18 April 2023

What is the 7 Years War? – Causes, beginnings and consequences of the Seven Years’ War

By Donald

The 7 Years War It is quite a historical event that marked great feats in important nations worldwide, which faced and fought for different reasons. It had significant causes and consequences, which made this armed conflict the first on the entire planet. If you want to know all this information in more depth, stay below.

What was the 7 Years War about?

The Seven Years’ War it was a global military conflict and one of the greatest wars of modern times, pitted the major European powers of the 18th century, including Great Britain, France, Spain, Russia, Prussia, and Austria. It took place in the Philippines, India, Senegal, Europe and found European colonies in America.

This dispute is so called because it lasted exactly 7 years, from the year 1756 to 1763. Although armed warfare took place in almost every nation in the world, most of the fighting took place on the territory of Europe.

This problem reached its concrete goal with the signing of the Treaty of Paristhis put an end to the war in the areas belonging to the European continent and throughout the world in general, established new borders and commercial relations between the European nations.

What were the causes of the 7 Years War?

The reasons that produced and carried out the Seven Years’ War are complex and varied. In general, are the following:

  • The Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire began strong disputes and problems between them because of the control of the Silesian areawhich belonged to Austria, but became Prussian after the War of the Austrian Succession.
  • Great Britain wanted weaken and end to the Spanish colonial Empire, there were considerable numbers of ships from the British kingdom attacking the Spanish fleet.
  • France and Great Britain had been facing strong rivalry problems, since both powers wanted to have the total control of trade worldwide, and not only that, they also wanted to seize the entire marine possessions that lay in India and North America. These colonial territories provided crucial raw materials that made large amounts of money at the time, such as original products of tea, furs, fish, and cotton.
  • There was a significant increase in smuggling in Spanish American colonies.
  • Portugal and Spain were also going through disputes and rivalries for the taking and possession of the area of ​​the Silver river.
  • Sweden and Russia wanted power stop all expansion of the territory by Prussia on the shores of the Baltic Sea.

What kind of war is the 7 years war?

has been baptized as the first global conflict, since it included more than 70 arms disputes around the majority of the planet Earth. In America, it is generally known as the French-Indian War, although in some towns it was perceived as a fight between the French and the English.

It is also known in Canada as the War of Conquest, Third Silesian War in Germany, in India it is Third Carnatic War. And so it is in other nations, each defined it in a particular waybut its main and most widely known name is the Seven Years’ War.

Who started the 7 years war?

This recognized armed conflict was launched by Prussia, under the leadership of the character and King Frederick II, also known as Frederick the Great. Prussia was fighting for survival, facing a coalition of European powers led by Austria and France.

Austria wanted to recover the territory of Silesia, which was taken by Prussia in the War of Succession in the years 1740 and 1748This, added to the existing dispute and rivalry between France and Great Britain for the power of world trade, plus the seizure of Canada, Louisiana and India, triggered this 7 Years War.

Where did the 7 years war take place?

The Seven Years’ War took place in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. It was a global struggle involving the major powers of the time, and it had a significant impact around the world. More specifically, fought on four different frontswhich are:

  • asian front: the Mughal Empire supported France in the confrontation against Great Britain, this in India. The fighters, on behalf of the British nation, attacked the Philippines and seized absolute power from Manila.
  • african front: the slave and rubber trade was well known and quite feasible for the time, for this reason, Great Britain completely took over Senegal, which was a colony of France and had this very established market.
  • american front: this side occupied many nations, the confrontation that originated in Louisiana and Canada, also culminated involving the Iroquois. In North America, the British also ended up taking over Havana, in Cuba.
  • european front: France was reinforced in troops that gave it the power to invade the nation of Portugal, while it faced Hannover and Great Britain. Prussia, on the other hand, attacked Saxony, Russia, Austria, and Sweden.

What are the consequences of the 7-year war?

The Seven Years’ War had significant consequences in Europe and throughout the world. In details, are the following:

  • In Europe, the confrontation left many nations in ruins and changed the balance of power on the continent.
  • In North America, the crusade led to the creation of a new nation: The United States of America.
  • All over the world, combat had a significant impact in international trade, economics and politics.
  • In 1763 the signing of the Treaty of Parisbetween France, Spain and Great Britain.
  • Also, the signing of the Treaty of Hubertusburg in the same year, this was by Prussia, Austria and Saxony.
  • The Industrial Revolution unfoldedsince Great Britain achieved dominance of trade worldwide and obtained the raw materials required to achieve this fact.
  • France was weakened quite strongly, because it lost control of important trade routes, it was also left without territories that provided very crucial sources of raw materials to the country, this was a relevant step in what would continue to be later the well-known French Revolutionin the year 1789.
  • The fight of the seven years caused the death of 400,000 peoplethis between military and civilians.
  • Before this conflict, there was a loyalty on the part of the colonists of North America towards the British crown, but this was broken as a consequence of the fact that they considered that the kingdom of Great Britain did not correctly recognize their participation in the war. This produced the well-known war of independence, in the years 1776 and 1783, which resulted in the gratitude on the part of the British reign on the Independence of the United States of America. In this conflict, the US had the full support of the actions of Spain and France, this to try to get back some territories that were lost in the 7 Years War.