Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)

The Congress of Aachen (French: Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle) was assembled on 24 April 1748 in the Imperial Free City of Aachen, in the west of the Holy Roman Empire, to conclude the struggle known as the War of Austrian Succession. Between 30 April and 21 May the preliminaries were agreed to between Great Britain, France, the Dutch Republic, and Maria Theresa, queen of Bohemia and Hungary. The king of Sardinia, Ferdinand VI of Spain, the duke of Modena, and the Republic of Genoa successively gave their adhesion. The definitive treaty was signed on the 18th of October, Sardinia alone refusing to accede, because the Treaty of Worms was not guaranteed.

Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

Of the provisions of the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, the most important were those stipulating for:

1. a general restitution of conquests, including Cape Breton Island to France, Madras to England and the barrier towns to the Dutch
2. the assignment to Don Philip of the duchies of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla
3. the restoration of the duke of Modena and the republic of Genoa to their former positions
4. the renewal in favour of Great Britain of the Asiento contract of 16 March 1713, and of the right to send an annual vessel to the Spanish colonies
5. the renewal of the article of the treaty of 1718 recognizing the Protestant succession in the English throne
6. the recognition of the emperor Francis and the confirmation of the pragmatic sanction, i.e. of the right of Maria Theresa to the Habsburg succession
7. the guarantee to Prussia of the duchy of Silesia and the county of Glatz.

Changes to the treaty

Spain having raised objections to the Asiento clauses, the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle was supplemented by the Treaty of Madrid on the 5th of October, 1750, by which Great Britain surrendered her claims under those clauses in return for a sum of £100,000.

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Phillips, Walter Alison (1911). "Aix-la-Chapelle, Congresses of". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 449–450.