Essay Example on Seven Years War: A Prelude to World War?

Introduction

Many historians believe that the Seven Years' Conflict was a battle for supremacy between Britain and the French. Americans however, refer to it as the Indian and French War. This seven-year war saw brutal Anglo-French fighting in south Asia, the Caribbean, North America, and West Africa. Britain won this war giving them vast territorial advances in North America. Could it have been the First World War in history? Historians portrayed this war as a product of deliberate aggression by established empires while others believed it was an unintended war. Who is right? The source of the Anglo-French war was by no doubt America. Three key areas were disputed by the two royal powers. The first area was Ohio River valley, Acadia- Nova Scotia and the boundaries between New York, Canada, and India. Great Britain colonized 13 colonies in North America. Its colonies extended up to Appalachian Mounts, but past the mountains laid France territory. New France was a sparse habited settlement that consisted of Louisiana, the Mississippi valley to Canada's great lakes. This paper identifys and compares arguments that different historians and scholars have made concerning the war.

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The Seven-Year War

This war was fought between 1754 and 1763, with the main encounter occurring from 1756 to 1763. Except for the Ottoman Empire, all the other great European powers were involved in the war. The continents affected by the war included; the Philippines, West Africa, India, and the Americas. The war split Europe into two alliances. One alliance was led by France and the other by Great Britain. France allied intending to restrain Britain and Prussia's might that was continually growing. This, however, was not achieved as Britain won the war hence altering the power balance in Europe. The conflict between France and Britain started when the British attacked undefined French borderlines in North America in 1754-1756. During the attack, the British apprehended hundreds of French trading ships. While Britain was attacking the French, Prussia was struggling for supremacy with Austria within and outside the Holy Roman Empire in central Europe. In 1756, the European powers shifted their alliances. Prussia allied with Britain while Austria allied with France, in a change referred to diplomatic revolution.

Causes of the Seven-Year War

The Ohio River valley

Both Europeans powers claimed the Ohio valley river as their terrain. The British considered the valley as part of Virginia while France considered the valley as part of New France. The Ohio valley land was crucial to both countries who were interested in expanding their territories in North America. It had valuable natural resources, Native American tribes, and the productive fur industry. In addition, the land played a key role in transporting the region's goods, and the colony that controlled the river would ultimately have control of the region's trade. The British colony wanted the valley to them to trade with the Native Americans there. The conflict started between the two colonies because the French had also inhabited the valley and also built castles to guard their trade with the natives.

Misperception

In an official statement to London, the governor for Virginia Dinwiddie described the Ohio valley as the property of the British. This meant that the French who were at the valley were invaders of the British property. This was not true as the valley's ownership was undecided by then. In their communique to London, Dinwiddie overstated the aggressiveness of French behavior. He stated that the French had invaded Alleghenies and that they were preparing an attack on North America. The governor also wrote to London claiming that French were attacking the British government troops in Ohio valley. In his letters, he gave a misperception that all these were happening to British personnel and British properties. Through their press releases, the British exaggerated France imperialism while underestimating the assertiveness of its actions. The Virginia governor failed to mention about the fort he was building in Ohio valley. He also failed to mention about the alliances with the Indians to fight the French from Ohio valley. Because of the misperceptions that were spreading, both powers considered the other as opportunistic and colonialists. Both the French and British thought that a strict policy would persuade the other side to back down. The strict policies introduced only made the other power to counter escalate in responding. For instance, Britain thought that France would not counter Braddock's two battalion disposition. France however, did counter Braddock's 2 battalion disposition by a six battalion. British did not yield; rather it deployed Boscawen's naval and attacked France's six battalion troops. Both sides preferred to counter-attack each other's actions rather than negotiations. Both the French and British thought their willingness to talk would be taken as a sign of weakness. They valued their credibility and they thought concession would damage their credibility. These two countries considered negotiations as pointless and thus would never succeed. As the two countries avoided negotiations, the misperceptions spiral and went undiscovered.

Non-settlement of existing differences

France and the British lack of negotiations caused them both. The misperceptions that were released by both the French and Britain were never resolved. These misperceptions continued to spread with hate brewing between the two countries.

Four windows of opportunity or vulnerability

British military advantage over France was declining worldwide. British leaders, however, thought that her army was better prepared than France for war which was continually building up its fleets. On the other hand, France saw British power growing and forming alliances with other Europeans countries such as Spain and still expanding its territories into the Ohio valley. In the winter of 1755 when the British government deployed Braddock's battalion to North America, France perceived a tactical window. The French deployed counter whelming forces to North America way before the war started and before the British closed the sea. The British also saw an opening of vulnerability and opportunity when the French deployed its battalion to North America on unarmed French warships. Britain saw an opportunity to destroy the French warships and by doing so denied the French military superiority in North America.

Conclusion

The Seven Years' conflict was a war for the colonial quest between England and France and not for all European countries. The rest of the European countries had nothing to do with the war from the beginning. But as the tension rose between France and Britain alliances and enmities were formed between the European countries. Historians argue that through negotiations the conflict could have been avoided. Many historians treat this war as a calculated product of aggression by two great emperors; others believe it could be a war that was caused by actions that were not intended to lead to war; an inadvertent war. Whether it was intended or not, both countries that participated lost. The continents affected by the war included; the Philippines, West Africa, India, and the Americas. The war split Europe into two alliances. One alliance was led by France and the other by Great Britain. France allied intending to restrain Britain and Prussia's might that was continually growing. France lost the war to the British while the British later one lost its American colonies through the American Revolution. The British leaders also tried to limit the war to North America only but failed. The seven-year war saw brutal Anglo-French fighting in south Asia, the Caribbean, North America, and West Africa. Britain won this war giving them vast territorial advances in North America. Could it have been the First World War in history? Historians portrayed this war as a product of deliberate aggression by established empires while others believed it was an unintended war. Thus the source of the Anglo-French war was by no doubt America.

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