The Seven Years War: Crash Course World History #26
TLDRThis Crash Course World History video explores the complexities behind the Seven Years' War, known as the first true world war. Fought between 1756-1763, it involved European powers like Britain, France, Prussia and Austria vying for land and trade dominance, with fighting spreading across Europe, North America, the Caribbean, West Africa and India. The war shifted the global balance of power as Britain emerged victorious but with a large debt burden, while France was weakened. The peace treaty expanded Britain's empire. The war also greatly impacted native tribes in North America, who could no longer easily play European powers against one another as British settlers flooded their lands. Ultimately, winning the war cost Britain its first empire even as it laid foundations for its second.
Takeaways
- 😀 The Seven Years War was fought between 1756-1763, with Britain and France as the main combatants.
- 🌎 It was a global war, with fighting happening in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, West Africa and India.
- 💀 Over 1 million combatants died. The human cost was immense, with huge loss of civilian lives too.
- 🗺️ Britain emerged victorious, defeating France and expanding its empire, especially in India.
- 🤝 But France was weakened too, losing territories in North America, the Caribbean and India.
- 🔫 Colonial militias and Native American tribes played a big role, supporting both British and French.
- 🤑 Control of trade and economic benefits were the main drivers of the war.
- 💸 Britain had to take on huge debts to finance the war. This later led to unpopular taxes on American colonies.
- 🇺🇸 Those taxes fueled growing resentment in the colonies, eventually leading to the American Revolutionary War.
- 🏆 So Britain won the war, but ended up losing its American colonies as an unintended consequence.
Q & A
What were the main reasons that historians focused more on wars than other events?
-Historians traditionally focused more on wars because they have clearly defined beginnings, middles, and ends, as well as plenty of drama and death. The mortality of wars makes them stand out.
Why does the narrator apologize to plague victims when making fun of their uninspired death throes?
-The narrator apologizes because he realizes it's insensitive to mock plague victims for having boring last words when they are already suffering.
What evidence does the narrator provide to support the claim that the Seven Years War was the first truly global war?
-The narrator cites historian Winston Churchill calling it the first world war. Fighting occurred in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, and India involving many major world powers at the time on multiple continents.
What were the main motivations behind Britain and France's involvement in the Seven Years War?
-The British wanted to expand the territory open to their colonists in North America to enhance trade, while the French wanted to limit British expansion to prevent them from becoming too powerful and threatening France's valuable sugar colonies in the Caribbean.
What was George Washington's role in the Seven Years War?
-George Washington was a colonel commanding British colonial militia troops. He may have initiated the fighting at the Battle of Fort Necessity in 1754, where he was briefly captured before being released.
Why did many Native American tribes side with the French during the war?
-Many tribes sided with the French because up to that point the French presence had helped them maintain autonomy by playing the colonial powers against each other. They feared losing that balance if the British eliminated the French presence.
How did disease end up being a greater threat to combatants than actual fighting?
-Disease accounted for many more casualties than combat - by October 1761, the British had lost 1,000 men to war but 5,000 to illness, illustrating disease's more devastating toll.
What corporations had their own armies that fought in India during the war?
-The British and French East India companies operated as corporations with their own private armies that vied for control in India, especially the incredibly valuable Bengal region.
How did winning the war end up costing Britain its first empire?
-Britain took on huge debt fighting the war and made American colonists pay new taxes to help offset it, which fueled anger and revolutionary sentiment that led to America breaking away.
What was a long-term consequence of Britain's victory over France in India?
-It allowed Britain to eventually gain control over the entire country and establish their second, much larger colonial empire.
Outlines
🎥 Introducing the Seven Years War and its global nature
John Green introduces the Seven Years War, also called the French and Indian War, which was the first truly global war fought between 1754-1763. It involved Prussia, Great Britain, France, Austria in Europe, as well as fighting in North America, the Caribbean, West Africa and India between the British, French, and various native groups.
🔺 The complex relationship between Native Americans and European settlers
Provides background on Native American tribal living, social structure, and notions of property rights which differed greatly from the European settlers. Initially tribes got along better with French fur traders and missionaries who took time to learn their languages. But the British victory meant more unchecked settlement that displaced tribes from their lands.
🌴 Fighting over valuable sugar colonies in the Caribbean
In the Caribbean there was lots of fighting between the British and French over valuable sugar colonies, with most battles being naval skirmishes. By 1761 Spain had gotten involved to defend its own colonies. Disease was a bigger threat than combat, taking more lives on both sides.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡War
💡Empire
💡Trade
💡Colonies
💡India
💡North America
💡Sugar
💡Disease
💡Native Americans
💡Taxation
Highlights
The 7 Years War began in 1756 and ended in 1763, lasting 9 years by one count or 23 years by another
The war was fought between the British and French, with American Indians, Prussians and Austrians also participating
The war was over land in North America, but really about trade and wealth from British colonies
George Washington was a famous British commander who may have started the shooting at Fort Necessity
Native Americans were more likely to support the French, who did not settle as much land
Losing the war greatly reduced the French presence in North America, hurting Native Americans
Disease was a bigger threat than combat, with 5 times more British soldiers dying from illness
The British exaggerating enemy brutality against them was used to build war support, a common tactic
The British East India Company won with its own private army, showing corporate power
Bribes and intrigue were key to the British victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757
Over 1 million combatants died in the 7 Years War, with massive civilian losses too
Deportation of French Acadians from North America created the Cajun population
Paying for the expensive war led to new taxes on American colonies, fueling the Revolution
So winning this war cost Britain its first empire, but created its larger second one
The patterns of winning and losing and empire building are complex threads in history
Transcripts
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