Peter Jason
2025-03-07 23:12:35 UTC
Reply
Permalink......that relates to the Ukraine imbroglio.
Hi, when Frederick II conquered Silesia in the 1700s, can Austria make
a claim to get it back?
Chat GPT said:
Yes, Austria could and did make a claim to reclaim Silesia after
Frederick II (Frederick the Great) of Prussia conquered it during the
War of Austrian Succession (17401748).
Silesia was historically part of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which had
been under the control of the Hapsburg Monarchy (the ruling family of
Austria). After the death of Charles VI of Austria in 1740, his
daughter, Maria Theresa, inherited the Hapsburg lands, but her
succession was contested. Frederick II saw this as an opportunity to
expand Prussian territory and, in 1740, invaded Silesia.
Despite several military conflicts, including the War of Austrian
Succession, Prussia managed to retain control over Silesia after the
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748), which ended the war. The treaty
recognized Prussia's acquisition of Silesia, and Austrias claim to
the region was effectively annulled for the time being.
However, Austria never fully abandoned its claim to Silesia. Maria
Theresa and her successors continued to seek its return, leading to
further conflicts, including the Seven Years' War (17561763), where
Austria, allied with other European powers, again tried to reclaim the
territory but ultimately failed to do so.
In short, Austria did claim Silesia back after its conquest by
Frederick II, but those claims were unsuccessful, and Silesia remained
under Prussian control until the eventual partition of Poland in the
late 18th century, when it became part of Prussia's growing kingdom.