What was the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748?

The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, also known as the Treaty of Aachen, officially ended the War of the Austrian Succession. Negotiated following a congress assembled in April 1748, the final treaty was signed on October 18, 1748, by Great Britain, France, and the Dutch Republic, while other belligerents like Austria and Spain had to comply. The agreement largely failed to resolve underlying conflicts, leading directly to the diplomatic realignment and the Seven Years' War.

What we know

• The 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the War of the Austrian Succession. [1, 2]
• A congress was assembled on 24 April 1748 at the Free Imperial City of Aachen to conclude the struggle. [2, 5]
• The final version of the treaty was signed on 18 October 1748 by Britain, France, and the Dutch Republic. [2]
• The dissatisfaction of signatories with the treaty terms contributed to the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1756. [2]

Still open

• Sources differ slightly on whether Sardinia refused to accede entirely due to the Treaty of Worms not being guaranteed, or whether they ultimately complied alongside Spain and Austria.

Where to go next

• what caused itHow did the War of the Austrian Succession start?
• what followedWhat was the Diplomatic Revolution of 1756?
• whereWhere is Aachen located today?
• whoWho was Maria Theresa of Austria?
• compared withWhat was the earlier Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1668?
• an unexpected connectionHow does an 18th-century European peace treaty connect to a modern German university hospital?The city that hosted the congress to draft the 1748 peace treaty is also home to Europe's largest single-building hospital today.

Sources

• [1]Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (Wikidata Q156086) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Aachen · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) · CC BY-SA 4.0