ON THIS DAY IN THE VERSAILLES CENTURY (1682-1789)
26 April 1778
On this day, at Versailles, the Duc de Croÿ hears that the Queen has been insisting that France should help her brother the Emperor. Specifically, the Treaty of Versailles should be honoured. It provides that an army of 24,000 men should be sent to Germany. When she speaks to the King about it, he replies, “Well then, speak to the Ministers about it!” Taking him at his word, she speaks to them one by one in private. There is then a council meeting presided over by the King. The outcome is not known, but a courier is seen to leave for Vienna. Croÿ is distressed. He thinks getting involved in German affairs would have a deleterious effect on the war effort in the Atlantic.
Commentary:
The Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II is attempting to claim Bavaria for himself after the death of its childless, brother-less, and nephew-less Elector, who died on 30 December, 1777. The rightful heir is the late Elector’s closest male relation in a male line of the House of Bavaria, namely a distant cousin, the Elector Palatine.
Pictured: Maximilian III Joseph (1727-1777), Elector of Bavaria from 1745 until his death.
Three states in the Holy Roman Empire are currently ruled by branches of the House of Bavaria: Bavaria, the Palatinate, and Zweibrücken (known as Deux-Ponts to the French).
Pictured: Charles Theodore of Bavaria (1724-1799), Elector Palatine from 1742.
The Elector Palatine also has no sons, brothers, or nephews. The Duke of Zweibrücken, once considered too insignificant to marry the Archduchess Maria Amalia, is therefore the ultimate heir to both electoral crowns.
Pictured: Joseph II (1741-1790), Holy Roman Emperor since 1765, co-ruler of the Habsburg hereditary dominions with his mother until her death in 1780.
Joseph II, however, wants Bavaria for himself. His spurious claim is that his late second wife, with whom he had no children, was the late Elector of Bavaria’s sister. Frederick II of Prussia and the Elector of Saxony are determined to prevent this Austrian land grab and are prepared to go to war. The Emperor’s mother, the mighty Maria Theresa, having already conducted 2 long and expensive wars against Prussia, does not want another one. Will the Emperor get around the august Empress-Queen and lead the Habsburg dominions into war?
If you have questions that I have not addressed in the commentary, please ask in the comments.
The more they have, the more they want. Greedy bastards!