seven years ’ war

Seven Years’ War

Agenda

• 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 (1756-1763)


• 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


• 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 on-going 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


• 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

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

A

B


• 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


• 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


• Frederick’s only hope was to exploit his central position to meet his principal enemies separately and prevent them from joining forces against him


• 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


• 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


• This allowed Frederick to turn the Austrians and concentrate his forces on the Austrian’s southern flank– Classic

example of the oblique order


• When all was ready, he made a carefully coordinated combined arms attack to roll up the Austrian flank


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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 Anglo-American force overwhelmed the French at Montreal


• 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

seven years ’ war

Documents

readyseven years war

otherseven years war

prussiaseven years war

limited war

powerful armyseven years

military gloryseven

war of austrian succession

french forces