ABSTRACT
By a curious coincidence, under the half-dozen sovereigns who so rapidly succeeded each other on the Russian throne and during the reigns of the contemporary rulers of England, German Courts held a dominating position. Against the rebuff France attempted to retaliate by stirring up satellite state, Turkey, to attack Russia. The Russians had captured the great fortress of Oczakov in 1738, that of Choczim on the Dniester in 1739, and ten days after Austria had signed the Treaty of Belgrade the Russians had actually crossed the Pruth and occupied the Moldavian capital. The War of the Austrian succession does not concern the narrative. It must suffice to say that when it was ended by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, there remained two fixed points in the diplomatic situation: one was the persistent hostility of Austria and Prussia; the other was the rivalry of England and France. In Foreign Policy Sir Robert Walpole's interests, like those of his father, were primarily Hanoverian.
