Game of the Week, January 19-25

This week’s Game of the Week leads you to the 18th century and the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748), as chronicled in Musket & Pike: War of the Austrian Succession.  The game is on sale at 25% off now through January 25th – the first time it has ever been discounted since its January 2025 release. Explore the stormy era of Maria Theresa’s reign and Frederick the Great's ambition and witness the battles that forged modern Europe – now at a special price for a limited time.

When Emperor Charles VI died in 1740, he left a succession plan meant to secure the Habsburg inheritance for his daughter, Maria Theresa. Even where the so-called Pragmatic Sanction had been acknowledged, many rulers treated it as conditional once Vienna appeared vulnerable. Maria Theresa’s position also looked precarious in a political culture that assumed sovereign power was a male preserve, and rivals were quick to frame her succession as an opening to challenge Habsburg legitimacy. The inheritance question soon fused with older strategic aims: Prussia’s appetite for territory and status, France’s desire to check Habsburg power, Britain’s determination to contain France, and Spain’s ambitions in Italy and the Mediterranean. What began as a dynastic dispute escalated into a general war because nearly every major player believed there was something to gain.

Frederick II of Prussia and Maria Theresa (Public Domain)

The first shock came from Prussia. Frederick II, newly on the throne, invaded Silesia late in 1740. Silesia was a rich province and a strategic wedge on Austria’s northern flank; holding it would elevate Prussia into the first rank of European powers. Early battles such as Mollwitz in 1741 revealed the strength of Prussian infantry drill and the depth of Austria’s initial unpreparedness. But the wider impact was diplomatic: Prussia’s early success convinced other states that the Habsburg position could be challenged, and a crisis that might have remained limited expanded rapidly as opportunistic coalitions formed.

“Von allen verlassen, wende ich mich an die alte Treue und Tapferkeit der ungarischen Nation.”

“Abandoned by all, I turn to the ancient loyalty and courage of the Hungarian nation.”

Maria Theresa, before the Hungarian Diet in Pressburg (Bratislava) on 11 September 1741 

France and Bavaria soon widened the conflict, turning it into a contest over the imperial crown as well as Habsburg territories. Charles Albert of Bavaria, backed by French arms, pressed his claims and was elected Holy Roman Emperor as Charles VII. For France, supporting Bavaria served a familiar objective: weaken Austria, gain leverage on the Rhine, and expand influence into Germany. The central European theater—Bohemia, Bavaria, and the Danube corridor—became a landscape of sieges, fortified towns, and maneuver constrained by supply. The shifting fortunes around Prague and the reversals of 1741–1742 already illustrated a pattern that would define the war: dramatic successes were hard to sustain, and alliances were unstable because partners often pursued conflicting goals.

Britain’s entry ensured the war would not remain a purely German affair. Britain backed Austria less out of sentiment than calculation, seeing Habsburg survival as a counterweight to French dominance. The Dutch Republic, wary of French pressure in the Austrian Netherlands, was pulled in as well. Over time, the western theater in Flanders and Brabant became central, because control of the Austrian Netherlands affected Dutch security and Britain’s strategic position across the Channel. Campaigns in the Low Countries followed the era’s characteristic rhythm: slow advances shaped by fortresses and logistics, punctuated by set-piece battles that could shift momentum without deciding the war.

Dettingen in 1743 entered British memory for the presence of George II, the last British monarch to command an army on the battlefield, but it was not decisive. The most consequential commander there was Maurice de Saxe, whose operational skill and battlefield management gave France a series of hard-won advantages.

George II at the Battle of Dettingen, with the Duke of Cumberland and Robert, 4th Earl of Holderness, 27 June 1743, painting by John Wootton (National Army Museum / Public Domain)

Fontenoy in 1745 became the emblematic battle of the western front. It tested coalition cohesion and demonstrated how fieldworks and artillery could shape eighteenth-century combat as much as bayonet lines and cavalry charges. The French victory strengthened their hold on the Austrian Netherlands and showed that Britain’s financial and naval power still needed to be matched with sustained continental land commitment if France was to be checked. Yet even Fontenoy did not settle the conflict, because the war’s “center” repeatedly shifted between theaters as diplomacy, troop availability, and other crises reshaped priorities.

Map of the Battle of Fontenoy, 11 May 1745 (Rebel Redcoat via Wikipedia / Public Domain)

One of those crises erupted in Britain itself: the Jacobite Rising of 1745. While not the main driver of the wider war, it was entangled with it because France viewed the Stuarts as a lever against Britain. Charles Edward Stuart’s landing in Scotland and his early successes forced London to divert attention and resources, briefly making internal security a strategic factor. The rising ended with Culloden in 1746, but its wider significance was the reminder that European wars in this era were not fought only on distant fronts; domestic instability could influence coalition commitments and military focus.

"An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745" showing the Battle of Culloden by David Morier (Public Domain)

Italy formed another major theater. Spain sought gains and influence on the peninsula, Austria defended its positions, and France looked for indirect pressure points against Vienna by supporting Spanish aims. The geography of northern Italy—mountain passes, river lines, fortified cities—produced a different operational logic than Flanders or Silesia: coordination and timing mattered as much as raw strength, and campaigns often hinged on sieges and control of routes rather than a single decisive field battle. 

In central Europe, Frederick’s campaigns remained the war’s most visible military storyline. The Second Silesian War featured battles such as Hohenfriedberg and Soor, in which Prussian tactical efficiency and operational daring delivered impressive results. Yet Frederick’s position was never comfortable. Prussia’s resources were limited, and victory depended on speed, concentration, and diplomatic timing to avoid being overwhelmed by larger coalitions. Austria, meanwhile, adapted. Maria Theresa’s government mobilized resources more effectively, pursued reforms, and worked to stabilize alliances. By the later years, Austrian performance improved, and the war increasingly became a contest of endurance and coalition politics rather than early-war opportunism.

Peace came with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, and its terms reflected the war’s complexity. Much was restored to prewar conditions, but the crucial exception was Silesia, which remained in Prussian hands. That outcome confirmed Frederick’s gamble and permanently altered the German balance of power. Maria Theresa retained her inheritance and emerged as a stronger ruler than her enemies had assumed in 1740. France secured battlefield prestige but not a settlement that fully matched its ambitions, while Britain preserved key interests yet remained locked in rivalry with France. The war ended less with closure than with sharpened rivalries—especially Austria versus Prussia and Britain versus France—that would soon ignite again in the Seven Years’ War.

For history buffs and players alike, the War of the Austrian Succession is compelling because it is not a neat story of one decisive battle or a single front. It is a war of shifting coalitions, regional campaigns, and distinctly eighteenth-century operational problems: the primacy of fortresses, the tyranny of supply, and the careful choreography of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. It forged reputations, tested states, and laid the political groundwork for the mid-century conflicts that followed.

What's in the Game?

• War of the Austrian Succession includes 85 Scenarios – covering all sizes and situations, including a solo tutorial scenario plus specialized versions for both head to head play and vs. the computer AI. An additional 43 scenarios are available in the Campaign aspect.
• A range of maps are included covering all the significant locations fought over during the war and some of lesser known locations.
• The order of battle files cover the various forces that participated in the campaign with other formations added in for hypothetical situations.
• There are extensive 3d unit graphics covering all of the major armies involved.
• Campaign and Scenario Editors which allow players to customize the game.
• Sub-map feature allows the main maps to be subdivided into smaller segments for custom scenario creation.
• Design notes which cover the production of the game, campaign notes and a bibliography that includes the sources used by the design team to produce this historical simulation game. You can read them here.
• War of the Austrian Succession provides multiple play options including play against the computer AI, Play by E-mail (PBEM), LAN & Internet "live" play as well as two player hot seat.

Book, video and podcast recommendations

If you want to dive into the historical background, here are some book, video and Podcast recommendations.

Note: Clicking on the book's cover brings you to Amazon.

Browning, Reed S. The War of the Austrian Succession. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993.

Anderson, M. S. The War of the Austrian Succession 1740–1748. London: Routledge, 1995.

Duffy, Christopher. Frederick the Great: A Military Life. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985.

Duffy, Christopher. The Military Experience in the Age of Reason, 1715–1789. London: Routledge, 1987.

Duffy, Christopher. Fight for a Throne: The Jacobite '45 Reconsidered Solihull: Helion, 2015

Bamford, Andrew. Rebellious Scots to Crush: The Military Response to the Jacobite '45. Solihull, UK: Helion & Company, 2021.

Bamford, Andrew. The Lilies & the Thistle: French Troops in the Jacobite '45. Solihull, UK: Helion & Company, 2018.

White, Jon Manchip, Marshal of France: The Life and Times of Maurice, Comte de Saxe London: Hamish Hamilton 1962

Badone, Giovanni Cerino, You Have to Die in Piedmont! The Battle of Assietta, 19 July 1747. The War of the Austrian Succession in the Alps Warwick: Helion, 2023

...as well as some videos, both gameplay videos and historical documentaries...

Last, but definitely not least,  we want to recommend the excellent Podcast series "Prime & Load" to you. Next to episodes about other 18th century wars, you'll find many episodes about the War of Austrian Succession.

A quick bonus for anyone who wants to go deeper: the Prime & Load podcast has just released a War of the Austrian Succession episode featuring an interview with Rich Hamilton and Gary McClellan, recorded to coincide with this sale window. They dig into why the war matters, what makes the campaigns and battlefields distinct across theaters, and how those 18th-century realities translate into scenario design and gameplay choices in Musket & Pike: War of the Austrian Succession. Give it a listen here: https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-vteiz-2a6c0dd3

https://primeandload.buzzsprout.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prime-and-load/id1799078676

Screenshots

Below, you can see screenshots from Musket & Pike: War of the Austrian Succession to get a feel for the 2D and 3D views and the scale of the engagements. Clicking a screenshot opens it in full resolution.