, but when he travelled to ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
he found the Austrians were unwilling to proceed using the requirement that they be forced to pay a small payment of money to the Palatine
Palatine
A palatine or palatinus is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times...
as justification for their refusal. The Austrians were preparing for a war with Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
in which they would need France as allies, and so they had no wish to risk offending them. They also attempted to appease the British by suggesting alternative candidates.
Even when the British offered themselves to compensate the Palatines, Austria refused to agree. The Austrian rejection of the scheme was the beginning of the end for the long-standing Anglo-Austrian Alliance
Anglo-Austrian Alliance
The Anglo-Austrian Alliance connected the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Habsburg monarchy during the first half of the 18th century. It was largely the work of the British statesman Duke of Newcastle, who considered an alliance with Austria crucial to prevent the further expansion of French...
which collapsed in 1756. Newcastle and his Austrophile
Austrophile
An Austrophile is somebody who is fond of Austrian culture, and Austria in general though they themselves were not born in the country. Historically it could be applied to the wider Austrian Empire, but since 1918 it has applied to the more limited boundaries of the modern nation-state of Austria...
allies in the British cabinet were severely weakened by this and Newcastle was personally disappointed at the failure of a scheme into which he had put so much effort.
Joseph did eventually become 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...
in 1765 following the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. The lack of Austrian interest in acquiring the throne demonstrated how dramatically less important the role had grown in the eighteenth century.