The Franco-Austrian Alliance of 1756: How France Alienated Prussia

In 1756, France abandoned two centuries of hostility toward the Habsburgs and signed a treaty with Austria — their ancient enemy. This diplomatic revolution, orchestrated by the Austrian Chancellor Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz and secretly backed by Madame de Pompadour, realigned European power just in time for the Seven Years' War. The alliance with Austria meant France lost its traditional partner Prussia, leading to catastrophic defeats in Europe and overseas. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the backroom deals, personal rivalries, and miscalculations that led to the Treaty of Versailles (not that one) and the humiliation of Rossbach. They discuss how Louis XV's pursuit of glory through Maria Theresa's embrace backfired, why Frederick the Great called it 'the miracle of the House of Brandenburg,' and how this short-lived pact reshaped France's borders and its global ambitions. The episode also touches on the role of the secret du roi, France's covert foreign policy apparatus that contradicted its own treaties. A forgotten pivot that cost France an empire. #FrancoAustrianAlliance #DiplomaticRevolution #SevenYearsWar #LouisXV #MadameDePompadour #WenzelAntonVonKaunitz #MariaTheresa #FrederickTheGreat #TreatyOfVersailles1756 #BattleOfRossbach #SecretDuRoi #Diplomacy #18thCentury #Europe #History #FexingoHistory #FrenchHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo