Seven Year's War 1756-1763

Home - Wars, Battles & Revolutions - Seven Years' War

SEVEN YEARS' WAR
1756 - 1763

In the Seven Years' War,

France, Austria, Saxony, Sweden, Russia, and Spain

allied against

Prussia, Hanover, and Great Britain.

The war was fought in Europe, North America, and India.

WHEN EXACTLY WAS THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR FOUGHT?
With all its extensions, the Seven Years' War was fought for nine years, from 1754-1763. That's because the French and Indian War broke out in the colonies two years earlier than the main fighting in Europe began in 1756. See more below.

The Seven Years' War was fought in Europe from 1756-1763.

THE ISSUES BEHIND THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR
The two main issues behind the Seven Years' War were:

1 ) Competition between France and England in the colonies. This led to the North American extension of this war, which is also called The French and Indian War, or the Fourth French and Indian War.

Here is more about the French and Indian Wars.

and

2 ) The desire to dominate Germany, i.e. Silesia, between Austria and Prussia. This led to another chapter of the Seven Years' War, the Third Silesian War.

Here is more about the Silesian Wars.

And here is a timeline of the Seven Years' War.

The Treaty of Paris, 1763, concluded the Seven Years' War.

Prussia made an heroic resistance against the armies of Austria, Russia, and France. England, under the administration of the elder Pitt (afterwards Lord Chatham), took a part in the war in opposition to France and Spain.

1756 North Central Europe