In the wake of the War of Austrian Succession, the political map of Europe was redrawn during the Diplomatic Revolution of 1756. France, Austria, and Russia, despite being century-old enemies, joined forces in an alliance against Prussia and Great Britain. Empress Maria Theresa, in an attempt to shore up her successful modernization of the Austrian [...]

After the war began with the Austrians and French battling the Prussians and the British, the Seven Years’ War escalated into a conflict between colonial empires. Soon, new nations would become embroiled in the conflict.

Spain entered the war on January 4 in response to British aggressions in the Caribbean. Conflicts in other theaters had taken their toll on European forces, most notably Great Britain. During the course of the war, the Crown had expanded its colonies in Asia and the Caribbean, while at the same time, heavily damaging France’s influence in North America. However, these engagements stretched Great Britain’s armies and navies very thin and for a period, it appeared that the British were on the verge of removing forces from the European continent.