A Pragmatic War: The War of the Austrian Succession 1741 – 1748

About this board game

A Pragmatic War: The War of the Austrian Succession 1741–1748 is a two-player historical simulation of the conflict over the Austrian succession, with an approximately 300-minute play time. Released in 2019, it recreates a war that eventually involved virtually all of Europe.

The conflict began after Charles VI, ruler of the Austrian crown lands and Holy Roman Emperor, died without male issue. His diplomatic program, known as the Pragmatic Sanction, had secured agreement from Europe’s leading powers for his eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, to succeed to the Hapsburg crown lands. That agreement unraveled after Frederick the Great of Prussia seized Silesia.

One player leads the Austrian interest through the Pragmatic Alliance, representing Austria and the powers that remained faithful to the original agreement. The opposing player controls the Bourbons, representing the challengers to Austria: Charles Albert of Bavaria, rival claimant to the imperial title, along with his supporters, chiefly the Bourbon rulers of France and Spain. Prussia joins the conflict intermittently.

• Two-player historical contest: Each side directs a faction made up of allied powers.
• European succession crisis: The struggle centers on Maria Theresa’s claim to the Hapsburg dominions and the imperial succession.
• Alliance-based military forces: The factions represent the forces of various states and royal houses.
• Victory points: The winner is the faction that more closely achieves its goals.

Based on the system used in No Peace Without Spain!, A Pragmatic War adapts that framework to the political and military situation of 1741. It offers a focused portrayal of a major European war shaped by dynastic claims, shifting support, and competing alliances.