This little-known war took place in the mid-18th
century, mainly in Europe, but also for the first time in European colonies around the world. This is why it is sometimes considered as
the first world war. Let’s retrace on a map a summary of the
events and consequences of the Seven Years War. We begin in 1740, when the Holy Roman Empire is divided into a multitude of territories ruled by prince-electors. At the very top of the hierarchy is the title
of Emperor, which has been shared for almost 300 years by the powerful Habsburg House. But this year, Emperor Charles VI, who is
also Archduke of Austria, King of Bohemia and King of Hungary - dies without a male
successor. His eldest daughter Marie-Thérèse cannot
be Emperor, but nevertheless inherits the territories of her father. For some competitors, this is a golden opportunity
to challenge the Austrian domination. Thus the young King of Prussia Frederick II - without a declaration of war - invades the rich region of Silesia. France, Austria's traditional enemy, takes
advantage of the situation to join forces with Prussia. Britain meanwhile backs Austria, fearing an imbalance
of power in favor of the French Empire. After five years of war, Prussia abandons
its French ally by signing a peace treaty with Austria. Prussia holds onto the territory of Silesia but recognizes Maria Theresa as the Archduchess of Austria. Her husband, Francis of Lorraine, obtains
the title of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. France finds itself alone against the coalition
and still manages to seize the Austrian Netherlands. A peace treaty was signed in 1748 and against
all odds, the King of France Louis XV returns the territories to Austria. After the war, a strong rivalry develops between Prussia and Austria, which hopes to one day recover Silesia. Moreover, the French and British Empires increasingly
compete for their colonies in the world primarily in North America, where New France surrounds British colonies. With boundaries not clearly defined, the two
powers compete for the Ohio Valley. The first clashes taking place there are mostly
dominated by the French side. From a military point of view, Britain dominates
the seas and oceans with its powerful Royal Navy while the French army is deemed stronger. George II, King of Great Britain and the prince-elector
of Hanover, fears lose the German state in case of war. He approaches Prussia for protection and signs
an alliance, upsetting the traditional balance of power in the region. After centuries of competition, France and Austria join forces, and are joined most notably by Russia. European powers meanwhile prepare for war. France attacks first and sends its army to
the British island of Menorca. In India, Britain prepares for war by fortifying
Calcutta without the agreement of the Prince of Bengal. The latter responds by driving them out of
the city. Britain counter attacks, recovers Calcutta, dethrones the prince, and moves to attack the French colonies. In North America, the British Empire prepares
to send large military reinforcements. In the European theater, France prepares a
ground offensive in Hanover. Prussia - which finds itself surrounded - launches
the first strike on Saxony, a rich, poorly protected region. The offensive is a success despite an Austrian
counter-attack. Prussia continues its offensive by attacking
Bohemia. But this time the intervention of the Austrian
army prevents the capture of Prague and pushes the Prussians back to Silesia. In the West, the French offensive in Hanover
is a success. The French army now advances to Prussia which
finds itself besieged. To the east, the Russian army captures its
first territories, and in the south, the Austrian army advances towards Silesia. Britain attempts to distract France from Hanover
by initiating military raids on its Atlantic ports. A first military expedition is sent to Rochefort
but is countered by the French army. Frederick II of Prussia sets out with his
army to face the French. A fine strategist, he wins despite having
a much smaller army. He then moves to face off against the Austrian
army, and once again wins due to his strategy, despite having fewer soldiers. In North America, Britain stations ships at
the mouth of the St. Lawrence River to blockade and isolate the French colony. On the European side, King George II refuses
to recognise the surrender of his son in Hanover. He raises a new army that repels the French. In parallel, new raids are organized. After another failure on Saint-Malo, an offensive
on the city of Cherbourg is a success, and the city is looted. This time Britain mounts a bigger offensive
by sending 42,000 men to Saint-Malo. But they suffer a serious setback faced against
7,000 French soldiers. This failure marks the end of the raids on
France. Britain now concentrates on Hanover and the
colonies. In Africa, after the capture of St. Louis,
Britain seizes the island of Goree. In the East, while Prussia repulses the Russian
army, this time it suffers a heavy defeat against Austria, which forces it to retreat for the winter. France plans to invade Great Britain. To do this, an army of 100,000 men would be
escorted by the military fleets of Toulon and Brest. In parallel, a new army is sent to Hanover,
but the latter fails to take hold. Meanwhile, Britain intensifies attacks against
French colonies. It captures Caribbean islands and lays siege
to Quebec city. To the east, Russia manages to join the Austrian
army. Together they overcome the army of Frederick
II, which opens the way to Berlin, which is not protected. But following disagreements, both armies stop there. For France the situation is complicated. With their military fleets of Toulon and Brest defeated by the Royal Navy, the invasion of Great Britain is abandoned. Without military fleets, France can no longer
support its colonies. In North America, New France is in disarray. After the capture of Quebec, Britain seizes
Montreal. The island of Dominica in the Caribbean and
Pondicherry in India fall in quick succession. In Europe, despite several attempts, France
can no longer impose itself on Hanover. On the other hand, severely weakened and facing
defeat, the king of Prussia regroups his last remaining forces into a single army. In January 1762, the war takes a new turn
with the death of Elizabeth, the Tsarina of Russia. Her successor Peter III of Russia is an admirer
of Prussia and does not want to engage in war. He quickly signs a peace treaty. In the West, the Spanish Empire takes a negative
view of British domination. Spain then goes to war with France. An army is sent to Portugal, the Iberian ally of Great Britain, forcing the latter to send reinforcements. But in parallel, Britain takes advantage of an opportunity to seize Cuba and Manila in the Philippines. In Prussia, the king's army succeeds in defeating
the Austrian army. Exhausted by years of war, European powers
begin peace negotiations. Two peace treaties are signed separately. A first in Paris between France, Great Britain
and Spain. France loses almost all its colonies. The country retains some territories in America,
the island of Goree in Africa and 5 posts in India, provided they do not fortify or
send armies there. Spain recovers Cuba, Manila and gets Louisiana
in exchange for Florida and peace with Portugal. On the other hand, the Treaty of Hubertusburg
is signed between Prussia and Austria. Prussia liberates Saxony, in exchange for
which it retains Silesia. The human toll of war is heavy with 1.3 million
people dead. More than half of them are civilians. European powers are weakened by war and forced
to increase taxes to repay their debts. The first colonial empire of France is dismantled. The country invests in its military industry,
mainly its naval fleet to catch with Britain. Austria is forced to abandon Silesia, but
saves face by liberating Saxony. Prussia, although greatly weakened, is now
respected and even feared. Finally, Britain becomes the major world power. But its empire is also indebted by war. It intends to take advantage of its colonies to repay debts through new taxes, causing great discontent. On the other hand, Native American tribes
unite to demand the departure of the British from the former French colony and demand an
independent state. The government tries to calm the situation
by creating in a rush an Indian reservation. But this again prevents British colonists from expanding their territories in the West, increasing frustrations. This sows the seeds of separation between
the British government and its colonists.
