The Seven Years' War in Europe (1756-1763)

The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict between Great Britain and <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-France" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">France</a> for global pre-eminence. Britain, France and <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Spain" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spain</a> fought both in Europe and overseas with land-based armies and naval forces, while <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Germany" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Prussia</a> sought territorial expansion in Europe and consolidation of its power. Long-standing colonial rivalries pitting Britain against France and Spain in North America and the West Indies were fought on a grand scale with consequential results. In Europe, the conflict arose from issues left unresolved by the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). Prussia sought greater influence in the German states, while Austria wanted to regain Silesia, captured by Prussia in the previous war, and to contain Prussian influence. In a realignment of traditional alliances, known as the Diplomatic Revolution of 1756, Prussia became part of a coalition led by Britain, which also included long-time Prussian competitor Hanover, at the time in personal union with Britain. At the same time, Austria ended centuries of conflict between the Bourbon and Habsburg families by allying with France, along with Saxony, Sweden and <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Russia-Russian-Empire" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Russia</a>. Spain aligned formally with France in 1762. Spain unsuccessfully attempted to invade Britain's ally <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Portugal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Portugal</a>, attacking with their forces facing British troops in Iberia. Smaller German states either joined the Seven Years' War or supplied mercenaries to the parties involved in the conflict. Anglo-French conflict over their colonies in North America had begun in 1754 in what became known in the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-the-United-States" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">United States</a> as the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/French-and-Indian-War" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">French and Indian War</a> (1754–63), which became a theatre of the Seven Years' War, and ended France's presence as a land power on that continent. It was "the most important event to occur in eighteenth-century North America" prior to the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/American-Revolutionary-War" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Revolution</a>. Spain entered the war in 1761, joining France in the Third Family Compact between the two Bourbon monarchies. The alliance with France was a disaster for Spain, with the loss to Britain of two major ports, Havana in the West Indies and Manila in the Philippines, returned in the 1763 Treaty of Paris between France, Spain and Great Britain. In Europe, the large-scale conflict that drew in most of the European powers was centered on the desire of Austria (long the political centre of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation) to recover Silesia from Prussia. The Treaty of Hubertusburg ended the war between Saxony, Austria and Prussia, in 1763. Britain began its rise as the world's predominant colonial and naval power. France's supremacy in Europe was halted until after the French Revolution and the emergence of <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/War-of-the-First-Coalition-Napoleons-First-Italian-campaign" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Napoleon Bonaparte</a>. Prussia confirmed its status as a great power, challenging Austria for dominance within the German states, thus altering the European balance of power.

Visual Timelines

Sewejarige Oorlog Tydlyn

Sewejarige Oorlog Tydlyn

Vroeë konflikte en formele uitbreek

Voorwoord

Pruisiese veldtogte en Europese teater

Diplomatieke Revolusie

Opening Salvos

Anglo-Pruisiese Alliansie

Frederick beweeg op Sakse

Saksiese leër gee oor

Bloedige affêre in Praag

Inval van Hanover

Russe val Oos-Pruise aan

Fredericks ly eerste nederlaag in die oorlog

Sewejarige Oorlog in Indië

Slag van Hastenbeck

Konvensie van Klosterzeven

Oorlog van Pommere

Pruise se fortuin verander

Pruisiese verpletter die Franse by Rossbach

Blokkade van Stralsund

Hanoveraanse teenaanval

Frederik die Grote se grootste oorwinning

Wêreldwye konflik en verskuiwende alliansies

Hanover ry die Franse agter die Ryn aan

Pruisiese inval van Morawië

Dooiepunt by Zorndorf

Brittanje se mislukte strooptogte op die Franse kus

Slag van Tornow

Slag van Fehrbellin

Russe neem Oos-Pruise in

Oostenrykers verras Pruise by Hochkirch

Franse versuim om Madras te neem

Gemiste geleentheid vir die Russe en Oostenrykers

Beëindig Franse bedreiging vir Hanover

Slag van Kunersdorf

Franse inval in Brittanje verhoed

Slag van Frisches Haff

Britte kry vlootoorheersing

Slag van Maxen

Britse oorheersing en diplomatieke verskuiwings

Slag van Landeshut

Britte en Hannoveriërs verdedig Wesfale

Slag van Liegnitz

Beleg van Pondicherry

Slag van Torgau

Slag van Grünberg

Slag van Villinghausen

Russe vat Kolberg

Spanje en Portugal betree die oorlog

Fantastiese oorlog

Rusland wissel kant, wapenstilstand met Swede

Slag van Wilhelmsthal

Tweede inval in Portugal

Franse betrokkenheid by oorlog eindig

Slag van Freiberg

Derde inval van Portugal

Verdrag van Parys

Oorlog eindig in Sentraal-Europa

Epiloog

Besoek Winkel

Support HM Project

History of Ireland

Migration of Early Modern Humans

Geopolitical Theories

Life in a Medieval Village

Logistics during the American Civil War

Art of War of the Byzantine Empire

Naval Warfare during the American Revolution

Terugvoer