Soon, most of the states in Europe had been drawn into the conflict. In April 1756, France launched an attack on the British-controlled Mediterranean island of Minorca.Īs alliances were being formed and honoured, Britain’s chief ally, King Frederick II of Prussia, saw this as an opportunity to invade Saxony, pre-empting Austria and Russia. While the British focused on attacking France in their colonial territories, the French looked to gain the advantage in Europe. Listen | Does the Thirty Years’ War merit its gruesome reputation? Who were the winners and losers of the conflict? Peter Wilson responds to your questions on the brutal conflict that convulsed central Europe in the 17th century, on this episode of the HistoryExtra podcast: What was happening in Europe at the time? The French retreated to Montreal, but surrendered there in September 1760, all but sealing the British victory over New France in North America. With the capture of Quebec, the British capped off their so-called Annus Mirabilis (‘miraculous year’). The British capture Louisbourg – the beginning of the end for French Canada. By sending his men up a narrow path up a cliff to the Plains of Abraham, Wolfe drew the French general Louis, marquis de Montcalm, into a fight and roundly defeated him. This, in turn, allowed Major-General James Wolfe to sail warships to lay siege to Quebec.
In 1758, Major-General Jeffrey Amherst captured the French-controlled fortress of Louisbourg, in modern-day Nova Scotia, Canada, which opened up the St Lawrence River to British ships. France went on to secure a number of early victories by capturing Fort Oswego in 1756 and Fort William Henry in 1757.īut the British poured more resources into the colonial conflict than France, which was more preoccupied with the war in Europe, and the momentum shifted. Braddock perished in the disastrous defeat. In July 1755, before the war officially began, a British force under Major-General Edward Braddock attempted to capture the French Fort Duquesne, but was ambushed by French and Canadian troops and their Native American allies. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images) How did the war progress in North America? Native American warriors were pulled into the war as Britain and France formed alliances with different tribes. While low-level engagements, these skirmishes caused both Britain and France to send troops to North America, setting off the chain of events that led to the declaration of war in 1756. In May 1754, Washington and his force ambushed the French and built their own stronghold – Fort Necessity – although this was quickly attacked in retaliation and surrendered. In response, the Virginia governor dispatched a British colonial militia, headed by a young George Washington and accompanied by Native American warriors. They were in control of huge swathes of Canada and the Great Lakes area, while the British had the colonies on the eastern coast and were not prepared to accept these enemy forts on their borders. When and where was the first engagement of the war?ĭuring the 1750s, the French had built a chain of forts in the Ohio River Valley in North America to challenge the British. Austria and Prussia were soon on a war footing. Long-standing alliances were reversed – notably, Austria and Prussia swapped sides so that they became allies of France and Britain respectively – and new deals and agreements were made that destabilised the political situation in Europe. This discontent led to drastic shifts in the networks of alliances across Europe, known as the ‘Diplomatic Revolution’ of 1756. Austria and Prussia were soon on a war footing
Alliances were reversed that destabilised the political situation.
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