Page "William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham" Paragraph 21

Walpole and Newcastle were now giving the war in Europe, which had recently broken out, a much higher priority than the colonial conflict with Spain in the Americas.

Prussia and Austria went to war in 1740, with many other European states soon joining in.

There was a fear that France would launch an invasion of Hanover, which was linked to Britain through the crown of George II.

To avert this Walpole and Newcastle decided to pay a large subsidy to both Austria and to Hanover, in order for them to raise troops and defend themselves.