SEVEN YEARS' WAR (1756-63). Primari ly a continuation of the contest between Freder ick the Great of Prussia and Maria Theresa of Austria for the possession of Silesia. this war became of world importance, as in it France and England fought out their struggle for su premacy in North America and in India. All of the great European nations were involved in it. Frederick William 1. of Prussia learned before his death in 1740 how fruitless was the traditional Hohen zollern policy of loyalty to the House of Haps burg. His son, Frederick the Great, adopted a new policy of self-assertion for Prussia. In the first and second Silesian wars, 1740-42 and 1744-45, which formed part of the great pean struggle known as the War of the Austrian Succession (see SUCCESSION WARS) , he won Silesia, upon which the House of Hohenzollern had an old claim. Flis title to its possession was recognized in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748). Maria Theresa was bent upon the re covery of Silesia, and France and England had not by any means settled their differences. In 1754 the French and Indian War (q.v.) broke out in America, and in the spring of 1756 Eng land and France were fighting in the _Mediter ranean. There had been effected, in preparation for a struggle, a new alignment of European al liances. Austria, whose foreign policy was di rected by Kaunitz (q.v.), and France, Nvlio,:e King, Louis XV., was under the sway of Madame de Pompadour, had departed from the policy of antagonism which they had maintained for two centuries and hail concluded a treaty of alliance at Versailles. May 1, 1756. Ten years before a defensive alliance against Frederick had been arranged between Austria and Russia. Great Britain in ease of a European war had common intere,J, with Prussia on account of Hanover, which would be exposed to the attacks of her old enemy, France. She, therefore, entered into an alliance with Prussia. On April 22, 1756, Russia proposed to Austria the partition of the Prussian territories. Frederick, well informed of the plans of his enemies, anticipated their ac tions, and, after a summary demand on the two powers as to their intentions, on August 29, 1756, invaded Saxony, which he knew to be friendly to Austria.
Frederick threw a column into Bohemia and met the Austrian advance under Browne in an indecisive battle at Lohositz, October 1st. The Saxon army, after a siege of some weeks at Pima. capitulated on October 16th, and there after Saxony was used by Frederick as a base of operations, while her revenues were collected by Prussia. On January 17, 1757, the Diet of
the German Empire declared war on Prussia, and in February Austria, Russia, and France completed a new treaty of offensive alliance. Sweden also joined the allies. At this time the English alliance promised little for Prussia, and it was not until Pitt (q.v.) was well established in control of the British foreign affairs that it gave promise of real utility for Frederick. The coalition against Frederick, whose subjects num bered only about 5,000,000, was the most. pow erful that Europe has ever witnessed. Sur rounded by such powerful foes the Prussian King's policy was to concentrate his attacks and strike rapid and heavy blows. He made his first attack in Bohemia, defeated the Austrians under Charles of Lorraine and Browne before Prague, May 6th. in a desperate battle, laid siege to Prague, but lost the battle of Bolin against the Austrian Marshal Dann (q.v.), June 18th. This compelled the King to retire into Saxony. Mean while the French had obtained possession of much of North Germany west of the Elbe, which was defended by an insufficient English and Han overian force under the incompetent Duke of Cumberland. The latter retreated before the French. was beaten at Hastenbeck, Jul• 26th. and signed the disgraceful convention of Kloster Zeven. September Sth, in accordance with which the Hanoverian army was to be dispersed, Han over being left in the hands of the French. This was a virtual surrender and the English Gov ernment repudiated it. Frederick turned next against the French and Imperialists, under the command of Soubise (q.v.), and at Rossbach (q.v.) won one of his most brilliant victories, November 5, 1757. A mouth later he inflicted a great. de feat upon the Austrians under.Daun at Leuthen (December 5th). This battle was followed by the surrender of Breslau and Liegnitz. Mean while in East Prussia the Prussians under Leh width were defeated at Gross-Jagerndorf by the Russians under Apraxin (August 30th) and East Prussia was overrun. But Pitt had now taken hold of English affairs with a firm grasp and entered upon the fullest coaperation with Prus sia. Ferdinand of Brunswick was placed in com mand of the Hanoverian forces and Frederick's resources were increased by a liberal subsidy from England.