The Seven Years' War, 1754–1763, spanned four continents, affecting Europe, the Americas, West Africa, and India and the Philippines, in Asia.
The conflict split Europe into two coalitions: Kingdom of Great Britain, Prussia, Portugal, Hanover, and other small German states on one side versus the Kingdom of France, Austria-led Holy Roman Empire, Russia, Spain, several small German states, and Sweden on the other. The coalitions represented a "revolution" in diplomatic alliances, reflected in the Diplomatic Revolution. Ultimately, the victory of the Anglo-Prussian coalition undercut the balance of power in Europe, a balance that was not reestablished until 1815.
Situation Although Anglo-French skirmishes over their American colonies had already begun in 1754, the seven year long large-scale war that drew in most of the European powers was centered on Austria's desire to recover Silesia, which it had lost in 1747 to Prussia under Frederick the Great's takeover. In India, the Mughal Empire, with the encouragement of the French, tried to crush a British attempt to conquer Bengal: these are known as the Third Carnatic War.
In the European theater, seeing the opportunity to curtail Britain's and Prussia's ever-growing power, France and Austria put aside their ancient rivalry to form a coalition of their own. Britain faced with this sudden turn of events aligned herself with Prussia This alliance drew in not only the British king's territories in personal union by marriage, including Hanover, but also those of his relatives in the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg and the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel. This series of political maneuvers became known as the Diplomatic Revolution.D.B. Horn, "The Diplomatic Revolution" in J.O. Lindsay, ed., The New Cambridge Modern History vol. 7, The Old Regime: 1713–63 (1957): pp 449–64.
In the Americas, the same coalitions prevailed but each side added a First Nation "Indian" partner. Abenaki, an Algonquin speaking tribe, joined with the French. The Iroquois, or Five Nations, joined with the British. To both sides, the war in North America particularly proved expensive. The Iroquois, who lived predominantly in lands controlled by the French, wrought havoc on the European trade routes and settlements of France. The Abenaki, who were also known as "People of the Dawn", lived in, or had been displaced by, English settlers in the Atlantic colonies, thus they antagonized British trade and activities. In the West Indies, the British and Spanish fought for control of key points in the Caribbean trade routes, particularly the Windward Passage and Havana. In West Africa, the British effort was to oust France from its colonies in Gorée, Senegal, and Gambia.
After seven years of exhaustive and expensive fighting (nine in North America), the Anglo-Prussian coalition prevailed. The war marked the rise of Britain as the world's predominant power; it also destroyed France's land supremacy in Europe, and Prussia, due to Frederick the Great's military prowess, established itself as a dominant land-power in Europe. The Austrian Habsburgs lost permanently their territories in Silesia to Prussia. This altered the European balance of power.Jeremy Black, "Essay and Reflection: On the 'Old System' and the Diplomatic Revolution' of the Eighteenth Century", International History Review (1990) 12#2 pp. 301–323
Theater Abbreviation Location Baltic BALArea bordering on the Baltic sea, principally disputed between Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Poland-Lithuania and PrussiaHereditary Habsburg landsHHLLands previously part of the Habsburg inheritance but lost to Prussia in the War of Austrian SuccessionFrench-British coastFBCAttempted invasions of France and Britain, and naval battles in the coastal areas.Central EuropeCEPortions of the Holy Roman Empire upon which combat occurred (such as Saxony, Prussia, Hannover) Rhineland RHWestern portions of the Holy Roman Empire under contest.North AmericaNABritish colonies in North America, unsettled lands to the Mississippi River, and portions of CanadaIberiaIBPredominantly coastal cities and fortresses in Portugal, Spain, and Malta.West AfricaWAFrench forts on the coast of SenegalIndian SubcontinentISIndia, Bengal, Carnatic, and Indian Ocean battles, fought between French and British East India Company
Battles
Name Theater Date Year Combatant Combatant2 State/Location of Action OutcomeSiege of PirnaCE11 September – 14 October1756PrussiaAustriaSaxonySiege and blockage of Saxon army began in early September and ended with surrender of the Saxon Army on 14 October to Hans Karl von WinterfeldtBattle of LobositzCE1 October1756PrussiaAustriaSaxonyPrussian tactical victory; Austrian strategic victory. Prussians won the battle but Austrians forced them to retreat.Battle of ReichenbergCE20 April1757PrussiaAustriaSaxonyPrussian victoryBattle of Prague (1757)HHL5 May1757PrussiaAustriaSaxonyPrussian victoryBattle of Prague (1757) (conclusion)HHL20 June1757PrussiaAustriaSaxonyBattle of KolínHHL18 June1757PrussiaAustriaBohemiaAustrian victory; Frederick's first defeat in this war forced him to abandon a march on Vienna, raise his siege of Prague, and fall back on Litoměřice/Leitmeritz.Battle of HastenbeckRH26 July1757Hanover Britain Hesse-CasselBrunswickFranceHanoverFrench victory; Convention of Klosterzeven signed and Hanover occupied by France; treaty later dismissed after Prussian victory at Rossbach; French withdraw from Hanover in early 1758 Battle of RossbachHRE5 November1757PrussiaFranceAustriaSaxony-AnhaltPrussian victory over the largely French armyBattle of LeuthenHHL5 December1757PrussiaAustriaSilesiaPrussian victory; Frederick uses the oblique order masterfully to defeat the larger Austrian armySiege of Olomouc (start)HHL 1 May1758PrussiaAustriaBohemiaAustrian victorySiege of Olomouc (conclusion)HHL2 July1758PrussiaAustriaBohemiaAustrian victoryBattle of DomstadtlHHL30 June1758PrussiaAustriaBohemiaAustrian victory Capture of SenegalWAApril-May1758BritainLocal Wolof MilitiasFranceSaint-Louis, Senegal - British victory. - British successfully convince the local Wolof people to take up arms against the French. - French garrison of Fort Saint Louis taken by surprise.
- French administrators surrendered the colony to the British forces. - the capture of the colony cut off several major French trade routs and did significant damage to the French slave and gum industries Battle of RheinbergRH12 June1758HanoverBritainHesse-Cassel BrunswickFranceHanoverBattle of KrefeldRH23 June1758Great Britain Hesse-Cassel Brunswick HanoverFranceNorth Rhine-WestphaliaBattle of ZorndorfHHL25 August1758PrussiaRussiaBrandenburg1st Battle of LutterbergRH10 October1758BritainHanoverAustriaSaxonyBattle of HochkirchHHL14 October1758PrussiaAustriaSilesiaPrussian Bohemia IncursionHHL14–20 April1759PrussiaAustriaBohemiaSix-day raid into Bohemia by Prussia to destroy Austrian magazines and disrupt troop movements. Austrian summer campaign delayed.Siege of MasulipatamIS6 March–7 April1759British East India CompanyFrench East India CompanyMasulipatamBritish victory; siege ended when British stormed the townBattle of MindenRH1 August1759Britain Hesse-Cassel Brunswick Hanover Schaum-Lippe,Franceformerly West Prussia, now North Rhine-WestphaliaBattle of KayHHL23 July1759PrussiaRussiaBrandenburgBattle of Bergen (1759)RH13 April1759Great BritainHesse-Cassel Brunswick HanoverFranceNear FrankfurtBattle of PondicherryIS10 September 1759 BritainFranceOff the cost of Pondicherry - Strategically indecisive.