Sunday 13 April 2014

Seven Years' War and its peculiar yet relevant consequence

By a mere happenstance Seven Years' War  brought independence to the 13 colonies and the creation of the now most powerful country in the world, United States of America, yet nobody could have guessed so back then, although that is another story that will be explained soon because we are to focus on the Seven Years' War.


Seven Years War
Seven Years' War

Seven years' War 1756-1763 ended without a clear winner as all contenders  were severely damaged. 

In fact, United Kingdom lost so much money that its King decided  to rise the taxes on many products inhabitants of the 13 colonies would purchase, as a result, discomfort and anger followed amongst the first inhabitants of United States of America who brimming with anger and pride they defeated the most important Army at that time the mighty British Empire. 

Everything started with Boston Tea Party but the unpopular decision of the British King was because of the economical losses of Seven Years' War.


Seven Years War
Seven years War

Seven Years' War lasted from 1756 until 1763, it is also said that Britain was the winner as its position as colonial power rose and other countries such as France, Spain or Prusia saw their colonial power diminished but it s not so clear given the huge losses in people and money they faced thereafter. 

There were several treaties that ended Seven Years' War such as Treaty of Saint Petersburg, Treaty of Hamburg, Treaty of Paris and Treaty of Hubertusburg. France ceded New France to Great Britain and the Indian part named Bengal was recognised as British, Spain ceded Florida to Britain, France ceded Louisiana to Spain and Britain returned Cuba and Philippines to Spain. 

Europe, North and South America, Africa or India were the main parts of this conflict. The main countries involved on Seven Years' War were Britain, France, Austria or Prussia

Seven Years War
Seven Years' War

One of the best writers ever is, in my opinion, William Makepeace Thackeray being The Luck of Barry Lyndon one of his finest books (movie adaptation by Stanley Kubrick may be the best movie ever done) that makes some references to this historical passage as Voltaire´s masterpiece Candide also does, Seven Years' War is depicted as a ludicrous, preposterus, wasteful and even strange event where the only thing did happen was death, multiple deaths as it did not change anything but the whole world was suffered from a severe war with plenty of losses and deceases. Seven Years War

Once Seven Years' War ended everything was more or less as when it first began.


Barry Lyndon
Barry Lyndon Seven Years' War

All in all, I have always found peculiar that a decision based on a war it was supposed to help Britain dominance  was the corollary effect to the creation of the most important country in the world, USA, the one it has had plenty of relevance since it was first originated whose Independence from Great Britain was won and it did start after a strange war called Seven Years' War wherein Barry Lyndon was able to participate as well


Seven Year War
Seven Years' War

7 comments:

  1. why do you keep refering to the usa it didn't exist until about 20 years after the 7 years war. if that is your theme then talk about your theme not something else altogether

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    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot for commenting. However, I do not think it is such a severe mistake. Read it again. I keep saying at that time, first inhabitants, the now USA...The title is Seven Years war and this post was written after having read Barry Lyndon. Sorry if you feel misguided.

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  2. thanks this helped me a lot

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  3. Que países partisiparon en el llamado de la guerra

    ReplyDelete