The Seven Years’ War 1756-1763

The Seven Years’ War was fought over Silesia, which Maria Theresa wanted to win back from Frederick the Great of Prussia. To this end she formed an alliance with Russia and France, the ‘hereditary enemy’, the latter being already involved in a war with Britain over, among other things, possessions in Canada and India. The war, which swallowed up gigantic sums of money and inflicted enormous suffering on the population, ended without there being any significant changes in territorial possessions in Europe.