ABSTRACT
The war between Britain and Spain at sea and in America which broke out at the end of 1739, and in which from the beginning France seemed destined to play a leading role, found none of these three powers adequately prepared for it. Organisation had been reformed, often on French models; many out-of-date practices had been swept away; a new naval base had been created at Ferrol. Colonial governors also, both in the West Indies and North America, constantly pressed for the allocation of more ships to trade protection in their own areas. The French East India Company proposed in 1742 that its Indian possessions and those of its English counterpart should be recognised as neutral in any future Anglo-French war. The final verdict on the impact of the Austrian Succession struggle on Britain's economic life must therefore be tentative and uncertain.
