The War of the Austrian Succession, 1740–1748

Following the death of Charles VI a number of European powers refused to accept Maria Theresa’s accession to the throne, triggering the War of Austrian Succession. For the Habsburgs, this led to painful losses of territory – notably the rich province of Silesia, but also Parma and Piacenza. However, all in all Austria came out of the war relatively well: the Monarchy was not carved up, and the title of Holy Roman Emperor remained in Habsburg hands. The House of Habsburg-Lorraine was still a major European power.