Congress of Breda

Congress of Breda

Breda Castle, used by the British delegation
Context	Britain and France agree peace terms for the subsequent 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, ending the 1740-1748 War of the Austrian Succession
Location	Breda, Dutch Republic
Negotiators	Marquis de Puisieux Earl of Sandwich
Parties	France  Great Britain

The Congress of Breda, also known as the Breda peace talks, were a series of bilateral negotiations between Great Britain and France, held in the Dutch city of Breda from 1746 to 1748. The discussions led to the agreement of terms that later became the basis of the 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.

By 1746, the War of the Austrian Succession had effectively become a proxy contest between Britain and France, with French victories in Flanders offset by British naval success. Both sides were concerned by the financial costs, although the French position was significantly worse, with the Royal Navy blockade causing severe food shortages. The intention was to agree terms between France and Britain and end the Austrian War of Succession by presenting them to the other parties, who were not consulted.

The British deliberately extended discussions, hoping to improve their position, but defeat at Lauffeld in July 1747 and the loss of Bergen op Zoom in September led them to agree terms. These were imposed by France and Britain on their allies at Aix-la-Chapelle with minimal consultation.

In the long-term, it marked the point at which the Austrian Habsburg monarchy began moving closer to France, after over 300 years where conflict between them was the dominant theme of European politics.