The Seven Years War was, truly, the first world war. It was the first war that had conflicts across the globe. It began in North America, but also led to major conflicts in Europe, India, Africa, and other places. Although the Seven Years war didn’t create any major boundary changes in Europe, it drastically changed it in other areas of the world.
The Seven Years War began in America. The first skirmish in the war was the Battle of Jumonville Glen. It was a skirmish between the British Lieutenant Colonel George Washington and the French Leader Jumonville. Jumonville had been coming to warn the British to stay off French-claimed territory, and Washington had been going to check on a fort. The French were trying to be on the offensive, but the Indians accompanying Washington spotted the Frenchmen first, so Washington’s men struck the first blow. Washington’s men won the fight, even killing Jumonville. The glen where the battle was fought was named after Jumonville.
The Battle of Fort Necessity was fought several months after the Battle of Jumonville Glen. Fort Necessity was a British fort, and the French and Indians attacked it. They forced Washington into surrender. The British decided to send an army to aid the small colonial army. The British and French also declared war on each other in all locations, so that includes all the colonies owned by each country as well as their territory in mainland Europe.
The British army arrived in the British Colonies in 1755, commanded by General Braddock. Their forces joined with Washington’s and traveled to Fort Duquesne to attempt to take that fort from the French. The battle was called the Battle of Monongahela because that was the name of the river that the fort was situated upon. General Braddock’s men got absolutely destroyed in the “woods fightingâ€1, and Braddock himself was shot in the lung and died a few days afterwards. After this battle, the British made many offensive moves in America, but did not gain much ground until 1759. The British then captured the city Ticonderoga and the Fort of Niagara and that ended almost all French resistance in North America.
Meanwhile in Europe, the French attacked a Mediterranean Island controlled by the British and the British were forced to surrender. Britain’s ally Prussia set out against France. The next three years were Prussian victories, and they were able to keep France’s allies of Russia and Austria at bay. The Prussian army had a few close calls where Prussia could have very nearly been destroyed, but they never were. Russia’s ruler died, and that was when Russia decided quit the war. Hanover, another English ally, had been holding back the French to the east, and so Prussia now only had to deal with Austria. However, the British became tired of fighting, and told the Prussian ruler to make peace. The treaty of Paris was signed in 1763, ending the war in Europe. The Europeans also changed the country borderlines back to the way they were before the war, and so there were no changes to the countries in Europe.
In the Caribbean, the British were able to gain control of many of the islands that were previously owned by the Spanish, as well as Florida. The British also drove the French out of India, and adding it to their expansive Empire. If I am correct, they did also leave most of the local governments intact in India. Britain also gained some colonies from the French in West Africa during the war. Other than that, there were not many territory changes.
The Seven Years War was fought all over the world. It brought drastic changes for the British colonies, and saw the expansion of the British Empire come to new heights, as well as the decline of France. The Seven Years War also set in motion the events that would lead up to many other wars, including the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the World Wars. Overall, the Seven Years War was one of the most important wars in history.
1This is a direct quote from Bradly Fish