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European Power Dynamics
- Five great powers dominated 18th-century Europe: France, Austria, Prussia, Great Britain, and Russia.
- Their shifting alliances, like a quadrille dance, defined international politics.
Great Britain's Rise
- Great Britain's policy evolved from continental non-intervention to naval and colonial expansion.
- This shift intensified their rivalry with France, leading to the 'Second Hundred Years' War'.
Hapsburg and French Rivalry
- The Austrian Hapsburgs, ruling a composite kingdom from Vienna, were a dominant force.
- French foreign policy consistently aimed to contain Hapsburg influence.