[15]Wenzel Anton Kaunitz, Count of Rietberg, was one of the most famous of European diplomatists. He was born at Vienna, Jan. 2, 1711. His first mission was the formation of an alliance of Austria, Sardinia, and Great Britain against the Bourbons. He laid the foundation of his fame at the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. Between 1750 and 1752 he concluded a secret alliance between France and Austria. In 1756 he was made Chancellor of the Netherlands and Italy, and at the partition of Poland in 1772 he secured Galicia for Austria. He directed the affairs of Austria for more than forty years, and was specially prominent in his resistance to the power of Prussia. [16]“Prince Folly.” [17]Madame Pompadour had great influence in the Court of Louis XV of France, and virtually dictated the policy of the government during this period. [18]The Czarina died Jan. 5, 1762. [19]Banat is a part of Southern Hungary between the Maros on the north, the Theiss on the west, and the Danube on the south. It was part of the “Military Frontier” which Maria Theresa established. [20]Smallpox was epidemic at this time in Vienna. [21]Laxenburg is a village about nine miles from Vienna, where there was a castle and royal park. [22]Teschen is a manufacturing town in Austrian Silesia. The treaty concluded there May 13, 1779, between Austria and Prussia, terminated the War of the Bavarian Succession, and is known as “The Peace of Teschen.” Appendix The following is a chronological statement of the more important events in the reign of Maria Theresa: 1717 Birth of Maria Theresa. 1731 Acceptance of the Pragmatic Sanction. 1733 War with France on behalf of King of Poland. 1736 Marriage of Maria Theresa to Francis of Lorraine. 1739 Peace with Turkey. 1740 Death of Emperor Charles VI. 1740 Succession of Maria Theresa. 1745 Francis I elected Emperor. 1741-45 War of the Austrian Succession. 1745 Peace concluded at Dresden. 1745-48 War with France. 1748 Peace concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle. 1757-63 Seven Years’ War. 1763 Peace concluded at Hubertsburg. 1765 Death of Emperor Francis I. 1765 Succession of Joseph II. 1772 Partition of Poland. 1778-79 War of the Bavarian Succession concluded, without bloodshed, by Peace of Teschen. 1780 Death of Maria Theresa. LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE _BIOGRAPHICAL ROMANCES TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY_ GEORGE P. UPTON _A new, interesting, and very useful series that will be found especially suitable for school libraries and for supplementary reading_