Treaty of Versailles (1756)
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Versailles (also known as the First Treaty of Versailles) was a diplomatic agreement between Austria
and France
signed on 1 May 1756 at the Palace of Versailles
in which the two countries offered each other mutual assistance if attacked by other powers, which was broadly interpreted as meaning Britain
or Prussia
. The Treaty established the Franco-Austrian Alliance
which was to last in some form or another for the next thirty years. Within months of the agreement France and Austria found themselves engaged in the Seven Years War against the Anglo-Prussian Alliance
which was to last until 1763. Along with the Westminster Convention the Treaty formed part of the Diplomatic Revolution
which re-aligned the alliance systems of the major powers of Europe in the run-up to the war.
The Treaty was obsensibly defensive, but British agents suspected that there had been secret clauses, and the agreement had been more wide-ranging than the document actually publicised.
A subsequent treaty
, promising even closer co-operation between the two states was agreed at Versailles the following year.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
signed on 1 May 1756 at the Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
in which the two countries offered each other mutual assistance if attacked by other powers, which was broadly interpreted as meaning Britain
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...
or 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...
. The Treaty established the Franco-Austrian Alliance
Franco-Austrian Alliance
The Franco-Austrian Alliance was a diplomatic and military alliance between France and Austria that was first established in 1756 following the First Treaty of Versailles which lasted for much of the remainder of the century until it was abandoned during the French Revolution.The Alliance had its...
which was to last in some form or another for the next thirty years. Within months of the agreement France and Austria found themselves engaged in the Seven Years War against the Anglo-Prussian Alliance
Anglo-Prussian Alliance
The Anglo-Prussian Alliance was a military alliance created by the Westminster Convention between Great Britain and Prussia which lasted formally between 1756 and 1762 during the Seven Years' War. It allowed Britain to concentrate the majority of its efforts against the colonial possessions of the...
which was to last until 1763. Along with the Westminster Convention the Treaty formed part of the Diplomatic Revolution
Diplomatic Revolution
The Diplomatic Revolution of 1756 is a term applied to the reversal of longstanding diplomatic alliances which were upheld until the War of the Austrian Succession and then reversed in the Seven Years' War; the shift has also been known as "the great change of partners"...
which re-aligned the alliance systems of the major powers of Europe in the run-up to the war.
The Treaty was obsensibly defensive, but British agents suspected that there had been secret clauses, and the agreement had been more wide-ranging than the document actually publicised.
A subsequent treaty
Treaty of Versailles (1757)
The Treaty of Versailles was a diplomatic agreement signed between Austria and France at Versailles Palace on 1 May 1757 during the Seven Years' War. The agreement expanded on the First Treaty of Versailles from the previous year which had established the Franco-Austrian Alliance...
, promising even closer co-operation between the two states was agreed at Versailles the following year.