Seven Years' War

Seven Years' War
Part of the Anglo-French Wars and the Austro-Prussian rivalry
Clockwise from top left: The Battle of Plassey (23 June 1757) The Battle of Carillon (6–8 July 1758) The Battle of Zorndorf (25 August 1758) The Battle of Kunersdorf (12 August 1759)
Date 17 May 1756 – 10 February 1763 (1756-05-17 – 1763-02-10) (6 years, 8 months, 3 weeks and 3 days) Location Europe Americas Philippines West Africa India Result Treaty of Paris (1763) Territorial changes France cedes its North American possessions east of the Mississippi River, along with the colonies of Canada, St Vincent, Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, and Northern Circars to Britain France cedes Louisiana and its North American territory west of the Mississippi River to Spain Spain cedes Florida to Britain, in exchange for the return of Havana and Manila
Belligerents
Great Britain  Prussia Portugal[a]  Russia[b] and others...	France Holy Roman Empire[c]  Russia[d]  Spain[a]  Sweden Bengal and others...
Commanders and leaders
George II # George III William Pitt Duke of Newcastle William Cavendish John Stuart Jeffery Amherst Edward Hawke James Wolfe † John Byng  Robert Clive Edward Braddock † George Washington Edward Boscawen Frederick II Prince Henry Hans von Lehwaldt K. C. G. von Schwerin † Joseph I Count of Lippe Duke Ferdinand Frederick II	Louis XV Louis, Dauphin Prince de Soubise Montcalm † Comte de Lally Louis de Bougainville Francis I Maria Theresa Prince Joseph Leopold von Daun Ernst von Laudon Elizabeth # Pyotr Saltykov William Fermor Stepan Apraksin Zakhar Chernyshev Pyotr Rumyantsev Charles III Pedro de Cevallos Siraj ud-Daulah
Strength
Total:[2][e] 384,000[f] 518,000 22,000[g] 20,000[h]	Total:[3][i] 540,000 450,000[j] 536,000 69,000 55,000
Casualties and losses
180,000 dead[4][5] 160,000 dead[4][6][k] Unknown	200,000 dead[4] 165,000 dead[4][l] 120,000 dead[8][4][m] 28,000 dead[4] Unknown

The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Great Britain and Prussia versus France and Austria, the respective coalitions receiving assistance from countries including Portugal, Spain, Saxony, Sweden, and Russia. Related conflicts include the Third Silesian War, French and Indian War, Third Carnatic War, Anglo-Spanish War (1762–1763), and Spanish–Portuguese War.

Although the War of the Austrian Succession ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748), none of the signatories were happy with the terms, and it was generally viewed as a temporary armistice. It led to a strategic realignment known as the Diplomatic Revolution that ended the long running rivalry between Austria and France. The two declared war on Britain after signing the Treaty of Versailles (1756), with a second agreement in 1757 bringing Prussia into the war.

Spain became a French ally in 1762, unsuccessfully invading Portugal, as well as losing Havana and Manila to Britain. Although these were returned under the Treaty of Paris (1763), France lost its possessions in North America, while Britain established its commercial dominance in India.

The conflict in Europe centred on Austrian attempts to recover Silesia, and ended with the Treaty of Hubertusburg in 1763. This confirmed Prussian occupation of Silesia and its status as a great power, challenging Austria for dominance within Germany and altering the European balance of power.

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