1. The Seven Years War

2. The War of Austrian Succession ended in 1748 with the Peace of Aix-La-Chapelle.

3. An uneasy peace held for almost eight years.
Frederick the Great wanted to
hold onto Silesia.
Maria Theresa was determined to gain her
province back.

4. The Seven Years War began in America-
British troops
tried to take
French Fort
Duquesne in the
Ohio Valley and
were repulsed.

7. I could hear the bullets
whizzing close by. . .and
believe me when I tell you
that there is something
sweet in that sound.
--George Washington

8. When hostilities broke out in North America, Great Britain sought to protect their
interests on the Continent. Prussia was persuaded to guarantee the neutrality of
Hanover, an area vulnerable to the French.

10. This treaty prompted
Austria and France
to form an alliance—
engineered by Count
Kaunitz, the Austrian
foreign minister.
Louis, Grandson of
King Louis XV
Marie Antoinette, Daughter
of Empress Maria Theresa

11. In France, King Louis XV and his mistress, Madame de
Pompadour, also agreed to the alliance.

12. This is called the diplomatic revolution, or the reversal
of the alliances.
Aligned with Austria
Austrian Empire
France
Holy Roman Empire
Russia
Saxony
Spain
Sweden

13. The Diplomatic Revolution
Aligned with Prussia
 Hanover
 Great Britain
 Portugal

14. Russia allied itself with Austria, to prevent Prussia
from expanding to the east.

15. Frederick the Great’s only useful ally was Britain—already quite
busy in its territories in the New World.

16. The war began in Europe with Frederick’s invasion of
Bohemia—when he was pushed back, he attacked Saxony.

17. At first, Frederick was stunningly successful.
Battle of Leuthen
Battle of Rossbach

19. In the new world, the French were successful in seeking the
alliance of the Indian leaders—hence, this war is called the
French and Indian War in North America.

20. In 1758, Louisburg, the great fort that had been captured and
returned by the British during the War of Austrian Succession,
was captured once again.

21. And in 1759, French Canada fell to the British in the
Battle of Quebec on the Plains of Abraham.

23. Both British General Wolfe and French General Montcalm
were killed in the Battle of Quebec.

24. Britain also captured the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and
Martinique and the French slave forts in Africa.

25. Both these islands were highly prized because of their sugar cane plantations.

26. Meanwhile, on the continent…

27. Frederick the Great’s fortunes begin to change.

28. In November of 1759, an entire Prussian Army was captured by
the Austrians, with Russian help. 13,000 men surrendered.

29. In October, 1760, the Russians took Berlin.

30. Frederick’s situation
became critical when
British Foreign Minister
William Pitt was
replaced. Britain’s
Parliament would no
longer send money to
help the Prussian cause.

31. Frederick was rescued
when the Russian
Tsarina Elizabeth
died. Her heir, Peter,
was a fanatical admirer
of Frederick and the
Prussian military.

32. Peter immediately stopped fighting, made a separate peace with
Frederick, and formed an alliance with Prussia.

33. With Russia now allied with Prussia--it was left to Austria
and France to fight on.

34. Meanwhile, in India…

35. The coastal towns had been easy pickings for the
Portuguese, French, and British.

36. Forts were built to protect trading interests. Local soldiers called
sepoys were often used to provide manpower.

37. Robert Clive, working for the British East India Company,
moved on the French forts in the Bengal area of India.

38. The French were
favored by the Muslim
leader Suraja Dowla,
who shut 145 British
citizens in a small
room overnight
without windows.
This was the infamous
Black Hole of
Calcutta.

39. Clive defeated the French and their Indian allies at the
Battle of Plassey.

40. The British won a decisive victory in America.

41. The Treaty of Paris
The British were the big winners. They received:
•
•
•
Canada
the Ohio Valley
Eastern half of the Mississippi Valley.

42. The Treaty of Paris
The French were
the big losers.



Their American
colonial empire was
lost except for a few
small Caribbean
islands.
Valuable trade
connections in India
were lost.
As a nation, they fell
deeply into debt.

43. The Treaty of Paris



The Prussians
permanently wrested
Silesia away from
Austria.
The Austrians became
more dependent upon
its Hungarian domains.
The Holy Roman
Empire was turned
into an irrelevant,
empty shell.

44. Frederick the Great and Maria Theresa went back home
and ruled their countries for the next two decades.

46. French defeat and failure to reform its political and
economic system will lead to Revolution in 1789.

47. Rivalry between Austria and Prussia for leadership within
the German States will continue into the 19th century.