Maria Theresa's Diplomatic Revolution of 1756

In 1756, Maria Theresa of Austria orchestrated one of the most stunning reversals in European diplomatic history: the Diplomatic Revolution. After losing Silesia to Frederick the Great in the War of the Austrian Succession, she set out to isolate Prussia and reclaim her lost province. Her chief minister, Count Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz, engineered an alliance with France—Austria's ancient enemy—while also securing alliances with Russia and Saxony. This episode explores how Kaunitz's patient diplomacy overcame centuries of Habsburg-Valois enmity, the secret negotiations at Versailles, and the role of Madame de Pompadour as an unlikely intermediary. We also examine how this reshuffling of alliances directly led to the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), a global conflict that redrew the colonial map and cemented Prussia as a great power. Along the way, we touch on the diplomatic mechanisms of the 18th century, the personal rivalries between Maria Theresa and Frederick, and why the Diplomatic Revolution is a textbook example of realpolitik in action. #MariaTheresa #DiplomaticRevolution #Kaunitz #SevenYearsWar #FrederickTheGreat #AustrianHistory #Habsburgs #Versailles #MadameDePompadour #Realpolitik #18thCentury #EuropeanDiplomacy #Silesia #WarOfTheAustrianSuccession #France #Russia #Prussia #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo