To what extent was the Seven Years' War driven by competing grand strategies — British maritime hegemony versus French continental dominance?

[julie09]

[RavVid]

While not the immediate cause, I think you are right.

Pitt the Elder certainly made French colonial possessions the target whilst subsidizing the Prussians to prevent French hegemony on the continent. It helped that Frederick the Great was a brilliant general.

France was more or less forced to focus on the continent being apart of it and possibly accepted overseas losses that it could recover with swap for gains on the continent. That might not have worked anyway. Plus British gold forced them too focus on the continent.

Anyway, Great Britain might well have not been so willing to give back territory to recover Prussian territory. Perfidious Albany etc. Prussia didn't get much other than retaining Silesia and a ruined economy.

France would have preferred not to have lost overseas possessions no doubt but with a less powerful fleet Great Britain had it nicely wedged.

[Just_Ken]

The Seven Years war was much larger than that. It was France & Spain vs Britain & Portugal over maritime dominance and colonial intrests. Austria, Russia, Sweden vs Prussia & other German states with france and Britain backing both sides.

Any French or spainish/Austrian hapsburg dominance of the continent would be a disaster for the British empire as either would have the men or the money to challenge them in their colonies.

[lightbulb27]

beyond my recollection. It was ugly... last of the mohicans I think was depicted in that era.

I think they were fighting over control of this land, you call Americacah.

[RyanEC]

I think that was the main cause.
Every major power was sumptuously trying to expand and was afraid of their rivals.


Would you consider the 7 years war a proto world war?

[julie09]

Yes, I regard it as a sort of First World War, even though the belligerents were mainly European. To think that George Washington was not entirely innocent in that war, and that years later France would help to finance the revolution led by that very same George Washington

[strateguy632]

yes if france did not want all the land on continent. could have peace.

[FrodoSkywalker007]

Looks like someone is curious about you and wants you to look it up 😂

[TonyMetal___1986]

Someone was asking about you, his name is @RyanEC

[RyanEC]

I found her account thanks.

[TonyMetal___1986]

@RyanEC you're welcome 👍🏻

[Anonymous]

Abby says look it up lol

[Anonymous]

Look it up.