Congress of Breda - Aftermath

Aftermath

The peace was formally concluded with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, in which all parties participated although the terms had already been agreed in advance by Britain and France at Breda. The terms proved deeply unsatisfactory to Maria Theresa of Austria who was outraged that Austria had lost Silesia and that the British had agreed this at Breda without any Austrians being present. In the long run this contributed to the breakdown of the Anglo-Austrian Alliance.

Sandwich was rewarded for his role at the Congress, by being made First Lord of the Admiralty, a post in the British cabinet. Newcastle and he were attacked by the Opposition for giving up Louisbourg, Britain's only significant gain in the war, to France. In France there was enormous disquiet about how France's seemingly advantageous position on the European continent had been given up. A phrase "as stupid as the peace" became popular in France, to express contempt for the terms agreed at Breda and Aix-la-Chapelle.