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Seven Years’ War
Agenda
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Causes
British Navy
French and Indian War
Results
Seven Years’ War: Causes
• After the explorations of the 15th, 16th, and 17th
Centuries, the European powers protected their interests
by building a series of fortified trading posts throughout
the maritime regions
• Boundaries in the new colonies were disputed
• Commercial competition ultimately generated violence
– In 1746 , French forces seized the English trading post at
Madras, India
– In the Caribbean, English pirates attacked Spanish vessels and
French and English forces fought over the sugar islands
• The violence culminated in the Seven Years’ War (17561763)
Seven Years’ War: Causes
• On one side was
France, Austria,
Saxony, Sweden,
and various
German states
• On the other was
Britain, Prussia,
and Hanover
In the 18th Century, Britain was the
dominant naval power while
France had a powerful army
Seven Years’ War: Causes
• A global war
– In Europe, Britain and Prussia
fought against France, Austria,
and Russia
– In India, British and French allied
with local rulers and fought each
other
– In the Caribbean, the Spanish
and French fought the British
– In North America, the Seven
Years’ War merged with the ongoing French and Indian War
(1754-1763) which pitted the
British and French against each
other
Seven Years’ War: Frederick the
Great
• Became king of Prussia in 1740 when he was 28
• Had spent much of his life training as a soldier,
visiting battlefields, and studying political history
and politics
• Believed every man had an obligation to serve
his state and that it was the king’s particular duty
to develop policies that increased the power and
standing of the state
• Strong lust for military glory
Seven Years’ War: Frederick the
Great
• Had inconsistent leadership
characteristics
• His success lay in his
purposeful use of authority
and unwavering determination
to make Prussia a European
power
• Led the Prussians in the
Silesian Wars (Silesia was
comprised of parts of current
Poland, Germany, and the
Czech Republic)
– Gained experience with limited
war, the oblique attack, attrition
warfare, and combined arms
(cavalry, infantry, and artillery)
operations
A
B
In the oblique order the
commander strengthens one
wing of his army and employs it
to attack the enemy flank, while
holding back another, smaller
wing to threaten the enemy’s
main force and keep it from
changing position
Seven Years’ War: Frederick the
Great
• Frederick used the period of peace after the War
of Austrian Succession to prepare his country
and army for another war
– Strengthened bureaucracy and treasury
– Enlarged army to 143,000 men (it had been 83,000 in
1740)
– Anticipating having to fight against larger armies, he
trained his officers to attack in the oblique order and
seek a rapid decision
– Issued orders and conducted maneuvers to get ready
Seven Years’ War: Frederick the
Great
• In August 1756, Frederick launched a
preemptive attack against Saxony and Austria,
hoping to force them to sue for peace before
another country could intervene
• Was unable to achieve a quick, decisive victory
and was now faced with fighting a coalition of
powerful states
– French, Russian, and Austria forces began
converging on Prussia
Seven Years’ War: Frederick the
Great
• Frederick’s only
hope was to exploit
his central position to
meet his principal
enemies separately
and prevent them
from joining forces
against him
Seven Years’ War: Frederick the
Great
• On November 4, 1757, he defeated the
French and Germans near Rossbach
• Although outnumbered nearly two to one
(41,000 to 22,000) Frederick suffered just
500 casualties while killing, wounding, or
capturing more than 10,000 French and
German troops
Seven Years’ War: Frederick the
Great
• Then on
December 5,
Frederick
defeated the
Austrians at
Leuthen
– First he created
a diversion on
his left flank
which drew
Austrian
reserves to the
northern portion
of their line
Seven Years’ War: Frederick the
Great
• This allowed
Frederick to
turn the
Austrians and
concentrate
his forces on
the Austrian’s
southern flank
– Classic
example of
the oblique
order
Seven Years’ War: Frederick the
Great
• When all was
ready, he
made a
carefully
coordinated
combined
arms attack to
roll up the
Austrian flank
Seven Years’ War: Frederick the
Great
• Inflicted 22,000 casualties (33%) while suffering
only 6,382 (18%)
• The Rossbach-Leuthen Campaign is the finest
example of Frederican warfare
• Afterwards, Frederick became overly
contemptuous of his enemies and his
generalship suffered
• Still his dogged determination allowed him to
secure Prussia’s boundaries of 1756 and gain a
satisfactory negotiated peace
Seven Years’ War: British Navy
• Frederick’s success was largely a result of his
own and his people’s extraordinary efforts, but
he also benefited greatly from Britain’s ability to
support Prussia by defeating the French at sea
and overseas
• The British had the most powerful fleet and
expeditionary forces of any of the combatants
• Furthermore, the British could rely on the
Prussian army to do most of the fighting on the
continent
• This allowed the British to bring overwhelming
pressure against the French at sea
Seven Years’ War: British Navy
• The British Navy blockaded the French
ports to contain commerce raiders,
intercept forces bound for the colonies,
and forestall an invasion of England
• They raided the French Atlantic coast to
destroy shipping and stores and to divert
French forces from Germany
• They defeated the French Navy at
Louisbourg, Lagos, and Quiberon Bay
Seven Years’ War: British Navy
• Quiberon Bay lay off the
coast of France near St.
Nazaire
• A storm forced the British
to briefly lift their
blockade, allowing a
French fleet of 21 ships to
slip out
• The British returned from
their safe refuge and
pursued the French
Lord Edmund Hawke
commanded the British fleet
of 23 ships at Quiberon Bay
Seven Years’ War: British Navy
• The British caught up
with the French just as
they were preparing to
enter the dangerous
waters of Quiberon Bay
where the French
planned to embark their
army
• In a risky move the
British followed the
French to the shore and
destroyed them thanks
to excellent seamanship
and powerful cannon
Seven Years’ War: British Navy
• Mahan wrote, “The
battle of 20
November 1759 was
the Trafalgar of this
war, and … the
English fleets were
now free to act
against the colonies
of France, and later
of Spain, on a
grander scale than
ever before.”
The Battle of Quiberon
Bay by Nicholas Pocock
Seven Years’ War: French and
Indian War
• The British,
French, and
Spanish all had
colonial interests in
North America and
this competition led
to war in 1754
• The French and
Indian War merged
with the Seven
Years’ War
Seven Years’ War: French and
Indian War
• As the British secretary of
state, William Pitt viewed
America as the place
“where England and
Europe are to be fought
for”
• Consequently, he let
Prussia bear the brunt of
the fighting in Europe,
while concentrating British
military resources in
America
Seven Years’ War: French and
Indian War
• Early on the British had
troubles
– Their colonists proved to be
ineffective and difficult allies
– In 1755, the French were able
to run two fleets through the
British blockade and reach
Canada with reinforcements of
4,000 men
– French defenses were
especially strong around
Quebec
Braddock’s defeat at the
Battle of Monongahela
Seven Years’ War: French and
Indian War
• The initial British offensive in 1758 was only
partially successful in conquering New France
• The plan for 1759 involved three attacks
– James Wolfe would lead an amphibious attack up the
St. Lawrence River to Quebec with 12,000 regulars
supported by 22 warships and 150 transports
– James Amherst would lead an even larger army
across either Lake Champlain or Lake Ontario to
Montreal
– A third smaller force would advance through western
Pennsylvania against French outposts in the Ohio
Valley
Seven Years’ War: French and
Indian War
Seven Years’ War: French and
Indian War
• By this time the French had placed greater
emphasis on the war in Europe than in the
colonies and the British had a numerical
advantage
– The French decided to concentrate their force
at Quebec, leaving relatively small forces to
delay an advance on Montreal
Seven Years’ War: French and
Indian War
• The French developed a
sound defense
– They spread their forces
some eight to ten miles
along the St. Lawrence
– The length of the defense
precluded a siege and the
river, tidal flats, bluffs, and
forests protected against a
direct attack
– Supplies could be shipped
by river from Montreal
Louis Joseph Montcalm
commanded the French forces
Seven Years’ War: French and
Indian War
• After initially being frustrated
by the sound French defense,
Wolfe was convinced to
approach Quebec from the
west along the north bank of
the St. Lawrence
• To maximize surprise, he
landed his force just two
miles from Quebec, hoping to
force the French to accept
battle
• The French expected an
attack from the east and were
caught by surprise
James Wolfe
Seven Years’ War: French and
Indian War
• Wolfe dug 4,800 men into a line of
battle on the Plains of Abraham
• The French could not afford to
allow the British to hold this strong
position so they attacked
• Superior British discipline and
firepower defeated the French
attack and the French abandoned
Quebec
• Still the British did not conquer all
of Canada until September 1760
when the combined AngloAmerican force overwhelmed the
French at Montreal
Seven Years’ War: French and
Indian War
• Although the French were ultimately defeated by
a land force, the British Navy had played an
important role in blockading New France
• New France was never a self-sufficient colony
and without a steady stream of support from
France it could not survive
• The victory in Canada allowed the British to
divert thousands of troops elsewhere and
ultimately win the Seven Years’ War
Seven Years’ War: Results
• Britain was now in a position to dominate
world trade for the foreseeable future
• The Seven Years’ War paved the way for
the establishment of the British Empire of
the 19th Century
Seven Years’ War
• The Seven Years’ War occurred during the
era of the classical international system
(1648-1789), an era exemplified by:
– States acting according to self-interest
– European dominance
– Absolute authority
– Limited war
– Balance of power
– Multipolar
Next
• The Napoleonic Wars and the French
Revolution