Congress of Hanover - Aftermath

Aftermath

Newcastle believed that the election of Joseph was sealed, but when he travelled to Vienna he found the Austrians were unwilling to proceed using the requirement that they be forced to pay a small payment of money to the Palatine as justification for their refusal. The Austrians were preparing for a war with Prussia in which they would need France as allies, and so they had no wish to risk offending them. They also attempted to appease the British by suggesting alternative candidates.

Even when the British offered themselves to compensate the Palatines, Austria refused to agree. The Austrian rejection of the scheme was the beginning of the end for the long-standing Anglo-Austrian Alliance which collapsed in 1756. Newcastle and his Austrophile allies in the British cabinet were severely weakened by this and Newcastle was personally disappointed at the failure of a scheme into which he had put so much effort.

Joseph did eventually become Holy Roman Emperor in 1765 following the Seven Years' War. The lack of Austrian interest in acquiring the throne demonstrated how dramatically less important the role had grown in the eighteenth century.