Wikipedia:Main Page history/2013 July 27

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Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria

The War of the Bavarian Succession (July 1778 – May 1779) was fought between the Habsburg Monarchy and a SaxonPrussian alliance to prevent the Habsburg acquisition of the Duchy of Bavaria. There were only a few minor skirmishes, but several thousand soldiers died from disease and starvation. It began after Maximilian Joseph (pictured) died, leaving no children. Charles IV Theodore, his heir, also had no children to succeed him; Charles II August, had a claim as Charles Theodore's heir presumptive. Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II wanted Bavaria, to expand his family's influence. For Frederick II of Prussia, Joseph's claim threatened the Hohenzollern ascendancy in German politics, but he saw no point in pursuing hostilities. Frederick Augustus I of Saxony wanted to preserve the territorial integrity of the Duchy for his brother-in-law, Charles August, and had no interest in seeing the Habsburgs acquire additional territory on his borders. France became involved to maintain the balance of power. Finally, Catherine II of Russia's threat to intervene on the side of Prussia with 50,000 Russian troops forced Joseph to reconsider his position, leading to the Treaty of Teschen in May 1779. (Full article...)

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From Wikipedia's newest content:

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  • On this day...

    July 27: José Celso Barbosa Day in Puerto Rico

    Signing of the Korean War armistice agreement at P’anmunjŏm, Korea

  • 1054Siward, Earl of Northumbria, led an invasion of Scotland and defeated Macbeth, King of Scotland, in a battle north of the Firth of Forth.
  • 1694 – A Royal Charter was granted to the Bank of England as the English Government's banker.
  • 1789 – The U.S. State Department, then known as the Department of Foreign Affairs, became the first federal agency created under the U.S. Constitution.
  • 1916 – British mariner Charles Fryatt was executed at Bruges, Belgium, after a court-martial found him to be a franc-tireur.
  • 1953An armistice was signed (pictured) to end hostilities in the Korean War, officially making the Division of Korea indefinite by creating an approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) wide demilitarized zone across the Korean Peninsula.

    More anniversaries: July 26 July 27 July 28

    It is now July 27, 2013 (UTC) – Reload this page
  • Today's featured picture

    Black-headed Heron

    The Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala), a species of wading bird common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. The heron is a large bird, standing up to 85 centimetres (33 in) tall with a 150-centimetre (59 in) wingspan.

    Photograph: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

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