The Seven Years War
My lesson fifteen history Essay is on the Seven Years War. This war was fought between many countries, but the main countries fighting against each other were France and Britain. The war started with several skirmishes in the new world. On England’s side was General George Washington (heard of him?) and his army, and they fought, on Frances side Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville. George Washington and his men were sent to protect a fort construction crew from the French and Indians. On their way, not knowing that the fort and crew were gone, they spotted the army of Jumonville. George Washington and his men set up a surprise attack, starting of a chain reaction that would combine with the Diplomatic Revolution and other events to start the Seven Years War and eventually the freedom of America.
The Diplomatic Revolution was when many alliances in Europe were broken. Basically, Britain’s ally Austria broke off and made and alliance with France, so Britain then made and alliance with Austria’s enemy, Prussia. There were many other alliances that brought other countries into preparing for war. Britain, even though they were very much prepared for war, still wanted to avoid conflict. However this hope was short lived, because later the French attacked an island south of France and forced the British inhabitants to surrender. This event started the Seven Years War.
After the French launched the first attack, the leader of Prussia, Fredric III, wanted to be on the offensive and use this war as an opportunity to grow his land. Fredric III then split his army in to two parts, one to protect Prussia and one to go and fight with him. He then took the former, and destroyed Saxony. Because of that attack, Saxony was unable to recover after the war. Strangely, The Prussians survived the war intact due to the Miracles of the House of Brandenburg. Only these kept Prussia from utter defeat. The first miracle was when Prussia was being pursued by the enemy. Cornered they had nowhere to go. The enemy could have attacked and destroyed Prussia, but they retreated because they were too far out past their supply lines. The second miracle was simply due to the death of the Russian Empress. Russia was against Prussia, but when the Empress died her son took her place and put in place the Treaty of St. Petersburg in 1762, thus saving Prussia… again.
At this point, thankfully the British were weary of all the war and bloodshed. Britain then told Fredric III to make peace or they would no longer have the help of Britain. Fredric then agreed to the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The Treaty of Paris stated that the war was over and that everything would be status quo ante bellum. That meant that all the newly conquered land in Europe would be given back to its owners before the war. Not many countries conquered enough land worth keeping so many agreed.
The overall winner of the war was Britain. She had more land in the new world that they took from France and did not have to many loses. The French lost the most because they lost a lot of land to the Brits, and lost their once strong Navy. Many other countries were involved in the battles but did not have as much of a role in it. The Seven Years War would be another link in the chain of Americas freedom.
The Unfancy Farmgirl 