Foreign Policies Of France Pr Essay Research

Foreign Policies Of France, Pr Essay, Research Paper

Major turmoil involving France, Prussia, and the Hapsburg Empire arose during the 1740 s. Each empire had an integral part in the rise or decline of the other involved nations. Prussia on one hand was seeking to expand into the Hapsburg territories. France seeing an expansion opportunity as well made an alliance with Prussia. The Hapsburg Empire could only hope to maintain the current boundaries of their kingdom and territories. They also thought it was necessary to create alliances to counterpart the ones made by Prussia. When Prussia seized the Austrian Province of Silesia, the Pragmatic Sanction was broken and upset the continental balance of power. These events and others culminated into the War of the Austrian Succession. The confrontation began though, as a result of each involved nation s foreign policy and their effort to achieve goals to further their economic, political, and geographical position. France, Prussia, and the Hapsburgs exhibited this quality as the War of Austrian Succession developed.

The foreign policy of France reflected the situation in Prussia and Austria. France did not want to witness a rising power to the east. Therefore, the dilemma was often to determine which nation, Austria or Prussia, was stronger in there effort to unite part of the land east of France. France then hoped to deter their efforts at unity. Furthermore, the aims of the French foreign policy were to “erode further the Hapsburg positions, by moves in the south against Spain and in the east and north against the vulnerable string of Spanish- Hapsburg and German territories”. (Kennedy 88) France was looking to expand financially and geographically, by gaining resourceful territories while still maintaining their colonies in America. It is because of their pursuits on two continents that they were trying to become the dominate hybrid power. France began to see the emergence of a multipolar system among European countries and realized mastery was not an achievable goal, and that maintaining a recognized power status was more likely. France realized that in order to become a dominate hybrid power, expansion to the east was necessary.

The Prussian foreign policy was similar to that of France. Prussia was looking to gain territory against its eastern competitors. It was also in the interest of Prussia to rise to up to a status of power in the East. During the war, Prussia also had to deal with the financial debt which developed. The Prussians dealt with this debt by utilizing their allies for aid.

Finally, Prussia s opposition, the Hapsburg Empire, focused their goals and policy on maintaining their inheritance of lands. Maria Theresa was constantly trying to keep the lands she controlled somewhat united and under her leadership. During the war she had to deal with the immense debt that her less efficient and decentralized country grew into. Therefore the main Hapsburg goals during the 1740 s were to maintain their territories and manage debt.

France although the largest nation in Europe suffered because its energies had to be diverted between its territories abroad and the home country. Thus, its continental aims diverted attention from its maritime and colonial goals. France could not concentrate on both fronts. If the French were to implore their energies in expansion abroad, they would be forced to deal with the many weaknesses in it s colonies. These weaknesses include “the rigidity of its colonial system, the inferiority of its navy and the very mediocre abilities of most of its statesmen.” (Brinton 409) French rulers did not disregard these aspects but set them aside because they viewed themselves as a land power and promoted expansion and development of the army. This is seen through the French involvement with Prussia as the Prussians seized Silesia. France hoped to gain territory as well. It was because of the eastern frontier that caused them to set goals to the east involving nations such as Austria and Prussia and not so much to the west.

Also, the main problem strategically was that although the French were an immense power defensively, they lacked the power to enact a campaign of conquest. Geographically, France was surrounded by influential and powerful nations such as Britain and Spain. For example “an attack on the southern Netherlands involved grinding campaigns through territory riddled with fortresses and waterways, and provoked a response not merely from the Hapsburg powers themselves but also from the United Provinces and England”. (Kennedy 89)

Furthermore, a campaign into Germany would bring France against multiple coalitions and treaties. This would result in a confrontation between the coalition of the Austrians, the Dutch, the British and the Prussians. Even when France conceded and decided alliance was the best pursuit to the east, opposition from the other German nations and Great Britain was met. Regardless, the alliance between France and Prussia was formed. By this, France would support Prussia in their campaigns against Austria and also the plans against the German state of Hanover (which unfortunately was a British territory and led to British aid to Austria). Also, France hoped for an opportunity to expand to the east, mainly into the Austrian Netherlands.

Financially during the 1740 s, France was looking to recover from debt caused by oth