BIBLIOGRAPHY.--Besides general works on Frederick's life and reign, of which Carlyle, Preuss and v. Taysen are of particular importance, and Frederick's own works, see the Prussian official _Die I. und II. schlesischen Kriege_ (Berlin, 1890-1895); Austrian official _Kriege der Kaiserin Maria Theresia; Gesch. des österr. Erbfolgekrieges_ (Vienna, from 1895); Jomini, _Traité des grandes opérations militaires_, introduction to vol. i. (Paris, 4th edition, 1851); C. von B.-K., _Geist und Stoff im Kriege_ (Vienna, 1895); v. Arneth, _Maria Teresias ersten Regierungsjahre_ (1863); v. Schöning, _Die 5 erste Jahre der Regierung Friedrichs des Grossen_; Bernhardi, _Friedrich der Grosse als Feldherr_ (Berlin, 1881); v. Canitz, _Nachrichten, &c., über die Taten und Schicksale der Reiterei, &c_. (Berlin, 1861); Grünhagen, _Gesch. des I. schlesischen Krieges_ (Gotha, 1881-1882); Orlich, _Gesch. der schlesischen Kriege_; Deroy, _Beiträge zur Gesch. des österr. Erbfolgekrieges_ (Munich, 1883); Crousse, _La Guerre de la succession dans les provinces belgiques_ (Paris, 1885); Duncker, _Militärische, &c., Aktenstücke zur Gesch. des I. schles. Krieges_; _Militär-Wochenblatt_ supplements 1875, 1877, 1878, 1883, 1891, 1901, &c. (Berlin); _Mitteilungen des k.k. Kriegsarchivs_, from 1887 (Vienna); Baumgart, _Die Litteratur, &c., über Friedrich d. Gr_. (Berlin, 1886); Fortescue, _History of the British Army_, vol. ii.; F. H. Skrine, _Fontenoy and the War of the Austrian Succession_ (London, 1906); Francis Parkman, _A Half-Century of Conflict_ (1892).
The naval operations of this war were languid and confused. They are complicated by the fact that they were entangled with the Spanish war, which broke out in 1739 in consequence of the long disputes between England and Spain over their conflicting claims in America. Until the closing years they were conducted with small intelligence or spirit. The Spanish government was nerveless, and sacrificed its true interest to the family ambition of the king Philip V., who wished to establish his younger sons as ruling princes in Italy. French administration was corrupt, and the government was chiefly concerned in its political interests in Germany. The British navy was at its lowest point of energy [v.03 p.0044] and efficiency after the long administration of Sir Robert Walpole. Therefore, although the war contained passages of vigour, it was neither interesting nor decisive on the sea.