On This Day

Russia joins the Alliance of Versailles

The Franco-Austrian alliance was a diplomatic and military alliance between France and Austria that was first established in 1756 after the First Treaty of Versailles.

The Franco-Austrian alliance was a diplomatic and military alliance between France and Austria that was first established in 1756 after the First Treaty of Versailles. It lasted for much of the remainder of the century until it was abandoned during the French Revolution.

The alliance had its heyday during the Seven Years' War, when France and Austria joined forces to fight their mutual enemy, Prussia. After the allies' defeat, the intimacy of the alliance weakened, and by the 1780s, the alliance had become something closer to a formality. Austria even briefly considered the idea of entering the American War of Independence on Britain's side against France.

Historical Significance

The Franco-Austrian alliance was a diplomatic and military alliance between France and Austria that was first established in 1756 after the First Treaty of Versailles.

Events Before

  1. Samuel Johnson's "A Dictionary of the English Language" is published in London

    A Dictionary of the English Language, sometimes published as Johnson's Dictionary, was published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson.

  2. Lisbon earthquake kills more than 50,000 in Portugal

    The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, hit the Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa on the morning of Saturday, 1 November, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40...

  3. Treaty of Giyanti / Gianti Java dividing the once powerful Javanese Sultanate of Mataram signed by the Dutch and Javanes

    Treaty of Giyanti / Gianti Java dividing the once powerful Javanese Sultanate of Mataram signed by the Dutch and Javanese princes Mangkubumi and Pakubuwono

  4. 1st steam engine in America installed, to pump water from a mine

    1st steam engine in America installed, to pump water from a mine

  5. Commodore William James captures the pirate fortress of Suvarnadurg on west coast of India

    Commodore William James captures the pirate fortress of Suvarnadurg on west coast of India

Events After

  1. American revolution patriot Paul Revere (22) weds Sarah Orne in Bridgewater, Massachusetts

    American revolution patriot Paul Revere (22) weds Sarah Orne in Bridgewater, Massachusetts

  2. British forces led by Colonel Clive and Admiral Watson occupy Calcutta, India

    Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency.

  3. Failed assassination attempt on French King Louis XV by Damiens

    Robert-François Damiens was a French domestic servant whose attempted assassination of King Louis XV in 1757 culminated in his public execution.

  4. German Diet declares war on Prussia

    The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a global war fought by numerous great powers, primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and the Indian subcontinent.

  5. On board HMS Monarch (his own flagship), British Admiral John Byng is executed by firing squad for failing to come to ai

    On board HMS Monarch (his own flagship), British Admiral John Byng is executed by firing squad for failing to come to aide of besieged British garrison

More from the 1750s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 31, 1756?
The Franco-Austrian alliance was a diplomatic and military alliance between France and Austria that was first established in 1756 after the First Treaty of Versailles. It lasted for much of the remainder of the century until it was abandoned during the French Revolution. The alliance had its heyday during the Seven Years' War, when France and Austria joined forces to fight their mutual enemy, Prussia.
Why is Russia joins the Alliance of Versailles significant?
The Franco-Austrian alliance was a diplomatic and military alliance between France and Austria that was first established in 1756 after the First Treaty of Versailles.

Explore More