Aix-La-Chapelle, Treaty of
Aix-La-Chapelle, Treaty of
AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, TREATY OF. 18 October 1748. This treaty ended the War of the Austrian Succession. It represented a suspension of hostilities between rival European coalitions rather than a stable solution of serious problems. French victories on land in Europe balanced British successes at sea. Britain agreed to restore Louisbourg, captured by its New England colonies, for French withdrawal from the Low Countries. Maria Theresa was confirmed as empress of Austria, but British pressure forced Austria to concede Silesia to Prussia, souring Anglo-Austrian relations. French stature was enhanced, and Prussia was enlarged, by Frederick II's successful aggression against Austria. No solutions were found for Anglo-French imperial rivalries in India and North America, which continued to fester. The German name for the city is Aachen; thus this document is also called the Treaty of Aachen.
SEE ALSO Austrian Succession, War of the; Louisburg, Canada.
revised by Harold E. Selesky