ABSTRACT
Keeping the peace by, in Anglo-Hanoverian eyes, keeping France and Prussia in their places through a collective security system entailed two major linked problems. It made Britain dependent on her partners and it left unclear which of France and Prussia was to be regarded as the major challenge. A similar difficulty had faced the Alliance of Hanover in its confrontation with Austria and Spain in 1725-9, and had also affected British foreign policy during the War of the Austrian Succession. However, rather than being able in some fashion to choose what should be seen as the major challenge, the British were obliged in part to act with reference to their allies. Similarly, shifts in the attitude of Britain’s allies towards France and Prussia affected relations with these allies.
