National strategy is an ongoing conversation about how much force deters without becoming a threat that demands an answer. The Convention of Westminster removed France's expectation that pressure on Hanover could influence British policy. France reacted by giving Austria broad support, Austria and Russia massed against Prussia, and Frederick chose a pre-emptive offensive. The case shows how a defensive arrangement can appear so effective that opponents reorganize the system around defeating it.
Notable Point · 1:40:18-1:44:40
How an overstrong deterrent can provoke escalation
The Anglo-Prussian alignment secured Hanover so completely on paper that France sought a counter-alliance, accelerating the escalation it was meant to prevent.