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th Mid-18 Century Wars Continental and Global Conflicts War of Jenkins Ear 1739 “Diplomatic Revolution” 1756 1740-1748 The war of Austrian Succession American Revolution 1775-1783 1756-1763 The 7 Years War Why? • European Powers looking for continental dominance • Conflicts about global trading • It was in no one’s interest to maintain peace or prevent war • Rarely affected civilian populations (biggest difference with 20th century warfare) Continental Conflicts • War of Austrian Succession: Prussia vs. Austria, later Britain and France joined in • Seven Years War -Prussia vs alliance of Austria, France, Russia.. Global Conflicts • War of Jenkins Ear: opening shot. Britain vs. Spain about West Indian trade • Seven Years War: France and Britain over North America , West Indies and India. • American Revolution: Brought in the French to aid American colonists War of Jenkins’ Ear (began in 1739) • Started over issue of Spain’s allegation of British abuse regarding the Treaty of Utrecht provision that allowed Britain to send one ship of merchandise to Central America per year • Spanish officials boarded a British ship suspected of smuggling goods into Latin America and cut off ear of Captain Jenkins, a British officer. • Jenkins kept his ear in a jar of brandy and presented it to Parliament 7 years later • In response, King George II went to war with Spain. • Conflict expanded into the War of Austrian Succession in 1740. War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748) Cause: Frederick invaded and annexed Silesia, part of the Austrian Hapsburg empire – Frederick violated Austria’s Pragmatic Sanction (1713) whereby the Great Powers recognized that Charles VII’s daughter, Maria Theresa, would inherit the entire Hapsburg empire • Prussia efficiently defeated Austria Result: Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle: – Prussia gained Silesia (and doubled Prussia’s population in the process) • Prussia was now recognized as the most powerful of all the German states and as one of Europe’s “Great Powers War of Austrian Succession (17401748) • Involved battles between England and France in North America and India. • Spain fought effectively in keeping its empire intact • The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) essentially preserved the status quo in the colonial empires • Seven Years’ War: Continental Part • Cause: Maria Teresa sought to regain Silesia from Prussia and gained Russia and France as allies. – Goal of Austria, Russia and France was to conquer Prussia and divide its territories among the winners • Bloodiest war in Europe since the Thirty Years’ War of the 17th century. – World war that also included England and France’s struggle for North America – Prussia outnumbered by its enemies 15 to 1 – Prussia suffered 180,000 dead and severe disruptions to its society – Berlin was twice captured and partially destroyed by Russian troops – Prussia was on the verge of a catastrophic defeat • Russian Czar Peter III (an admirer of Frederick) pulled Russia out of the war in 1763) • This saved Prussia from almost certain defeat • Peter was assassinated and replaced by Catherine II as a result 7 Years War - Colonial Wars • Britain and France were the two main adversaries in the colonial wars for empire • Between 1701 and 1783 both countries engaged in a series of wars over the issue of maritime trade and colonial expansion • France had the largest army on land and was working to build up its naval forces • France sought to support Spain • The Netherlands and Spain were in relative decline • In effect, these wars were world wars since they involved fighting in Europe, the high seas and the New World. Seven Years’ War (French & Indian War: 1754-63) • Began in the disputed Ohio Valley of North America when a young American officer, George Washington, engaged a French force protecting Ft. Duquesne (modern-day Pittsburgh) in 1754. • French forces (and their Amerindian allies) fought British and American colonial forces for control of North America. • This war became part of the larger Seven Years’ War in Europe • William Pitt, Britain’s new prime minister, changed Britain’s war strategy in the middle of the war by focusing more attention on North America. • Britain’s Royal Navy defeated France’s navy in various engagements on the high seas • France planned to invade Great Britain but devastating naval losses ended such an attempt • British trade prospered as a result • France’s trade dropped to 1/16 of its prewar level • France’s sugar trade with its West Indian colonies was choked off • Britain took control of French posts near Calcutta and Madras in India • When Spain entered the war on France’s side, Britain seized Cuba and the Philippines from Spain Treaty of Paris (1763) • Most important peace treaty of the 18th century and most important since the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) • Prussia permanently retained Silesia • France was completely removed from North America – France lost Canada to Britain as well as all its colonial possessions east of the Mississippi River. – As compensation for Spain’s support in the war, France gave the Louisiana territory (including New Orleans) to Spain • France had to accept British domination in India, especially Bengal (although it was allowed to keep its posts there) – This later proved significant as India became Britain’s most important colonial possession in the 19th and early 20th centuries • Spain ceded Florida to Britain in return for Cuba and the Philippines • Britain thus became the world’s dominant colonial empire