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Seven Years' War
Date 1756-1763 (Europe);
1754-1763 (North America)
Location Europe, North America, North Africa, India, the Caribbean
Result Expansion of the British Empire into French North America, Caribbean and India; status quo antebellum in Europe
Belligerents
UKujes Great Britain and its colonies
Hanover
Prussia Prussia
PortugalMonarchy Portugal
Hesse-Kessel
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Schaumburg-Lippe
RussianEmpire Russia (from 1762)
Iroquois Confederacy
Cherokee Nation (until 1758)
Wyandot of Ohio
Catawba
Mingo
Lenape (from 1758)
KingdomofFranceflag France and its colonies
HolyRomanEmpireflagHabsburg Austria
Electorate of Saxony
Sweden Sweden
Spain Spain and its colonies
RussianEmpire Russia (until 1762)
Wabanaki Confederacy
Abenaki
Miꞌkmaq
Algonquin
Lenape (until 1758)
Ojibwe
Odawa
Shawnee
Wyandot of Fort Detroit
Commanders and leaders
UKujes George III of the United Kingdom

UKujes Edward Braddock
UKujes Charles Cornwallis
UKujes George Washington
UKujes James Wolfe
Prussia Frederick II of Prussia

KingdomofFranceflag Louis XV of France

KingdomofFranceflag Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon
HolyRomanEmpireflag Maria Theresa of Austria
HolyRomanEmpireflag Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Spain Ferdinand VI of Spain
Spain Charles III of Spain
RussianEmpire Elizabeth I of Russia
RussianEmpire Peter III of Russia
RussianEmpire Catherine II of Russia

The Seven Years' War was a global conflict fought between 1756 and 1763. It involved every European great power of the time and spanned five continents, affecting Europe, the Americas, West Africa, India, and the Philippines. The conflict split Europe into two coalitions, led by the Kingdom of Great Britain (including Prussia, Portugal, Hanover, and other small German states) on one side and the Kingdom of France (including the Austrian-led Holy Roman Empire, the Russian Empire, Bourbon Spain, and Sweden) on the other. Meanwhile, in India, some regional polities within the increasingly fragmented Mughal Empire, with the support of the French, tried to crush a British attempt to conquer Bengal.

Although Anglo-French skirmishes over their American colonies had begun with what became the French and Indian War in 1754, the large-scale conflict that drew in most of the European powers was centered on Austria's desire to recover Silesia from the Prussians. Seeing the opportunity to curtail Britain's and Prussia's ever-growing might, France and Austria put aside their ancient rivalry to form a grand coalition of their own, bringing most of the other European powers to their side. Faced with this sudden turn of events, Britain aligned itself with Prussia, in a series of political maneuvers known as the Diplomatic Revolution. However, French efforts ended in failure when the Anglo-Prussian coalition prevailed, and Britain's rise as among the world's predominant powers destroyed France's supremacy in Europe, thus altering the European balance of power, despite the fact that the status quo antebellum in Europe was restored at wars' end. However, Britain became the hegemon of North America and India at the expense of France and Spain.

Seven Years' War in The Two Georges[]

NorthAmerica1762-83

North American territory gains and losses.

Shortly after the Seven Years' War, Britain and its North American colonies found themselves at loggerheads over the governance of the colonies. Tensions mounted until an agreement was made between the colonies, led by Colonel George Washington, and King George III, leading to the birth of the North American Union.[1]

As of the late 20th Century, it was the last major war fought between European powers.

Seven Years' War in Atlantis[]

In the mid 18th century, a global conflict was fought by the great empires of Europe, on their own continent as well as in their various colonial empires. The portion fought in Atlantis in 1761, was one theatre of this conflict.[2]

Literary comment[]

While the casus belli and the participant list are nearly identical to those of the Seven Years' War, the only theatre described in detail is the Atlantean front. Too few details about the rest of the war are given to make an informed comparison with OTL, though it seems to have started a few years after 1756. The war is not even named in the text.

References[]

  1. The Two Georges, pgs. 27-29, MPB.
  2. "Nouveau Redon", generally.
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