The Seven Years War

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The Seven Years War
1756-1763
Seven Years wars, 1759-63, worldwide fought in Europe, North America, and India between France, Austria, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and (after 1762) Spain on the one side and Prussia, Great Britain, and Hanover on the other, with major consequences for all parties involved. The grand strategies of the combatants and the differing styles of warfare were used in the many campaigns. These ranged from the large-scale battles and sieges of the European front to the ambush and skirmish tactics used in the forests of North America.
The struggle was complex in its origin and involved two main distinct conflicts – the colonial rivalry between France and England and the struggle for superpower in Germany between the House of Austria and the rising Kingdom of Prussia. It was showed in America by the outbreak of the last of the French and Indian wars and in India. The war of the Austrian Succession (1740-48) had left Austria humiliated. Seeking to recover Silesia from Prussia, Empress Maria Theresa even before the conclusion of that war had secured the alliance of Elizabeth of Russia.
In 1775, when hostilities broke out in North America, George II, King of England and elector of Hanover, negotiated the Treaty of Westminster with Frederick II of Prussia, who guaranteed the neutrality of Hanover. This event hurried the alliance (1756) of France and Austria, sometimes called the “diplomatic revolution”.
After that Frederick II opened hostilities by invading Saxony. In Jan.,1757, war was declared. Austria concluded alliances with France and Russia and was joined by Sweden. The main European aspect of the war began with the Prussian invasion of Bohemia early in 1757.
Victorious at first, Frederick was severely defeated by the Austrians under Daun at Kolin (June,1757) and had to evacuate Bohemia. The fighting was carried into Saxony and Silesia, where Frederick gained the great victories of Rossbach (Nov., 175...