 1740
- 1748
 Succession to the Austrian throne.
• Emperor Charles IV died
Maria Theresa.
• King Frederick of Prussia took advantage of a
woman on the throne and invaded Austrian
Silesia.
• France entered the war
against Austria.
• Maria Theresa allied with
Great Britain.
 In
Europe.
• Prussia took Silesia.
 In
the Far East.
• France took Madras (Chennai) in India from the
British.
 In
North America.
• British took French fort of Louisbourg at mouth of
St. Lawrence River.
 New
Allies
• France abandoned Prussia and allied with
Austria.
• Russia saw Prussia as a threat and joined the
alliance with France and Austria.
• Britain allied with Prussia
British
Prussians
Austrians
Russians
French
 Diplomatic
revolution led to worldwide
war --• Prussian army successful..at first.
 Attacked from three directions and worn down!
 Near disaster until Peter III, the Russian czar (who
greatly admired Frederick II) withdrew Russian forces
from the conflict.
• War ended in 1763
 Land returned
 Austria recognized Prussia’s control of Silesia.
 Great War
for Empire
 Struggle continued between France and
Britain in India.
 British won because they were more
persistent.
 Treaty of Paris, 1763
• French withdrew from India.
 To
the French
• A trading area. (fur, fish, timber, leather).
• Difficult for them to get people to move here.
 To
the British
• 13 prosperous colonies.
• More populated.
 Water
ways of the Gulf of the Saint
Lawrence. (Near Quebec)
 Ohio River Valley
• French began to move down from Canada and
up from Louisiana and built forts in the Ohio
River Valley.
 This was a threat to British expansion!
 The
French gained the support of the
Native Americans.
• French were traders, not settlers.
• Viewed by Natives with less
hostility than the British.
 William
Pitt, British Prime Minister
• Put little into European wars while putting
resources into the colonial war. (esp the Navy)
 French
had more troops here but were
destroyed at sea!