Today is the 262nd anniversary of the Russian Empire seizing Berlin on October 9, 1760, during the Seven Years’ War, which pitted Britain, Prussia, and the State of Hanover against France, Austria, Russia, Sweden, and Saxony. Spain and Portugal also joined the conflict after it had already started. The Pomeranian War, a conflict that lasted from 1756 to 1763 AD, is frequently referred to as the attack on one of the Dutch United Provinces’ troops in India.
When England formally declared war on France, the Seven Years’ War, often known as the French and Indian War, got underway. There have been battles and skirmishes between England and France in North America for many years.
Early in the 1850s, French expansion into the Ohio River Valley often led to hostilities between France and the British colonies, and in 1756, the first year of the Seven Years’ War, the British were defeated repeatedly by the French and their extensive network of Native American alliances.
But in 1757, British Prime Minister William Pitt (the Elder) recognised the opportunity for imperial growth that would result from defeating the French. As a result, Britain took on significant debt to finance an expanded war effort. Pitt then funded a war of Prussia against France and its allies in Europe.
The French were driven out of Canada by 1760, and by 1763, all of France’s European allies had signed a separate peace treaty with Prussia and some had been defeated.
Spanish attempts to assist France in the Americas were unsuccessful, and France was also defeated by British forces in India.
The Treaty of Paris, which was signed on February 10, 1763, by the United Kingdom, France, and Spain signalled the conclusion of the Seven Years’ War (the colonial part was called the French-Indian War). In the treaty, Spain acquired the French territory of Louisiana from France while France lost many territories to the British, including Canada and West Florida in North America.
The treaty ended most of France’s colonies in the Western Hemisphere, but many French settlers stayed in the British colonies, so its influence persisted. A similar French cultural imprint may be found in Louisiana, where Cajun and Creole cultures blend French influences in the area. French cuisine, language, and culture still predominate in the Canadian province of Quebec.
The war’s costs caused new issues in the relationship between Britain and its colonies, while France was heading toward economic collapse and revolt. Prussia lost roughly 10% of its population, but Frederick’s cunning allowed it to avoid joining the alliance with Austria, Russia, and France.
Battles of the Seven Years’ War altered the layout of Europe. Do you know what it is?
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