In 1758 Frederick opened another year of ag gressive campaigning. lie recaptured Schweid nitz in Silesia, besieged Olinfitz unsuccessfully, then turned upon the Russians who had invaded Brandenburg. and defeated them thoroughly at Zorndorf, August 25th. He then moved into Saxony, where lie was attacked by Dann at Hoch kireh, October 14th, and defeated, though not badly. He then passed around Daun's army and relieved Upper Silesia, which was in danger of falling into the hands of the Austrians. Prus sia, however, was now almost exhausted. Hemmed in by the Russians and Austrians under Soltikoff and Laudon, Frederick met his worst defeat at Kunersdorf (q.v.), near Frankfort-on the-Oder, on August 12, 1759, where almost his entire army was destroyed or dispersed. On No vember 21st one of his generals, Muck, was trapped at flaxen in Saxony and compelled to surrender with about 13,000 men. Prussia now seemed to be prostrate. In the west, however, conditions had changed with the change in com manders. Ferdinand of Brunswick signally de feated the French at Crefeld, June 23. 1758, and at Minden, August 1, 1759. The victory of Min den, with the brilliant success of the English against. the French in Canada, where they took Quebec, the capture of Guadeloupe, and the naval victory of Admiral Hawke over the French in Quiberon Bay, November 20th, redeemed the year 1759 for the Anglo-Prussian alliance.
After 1759 Frederick fought on the defensive. In 1760 the Prussians were defeated at Lands hut, June 23d, and lost Glatz. July 26th. Fred erick himself won by hard fighting the battles of Liegnitz, August 15th, over Laudon, and Tor gall, November 3d, over Daun, but in the mean time, in October, Berlin itself was raided by Russians and Austrians. In 1760 George III. succeeded to the English throne and in 1761 Pitt went out of office. With Pitt went Eng land's grand designs. The Government failed to renew the convention with Prussia, which thus lost her one ally. This desertion Fred erick never forgave. The death of the press Elizabeth of Russia, .Tanuary 5. 1762, and the accession of Peter III., Frederick's ardent admirer, coining at this critical juncture, saved Prussia. The new Czar made an alliance with Frederick and the Russian arms were turned against Austria. Frederick was able to take the
initiative again and defeated the Austrians at Burkersdorf, in Silesia. July 21, 1762, and on August 16th defeated Daun at Reichenbach. On October 29th Prince Henry, brother of Frederick. and Seydlitz were victorious at Freiberg. Peter was deposed July 9th by his ;wife, Catharine II., and the Russian troops were ordered home.
Sweden also withdrew from the struggle. At the close of 17(12 a truce was concluded between Austria and Prussia, both sides being exhausted.
France had drawn Spain into the struggle with England by the Bourbon family compact of August 5, 1761, which Choiseul had negoti ated, and Bute, who had sought peace at any price, found himself compelled to follow tardily the course marked out by l'itt. In 1762 Marti nique, Havana, and Manila fell into the hands of the English. The struggle in India was already decided in favor of England. On November 3, 1762, preliminaries of peace were signed at Fon tainebleau between England, France, Spain, and Portugal (which had been attacked by the Bour bon coalition), and the definitive Peace of Paris was arranged on February 10, 1763. (See PARIS, TREATIES OF.) Austria and Prussia con cluded the Peace of Hubertsburg on February 15, 1763. As Prussia retained Silesia, the war brought no changes territorially in Europe, but it placed Prussia among the Powers of the first rank. Outside of Europe it changed the aspect of the world, bringing about the downfall of France as a colonial Power and preparing the way for the British Empire in India.
Consult: Longman, Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' ll'ar (London, 1888), a reliable and comprehensive brief history; Carlyle, His tory of Frederick the Great (in several edi tions) ; Schafer, Geschichte des siebenjahrigen, Kricgcs (Berlin, 1867-74), the principal history of the war; Von Ranke, Der Ursprung des sleben fiiihrigen Krieges (Leipzig, 1871) ; Vast,, "Guerre de sept ails," with excellent bibliography, in vol. vii. of Lavisse and Ramband, Ilistoire generale ( Paris, 1893-1900). See also authorities referred to Under FREDERICK II., MARIA THERESA, and PITT, WILLIAM.