Against Walpole's advice, George once again entered into war, the
War of Jenkins' Ear, with Spain in 1739. The entire continent of Europe was plunged into war upon the death of the Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI in 1740. At dispute was the right of his daughter,
Maria Theresa, to succeed to his Austrian dominions. George II's war with Spain quickly became part of the
War of the Austrian Succession.
Sir Robert Walpole was powerless to prevent a major European conflict. He also faced the opposition of several politicians, led by
John, Baron Carteret, later Earl Granville. Accused of rigging an election, Walpole retired, in 1742, after over twenty years in office. He was replaced by Spencer Compton, 1st
Earl of Wilmington, George's original choice for the premiership, who had previously failed to gain office due to the manœuvres of Queen Caroline. Lord Wilmington, however, was a figurehead; actual power was held by Lord Carteret. When Lord Wilmington died in 1743,
Henry Pelham took his place.
The pro-war faction was led by Lord Carteret, who claimed that if Maria Theresa failed to succeed to the Austrian Throne, then French power in Europe would increase. George II agreed to send more troops to Europe, ostensibly to support Maria Theresa, but in reality to prevent enemy troops from marching into Hanover. The British army had not fought in a major European war in over twenty years, during which time the government had badly neglected its upkeep. Nevertheless, the King enthusiastically sent his troops to Europe. He personally accompanied them, leading them into the
Battle of Dettingen in 1743, thus becoming the last British monarch to lead troops into battle. His armies were controlled by his military-minded son,
HRH The Duke of Cumberland. The war was not welcomed by the British public, who felt that the King and Lord Carteret were subordinating British interests to Hanoverian ones.
Shrewdly, George II's French opponents encouraged rebellion by the
Jacobites during the War of the Austrian Succession. The Jacobites were the supporters of the Roman Catholic
James II, who had been deposed in 1689 and replaced not by his Catholic son, but by his Protestant daughter. James II's son,
James Francis Edward Stuart, known as
the Old Pretender, had attempted two prior rebellions; that of 1715, "
the Fifteen", which was after he fled to France; and the rebellion of 1719, "
the Nineteen", which was so weak that it was almost farcical. The Old Pretender's son,
Charles Edward Stuart, popularly known, both then and since, as
Bonnie Prince Charlie, however, led a much stronger rebellion on his father's behalf in 1745.
Bonnie Prince Charlie landed in Scotland in July 1745. Many Scots were loyal to his cause; he defeated British forces in September. He then attempted to enter England, where even Roman Catholics seemed hostile to the invasion. The French monarch,
Louis XV, had promised to send twelve thousand soldiers to aid the rebellion, but did not deliver. A British army under the Duke of Cumberland, meanwhile, drove the Jacobites back into Scotland. On
16 April 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie faced the Duke of Cumberland in the
Battle of Culloden, the last battle ever fought on British soil. The ravaged Jacobite troops were routed by the British Government Army. Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped to France, but many of his Scottish supporters were caught and executed. Jacobitism was all but crushed; no further serious attempt was made at restoring the House of Stuart.
After the Forty-Five, the War of the Austrian Succession continued. Peace was made in 1748, with Maria Theresa being recognised as Archduchess of Austria. She subsequently dropped Great Britain as a key ally, deeming it too unreliable.
