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

Guerra de los siete años Línea de tiempo

Guerra de los siete años Línea de tiempo

Conflictos tempranos y brote formal

Prólogo

Campañas prusianas y teatro europeo

Revolución diplomática

Salvos de apertura

Alianza Anglo-Prusiana

Frederick se mueve en Sajonia

El ejército sajón se rinde

Asunto sangriento en Praga

Invasión de Hannover

Los rusos atacan Prusia Oriental

Fredericks sufre la primera derrota en la guerra

Guerra de los Siete Años en la India

Batalla de Hastenbeck

Convención de Klosterzeven

Guerra de Pomerania

Cambios en la fortuna de Prusia

Prusia aplasta a los franceses en Rossbach

Bloqueo de Stralsund

Contraataque de Hannover

La mayor victoria de Federico el Grande

Conflicto global y alianzas cambiantes

Hannover conduce a los franceses detrás del Rin

Invasión prusiana de Moravia

Punto muerto en Zorndorf

Las incursiones fallidas de Gran Bretaña en la costa francesa

Batalla de Tornow

Batalla de Fehrbellin

Los rusos toman Prusia Oriental

Los austriacos sorprenden a los prusianos en Hochkirch

Los franceses no logran tomar Madrás

Oportunidad perdida para los rusos y los austriacos

Poner fin a la amenaza francesa a Hannover

Batalla de Kunersdorf

Se evita la invasión francesa de Gran Bretaña

Batalla de Frisches Haff

Británico gana supremacía naval

Batalla de Maxen

Dominio británico y cambios diplomáticos

Batalla de Landeshut

Británicos y hannoverianos defienden Westfalia

Batalla de Liegnitz

Asedio de Pondicherry

Batalla de Torgau

Batalla de Grunberg

Batalla de Villinghausen

Los rusos toman Kolberg

España y Portugal entran en guerra

Guerra fantastica

Rusia cambia de bando, tregua con Suecia

Batalla de Wilhelmsthal

Segunda invasión de Portugal

Termina la participación francesa en la guerra

Batalla de Freiberg

Tercera invasión de Portugal

Tratado de París

Termina la guerra en Europa Central

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