The Seven Years' War or French and Indian War (Vanessa Gibson)
The Seven Years' War was the last major European conflict before the French Revolution in 1789 and easily could have been deemed the first world war since many of the major powers of Europe were involved. The actual war in Europe began in 1756 when Frederick the Great of Prussia invaded the Holy Roman Imperial state, Saxony. This entangled the alliance of France, Russia, Sweden, Austria, and Saxony against Prussia, Hanover, and Great Britain. One interesting element of the Seven Years' War was the international conflict between France and Great Britain, as many of their battles took place offshore or at colonized bases as they fought for dominance in North America and India.
During the first year of fighting, the British suffered a number of defeats against the French and the French's Native American allies. It wasn't until the newly appointed British Prime Minister William Pitt re-strategized the fight with France. It was in his mind that the best way to defeat the French army was to avoid mainland France and focus instead on its lesser defended colonies. His plan was twofold. First, in order to protect the German state of Hanover, which was under the same crown as Great Britain, Pitt invested money into his Prussian allies whose armies had the capability to stand up against France's. Confident in the abilities of the British Navy, the second part of his plan was to then open additional fronts across the globe in order to overextend the French. Britain’s Navy was victorious in many global maritime invasions, enabling them to make colonial conquests in North America, the West Indies, and West Africa. The British continued to prevail in their battles against France, capturing the major French base, Pondicherry in India in 1761. Two years after France's defeats in India, the war ended with the signing of the treaties of Hubertusburg and Paris in February of 1763. In the signing of the Treaty of Paris, France lost all claims to Canada and gave Louisiana to Spain. In contrast, Britain received Spanish Florida, upper holds of Canada, and other various French holdings overseas. Thus, Britain took over France's claim as the most dominant world power. However, from the extent of the war, both countries faced economic struggle and debt. Ultimately Britain's economic position would lead to the American Revolutionary War and likewise, France's loss and economic struggles would be a catapult for their revolution.
Sources:
History.com Editors. "Seven Years' War." History.com. November 12, 2009, https://www.history.com/topics/france/seven-years-war. Accessed April 2, 2019.
History.com Editors. "The Seven Years War begins." History.com. March 3, 2010, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/t
