Speaker 1: Hello, and Welcome to Western Sieve Episode four hundred and eighty,
Speaker 1: The Seven Years War in the Tangled woods of the
Speaker 1: Ohio River Valley in seventeen fifty four, the future of
Speaker 1: a global empire began, not in palaces or parliaments, or
Speaker 1: in a distant grand European battlefield, but in a muddy
Speaker 1: skirmish They're A young Virginia officer by the name of
Speaker 1: George Washington ambushed a French scouting party at Jimmaville Glen,
Speaker 1: touching off a chain of violence that would ignite the
Speaker 1: most expansive, maybe we can argue at the end and
Speaker 1: the first World War that had ever been seen. The
Speaker 1: French quickly retaliated at fort necessity, forcing George Washington to
Speaker 1: surrender in July seventeen fifty four. Would be the only
Speaker 1: surrender of his career. Though these colonial clashes seemed minor,
Speaker 1: they were symptoms of a much deeper global rivalry between
Speaker 1: Britain and France, and between fragile, shifting alliances of Europe's
Speaker 1: great powers. What began as a frontier squabble would soon
Speaker 1: spread to India, Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe itself. But
Speaker 1: in the hearts of Europe. A Prussian king that we
Speaker 1: have not discussed, a brilliant, ambitious, and very dangerous man,
Speaker 1: would ensure that the continent would be involved in this inferno.
Speaker 1: Frederick the Great was born on January twenty fourth, seventeen twelve,
Speaker 1: in the Royal city of Berlin, the son of Frederick
Speaker 1: William the First of Prussia and his Queen Sophia Dorothea
Speaker 1: of Hanover. His father had become known as the Soldier King,
Speaker 1: a man of iron discipline and frual habits who sought
Speaker 1: to turn the small, scattered holdings of Prussia into a
Speaker 1: highly militarized state. His mother, by contrast, was steeped in
Speaker 1: the cultural refinements of the Hanoverian court, and was actually
Speaker 1: sister to George the Second of Great Britain. Between them,
Speaker 1: Frederick would inherit two competing visions of the world, the
Speaker 1: strict austerity of Drill and the gilded, gleaming elegance of
Speaker 1: Enlightenment Europe. As a child, honestly, Frederick showed very little
Speaker 1: hensity for the life that his father envisioned for him.
Speaker 1: He preferred musical talents to the musket. He preferred the
Speaker 1: writings of Voltaire to military drill and the cadence of
Speaker 1: marching feet. This brought him into fierce conflict with Frederick.
Speaker 1: William the King considered such purspuites effeminate and dangerous, fearing
Speaker 1: they would make his son unfit to rule. He once
Speaker 1: beat the boy in public for wearing a silk sash,
Speaker 1: declaring quote, I will not have a boy of mine
Speaker 1: turned into a Frenchman quote. The escalation reached a breaking
Speaker 1: point in seventeen thirty when eighteen year old Frederick attempted
Speaker 1: to flee Prussia with his close friend Hans Hermann Boncat.
Speaker 1: The plan failed, Frederick was arrested and Kat was executed
Speaker 1: before his eyes, a trauma that left its mark. Frederick,
Speaker 1: in fact, would later write, the tragedy of Cat's death
Speaker 1: taught me that one must learn to hide while's heart
Speaker 1: in politics. After this humiliation, Frederick submitted outwardly to his
Speaker 1: father's will. He served in the Prussian Army, studied administration,
Speaker 1: and learned the mechanics of stakecraft. Privately, though he cultivated
Speaker 1: the arts, corresponding with philosophers, mastering French, and refining his
Speaker 1: musical skills. In seventeen thirty, he published his first major
Speaker 1: essay anti machiavel a refutation of Machiavelli's cynicism in favor
Speaker 1: of a benevolent philosophy informed monarchy. Bulsare himself actually helped
Speaker 1: him edit it, a relationship that would later define much
Speaker 1: of Frederick's intellectual life. When Frederick Wilhelm died in seventeen forty,
Speaker 1: the twenty eight year old Frederick ascended the throne. Few
Speaker 1: suspected that the young man who once seemed a dreaming,
Speaker 1: distant scholar would prove to be one of the most
Speaker 1: formidable military leaders of what was a very military age.
Speaker 1: But the transformation was swift. You see, that same year,
Speaker 1: the death of Emperor Charles the sixth of the Holy
Speaker 1: Roman Empire left Maria Teresa of Austria as his heir
Speaker 1: under what was referred to as the Pragmatic Sanction. Sensing
Speaker 1: an opportunity, the new king, Frederick the Great, invaded the
Speaker 1: rich Austrian province of Salatia. This audacious move was the
Speaker 1: one that ignited the War of Austrian Succession. Against formidable odds,
Speaker 1: Frederick's well drilled army, built by his father proved devastatingly effective.
Speaker 1: The campaigns of the First and Second Salatian Wars, which
Speaker 1: lasted from seventeen forty to seventeen forty two. At seventeen
Speaker 1: forty four to forty five perspective, ended with the Prussian
Speaker 1: possession of Silatia, dramatically elevating its power in Europe. Frederick
Speaker 1: had now earned the nickname the Great from his admirers,
Speaker 1: though his enemies preferred less flattering terms. He himself quipped quote,
Speaker 1: he who defends everything defends nothing, a maxim that guided
Speaker 1: his focus on strategic, high value objectives. Now, Frederick did
Speaker 1: not confine his ambitions to the battlefield. He transformed Berlin
Speaker 1: into a hub of enlightenment culture, inviting artists, musicians, and
Speaker 1: thinkers to his court at San Sui, his palace in Potsdam.
Speaker 1: There he played the flute in intimate evening concerts and
Speaker 1: engaged Voltaire and sparkling often contentious conversations. A championed religious toleration,
Speaker 1: famously declaringquote, all religions must be tolerated. If Turks and
Speaker 1: Heathens come and want to populate our land, we will
Speaker 1: build them mosques and churches end quote. Can you imagine
Speaker 1: a politician saying such today? At the same time, Frederick
Speaker 1: reformed the legal system, he modernized agriculture, he encouraged immigration
Speaker 1: to sparsely populated lands, and he improved Prussia's bureaucracy. His
Speaker 1: reign blended real politique, not that he knew what that
Speaker 1: was yet, with the ideals of the Enlightenment, though he
Speaker 1: was never naive about human nature. Frederick, however, would get
Speaker 1: his true test in the Seven Years War. In seventeen
Speaker 1: fifty six, Britain and France formally declared war, but in Europe,
Speaker 1: the most explosive development was Frederic's preemptive strike. Learning that Austria, France,
Speaker 1: and Russia were secretly allying against him, Frederick the Great
Speaker 1: invaded Saxony, forcing its army to surrender. This move is
Speaker 1: the one that actually triggers the continental phase of the war.
Speaker 1: The old system of alliances had now effectively collapsed. Austria
Speaker 1: and France, once the bitterest of enemies, now stood united
Speaker 1: with Russia and Sweden against the upstart Prussia. Britain, hitherto
Speaker 1: relatively isolated in Europe, allied with Prussia to distract France
Speaker 1: on the continent while it pursued imperial ambitions abroad. This
Speaker 1: conflict that had begun and what is eventually going to
Speaker 1: be the state of Ohio was now truly global. In India,
Speaker 1: North America, West Africa and the Caribbean, the British and
Speaker 1: French clashed, but of course the main show was in
Speaker 1: Central Europe, where Frederick now faced a forefront war. Writing
Speaker 1: from Geneva, Voltaire observed with both a touch of admiration
Speaker 1: and dread quote, he is the dortch bearer of war.
Speaker 1: Wherever he goes, the world ignites. The year seventeen fifty
Speaker 1: seven was really the heart of Frederic's legend. Against overwhelming odds,
Speaker 1: he faced simultaneous invasions from Austria, France and Russia. In May,
Speaker 1: at the Battle of Prague, Frederick struck first. By early
Speaker 1: seventeen fifty seven, Frederick had survived the dangerous opening phases
Speaker 1: of the war and was looking to strike before Austria
Speaker 1: could fully recover from its losses in Silatia. Maria Teresa
Speaker 1: of Austria, determined to regain that province, had built up
Speaker 1: a formidable army under field Marshal Prince Charles of Laurent
Speaker 1: and Marshal Leopold van Don. The Austrian plan was to
Speaker 1: take the fight directly into Silesia and crush the Prussians.
Speaker 1: Frederick to preempt them. He concentrated his forces about sixty
Speaker 1: four thousand men and launched a rapid march into Bohemia,
Speaker 1: the heartland of the Austrian monarchy. The prize, of course,
Speaker 1: was Prague, the capitol where he hoped to deal a
Speaker 1: knockout blow that would force Austria to the negotiation table.
Speaker 1: The Austrians, numbering roughly the same about sixty one thousand,
Speaker 1: had taken up a strong position east of Prague. Their
Speaker 1: right rested on the steep, rocky heights of the Ziska Hill,
Speaker 1: their center and left anchored along the Maldau River. Their
Speaker 1: army was battle hardened and outnumbered Frederick in terms of cavalry.
Speaker 1: Frederick and his brilliant subordinate, I should say Field Marshal
Speaker 1: Kurt Christoph von Schweren, recognized that a frontal assault would
Speaker 1: be suicide. Instead, they planned a wide flanking maneuver to
Speaker 1: smash into the Austrian right and roll up their line.
Speaker 1: This was classic Frederic, avoid the strongest point, strike at
Speaker 1: the vulnerable flank, and use speed to keep the enemy
Speaker 1: off balance. The battle was fought on the sixth of
Speaker 1: May seventeen fifty seven. The day began with the Prussians
Speaker 1: moving south to get around the Austrian right, but the
Speaker 1: terrain was deceptive. The rolling hills, hid ravines, ponds, and
Speaker 1: marshy ground that slowed the advance and disrupted the perfect
Speaker 1: lines of the Prussian infantry. In the confusion, the Austrian
Speaker 1: right pivoted to meet the threat, forcing Frederic to improvise.
Speaker 1: Schwerin personally led a renewed infantry assault across the broken ground.
Speaker 1: Under heavy fire. The Prussians fought their way up the
Speaker 1: slopes against the Austrian grenadiers and artillery, but the attack stalled.
Speaker 1: In the thick of it, Schwerin, seventy three years old
Speaker 1: and one of Prussia's greatest generals, seized the regimental colors
Speaker 1: the flag himself to rally his men in the midst
Speaker 1: of the battle, and he was shot dead. The loss
Speaker 1: was a blow to morale, but the Prussians pushed on.
Speaker 1: At the same time, Frederick launched a second wave of
Speaker 1: attack under General Winterfeldt. This fresh assault broke through the
Speaker 1: weakened Austrian right, forcing Chiles of Laurent to begin a retreat.
Speaker 1: Toward the city. The fighting had been brutal and very costly,
Speaker 1: but Prussian discipline carried the day just by a bit.
Speaker 1: When the smoke cleared, the Austrians had lost about thirteen
Speaker 1: thousand men killed, wounded or captured to the Prussians fourteen thousand,
Speaker 1: a pyrrhic victory in terms of casualties. Crucially, the Austrian
Speaker 1: army was forced back into the defenses of Prague itself,
Speaker 1: where Frederick quickly laid siege. It might have been the
Speaker 1: decisive moment Frederick hoped for, except that Marshal Dawn was
Speaker 1: marching with a fresh Austrian army to relieve the city.
Speaker 1: This led to the Battle of Colin in June seventeen
Speaker 1: fifty seven, where Frederick suffered a rare and painful defeat,
Speaker 1: forcing him to abandon the siege. The Battle of Prague
Speaker 1: was Frederick's attempt at a knockout blow in the Seven
Speaker 1: Years War. Tactically, it showed his mastery of maneuver and
Speaker 1: the offensive spirit of the Prussian army, but also the
Speaker 1: risks of over extension. The victory was incomplete, Austria remained
Speaker 1: in the war, and the loss of Schwerin deprived Frederick
Speaker 1: of one of his most trusted lieutenants. In his own words,
Speaker 1: Frederick would later write of the battle, we gained a victory,
Speaker 1: but it was a dear bat one for the hero
Speaker 1: who gained it was slain. Now. By the fall of
Speaker 1: seventeen fifty seven, the Seven Years War had taken a
Speaker 1: dangerous turn for Prussia. Frederick's early campaign into Bohemia had
Speaker 1: stalled after the defeat at Colin, forcing him to retreat. Austria, France,
Speaker 1: the Holy Roman Empire, and Sweden were pushing in from
Speaker 1: all four sides. In Saxony, a combined French Imperial army
Speaker 1: about forty two thousand strong under the Prince of Supis
Speaker 1: and Prince Joseph of Saxey Halbundsen were advancing. Their goal
Speaker 1: was to push Frederick out of Saxony and open the
Speaker 1: road into the Prussian heartland. Frederick, with just twenty two
Speaker 1: thousand men, moved to confront him. His army was a
Speaker 1: lot smaller, but it was professional. It was highly disciplined
Speaker 1: and trained to execute rapid maneuvers that honestly, few European
Speaker 1: forces could match. The ultimate engagement would take place near
Speaker 1: the village of Rossbach in modern day Saxony a Halt
Speaker 1: on November fifth, seventeen fifty s. The terrain was rolling countryside,
Speaker 1: with low ridges and open fields that allowed good visibility,
Speaker 1: perfect for cavalry and artillery. Frederick's army camped near Rossbach,
Speaker 1: facing north toward the French and Imperial forces, who were
Speaker 1: positioned several miles away. The Allies, confident for their numerical superiority,
Speaker 1: believed they could simply swing around Frederick's left flank, cut
Speaker 1: him off from retreat, and crush him. On the morning
Speaker 1: of November fifth, the Allied army began a long, sweeping
Speaker 1: march to get around Frederick's flank. To them, it appeared
Speaker 1: that the Prussians were withdrawing, perhaps even retreating, since Frederick
Speaker 1: kept most of his troops out of sight behind the
Speaker 1: Genus and Paulson Hills. Now, in reality, Frederick was setting
Speaker 1: a trap. He had read their intentions perfectly and decided
Speaker 1: to execute a rapid flank attack of his own, using
Speaker 1: the hills as a cover. He moved his entire army
Speaker 1: crosswise so that by the time the Allies reached what
Speaker 1: they thought was his flank, they were marching straight into
Speaker 1: his main line out of formation and strung out. The
Speaker 1: decisive blow came from Frederick Willem von Seltz's commanding about
Speaker 1: thirty five hundred Prussian cavalry. Said Sliss hid his squadrons
Speaker 1: behind the hill until the enemy's leading columns were exposed
Speaker 1: and disorders. Then, at Frederick's signal, he unleashed his cavalry
Speaker 1: in a massive two phase charge. The first wave smashed
Speaker 1: into the Allied cavalry, routing it almost instantly. As the
Speaker 1: fleeing horsemen galloped back through their own infantry, sensless men
Speaker 1: wheeled around, reformed in perfect order, and charged again, this
Speaker 1: time into the Allied infantry, which had no time to
Speaker 1: form up into proper defensive squares. Meanwhile, Prussian artillery, superbly
Speaker 1: handled by Colonel Mohler, rakes the enemy with devastating fire
Speaker 1: from close range. The Allies broke within only about an
Speaker 1: hour and a half of contact. The battle was essentially
Speaker 1: over by one o'clock in the afternoon. This time the
Speaker 1: results were staggering. The French and Imperial forces had suffered
Speaker 1: losses of about five thousand killed and wounded and over
Speaker 1: five to eight thousand prisoners taken. The Prussians there they
Speaker 1: lost fewer than five hundred and fifty men. Entire regiments
Speaker 1: of the enemy disintegrated in panic, and the French prestige
Speaker 1: in Germany took a catastrophic blow. Rossbach was a moral
Speaker 1: earthquake across Europe. Newspapers marveled that Frederick's smaller army had
Speaker 1: humiliated a force twice at size and another two hours
Speaker 1: Voltaire quipped quote, the King of Prussia has beaten the
Speaker 1: French as if they were Spanish. Really, what this is, though,
Speaker 1: is a changing of the guard. Numbers didn't count for
Speaker 1: as much as discipline anymore. The medieval way of war
Speaker 1: had truly melted away. We were going back to the
Speaker 1: type of disciplined, smaller armies that frankly, Europe hadn't really
Speaker 1: seen since the Roman Empire. This was going to be
Speaker 1: the model of warfare, though, that was going to go
Speaker 1: all the way through the Napoleonic Wars, where smaller, more
Speaker 1: well trained units could stand up to large attacks. Rossbach
Speaker 1: was more than a battlefield victory. It was a masterpiece
Speaker 1: of timing, deception and maneuver. Frederick's exploitation of terrain, concealment,
Speaker 1: and discipline. The speed of his Cavalry ultimately become a
Speaker 1: case study for military academies for generations. Strategically, it relieved
Speaker 1: the pressure on Prussia's western flank, It boosted British confidence
Speaker 1: in their ally, and it helped Frederick recover from Colin.
Speaker 1: The victory also underscored a theme in the Seven Years War.
Speaker 1: Frederick's genius was often about movement more than sheer force,
Speaker 1: as he would later say, and as I mentioned, it
Speaker 1: is not the quantity but the quality of troops that counts.
Speaker 1: While Frederick was holding Europe together with Bayonets and Brilliants,
Speaker 1: the British returning the tide in North America under the
Speaker 1: leadership of William Pitt the Elder. William Pitt the Elder
Speaker 1: was born on November fifteenth, seventeen oh eight, in Westminster
Speaker 1: into a well connected but financially modest gentry family. Educated
Speaker 1: at Eton and then Trinity College, Oxford, he developed a
Speaker 1: sharp intellect and eloquent speaking style, and a taste for
Speaker 1: classical oratory. His military service in the cavalry gave him
Speaker 1: some insight into army life, but it was politics that
Speaker 1: captured his ambition. In seventeen thirty five, he entered Parliament,
Speaker 1: as a member for Old Sarum, a notorious quote rotten
Speaker 1: Borough quote. He quickly became known for his commanding speeches
Speaker 1: against the government of Sir Robert Walpole, particularly criticizing his
Speaker 1: foreign policies to accommodating to France and Spain. This outspokenness
Speaker 1: earned him both popularity with the public and the enduring
Speaker 1: enemy of King George the Second, who disliked Pitt's defiance
Speaker 1: and rhetorical flourishes in the War of Jenkins's Ear. In
Speaker 1: the early stages of the War of Austrian Succession, Pitt
Speaker 1: distinguished himself as a fierce advocate of aggressive war against
Speaker 1: Britain's rivals, urging expansion of naval power in colonial ambition.
Speaker 1: His opposition to subsidies for continental allies put him at
Speaker 1: odds with much of the political establishment, but his mastery
Speaker 1: of parliamentary debate and his ability to speak directly to
Speaker 1: the national mood won him the nickname the Great Commoner.
Speaker 1: By the late seventeen forties, Pitt had served as Paymaster
Speaker 1: of the Military Forces, e lucrative office in which he
Speaker 1: surprised many by refusing to enrich himself through customary prerequisites,
Speaker 1: enhancing a reputation for integrity and honesty, those still barred
Speaker 1: from the highest offices because the King didn't like him.
Speaker 1: By the eve of the Seven Years War, Pitt had
Speaker 1: become one of Britain's most formidable political figures, poised to
Speaker 1: play a decisive role in the global conflict to come now.
Speaker 1: Once the Seven Years War begins, Pitt and his allies
Speaker 1: in Parliament poured money into colonial campaigns, understanding that the
Speaker 1: empire would be one not really in Saxony, but in Quebec,
Speaker 1: Bengal and in the Caribbean, and the poof guys was
Speaker 1: in the pudding. In seventeen fifty eight, the British captured Louisbourg,
Speaker 1: the gateway to the Saint Lawrence River. In North America,
Speaker 1: Fort Dushane fell and was renamed Fort Pitt. Of course,
Speaker 1: in India, Robert Clive defeated Naab of Bengali Plase, establishing
Speaker 1: now British control over the richest province in all of India.
Speaker 1: And then there was seventeen fifty nine, the Annis Mirabilis,
Speaker 1: or the Year of Miracles. During this year alone, the
Speaker 1: British Royal Navy destroyed the French fleet at Quirbean Bay,
Speaker 1: establishing British naval supremacy throughout the Atlantic. General Wolfe then
Speaker 1: captured Quebec after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.
Speaker 1: Both Wolf and the French commander Montcalm actually died in
Speaker 1: the battle, making them instant martyrs in their respective nations.
Speaker 1: But Wolf went down as the victorious martyr, and Quebec
Speaker 1: fell into British hands. British poet Thomas Gray actually wrote
Speaker 1: of Wolf's staff quote, he died victorious and the tears
Speaker 1: of his country were mingled with her joy. France's dream
Speaker 1: of an American empire had essentially ended on the frozen
Speaker 1: bluffs above the Saint Lawrence. Now. Meanwhile, by contrast, by
Speaker 1: early seventeen fifty nine, Frederick's situation in Europe had grown
Speaker 1: more desperate. In seventeen fifty nine, Frederick had been fighting
Speaker 1: continuously for almost three years. His early lightning victories Rossenbach
Speaker 1: and then Battle Within, which I didn't discuss much, were
Speaker 1: now distant memories. Austria, Russia and France were pressing him
Speaker 1: still on multiple fronts. Then, frankly, his meager resources were
Speaker 1: running low. That summer, a combined Russian Austrian army under
Speaker 1: Slatavak and Austrian general La Dawn had taken up a
Speaker 1: strong position just outside of Frankfurt. Their plan was simple,
Speaker 1: destroy Frederic's main army and then open up the road
Speaker 1: to Berlin. Frederick, reinforced after a recent victory at the
Speaker 1: Battle of Poltzig, marched with about fifty two sixty thousand
Speaker 1: men to face roughly the same number of Allied troops.
Speaker 1: He believed his only chance was destroy quickly before the
Speaker 1: Allies could dig in further, even though the odds were
Speaker 1: fairly even so. The battle took place at Kutensdorf, where
Speaker 1: the terrain was deceptive. The Allied army occupied a series
Speaker 1: of ridges and heights that formed kind of a semi
Speaker 1: circle if you look at it on a map. Their
Speaker 1: flanks were protected by the Oda River and their marshes adjoining.
Speaker 1: These positions were connected by the so called Judenkroff, the
Speaker 1: Jewish Cemetery and Muhlberg high Ground. Bristling with artillery, it
Speaker 1: was summer and the heat was oppressive. Water was scarce,
Speaker 1: a factor that would become critical. Frederick's plan was to
Speaker 1: attack from the northeast, roll up the Russian left flank,
Speaker 1: and drive the Allies into the Oder River. His opening
Speaker 1: move caught the Russians by surprise, and by late morning
Speaker 1: the Prussians had seized Mohlberg. After bitter fighting, Russian lines wavered.
Speaker 1: It looked as though Frederick might snatch yet another lightning victory.
Speaker 1: But here Frederick made a fatal error. Instead of consolidating
Speaker 1: his gains, he ordered an immediate push against the center
Speaker 1: and right of the Allied line, which was held by
Speaker 1: the sturdier Austrians and was more heavily fortified. His exhausting troops,
Speaker 1: already worn down by a sweltering march, fighting in the
Speaker 1: middle of the hot sun and a lack of water,
Speaker 1: fought for the heights and advanced into murderous artillery and
Speaker 1: musket fire. The Prussian attack ultimately stalled out, then it collapsed.
Speaker 1: Sensing the moment, Ladan and the Austrians launched a massive
Speaker 1: counterattack with fresh Austrian cavalry and infantry. The Prussian army unraveled.
Speaker 1: What had begun as a promising assault turned into a route.
Speaker 1: Frederick's men fled in disorder towards the order, not the
Speaker 1: other way around, abandoning their cannon and standards. The defeat
Speaker 1: was ultimately catastrophic. The Prussians lost around nineteen thousand men killed, wounded,
Speaker 1: or captured. That was about forty percent of Frederick's total army.
Speaker 1: The Allies suffered roughly fifteen thousand casualties, but they still
Speaker 1: held the field. It was the worst loss of Frederick's career,
Speaker 1: and for a brief moment it looked like Prussia was finished.
Speaker 1: In despair, Frederick wrote to a minister, quote, I have
Speaker 1: not a regiment now from which I can expect anything.
Speaker 1: I think everything is lost. They shall not survive the
Speaker 1: ruin of my country. Yet the Allies, exhausted and short
Speaker 1: on supplies, failed to march on Berlin. This pause allowed
Speaker 1: Frederick to rebuild his shattered army and fight on Kunzendorff.
Speaker 1: Thus became a grim lesson in the dangers of over extension,
Speaker 1: and a reminder that even a master tactician could be
Speaker 1: done by fatigue, to reign and overconfidence. But then in
Speaker 1: the way it always seems to do. In seventeen sixty two,
Speaker 1: the wheel of fortune turned again. Empress Elizabeth of Russia died,
Speaker 1: and her successor, Peter Id, a fervent admirer of Frederick,
Speaker 1: immediately withdrew Russia from the war and offered Frederick an alliance,
Speaker 1: though Peter the Third was soon overthrown by his wife, Catherine,
Speaker 1: who's going to be Catherine the Great. I'm going to
Speaker 1: talk about her more soon. The shift shattered the anti
Speaker 1: Prussian coalition. Frederick seize the moment by attempting to regain
Speaker 1: lost ground. He could restore his position and survived yet again,
Speaker 1: though by now Prussia was really starting to run out
Speaker 1: of resources. You can imagine at this point we have
Speaker 1: a couple of exhausted boxers who are just trying to
Speaker 1: slug it out on the match, and the question is
Speaker 1: really who can just stay standing the longest. Now elsewhere,
Speaker 1: the war continued to expand. In seventeen sixty two, Spain
Speaker 1: entered the war on France's side, and Britain responded with
Speaker 1: rapid colonial invasions. The British took Havana, a key Spanish
Speaker 1: port in the Caribbean which today the capitol of Cuba.
Speaker 1: In August of seventeen sixty two. In Manila, the British
Speaker 1: captured most of the Philippines, which expanded their reach now
Speaker 1: all the way around the globe. These prizes gave the
Speaker 1: British enormous leverage at the peace table and proved now
Speaker 1: that naval power had eclipsed dynastic alliances in shaping worlds. Finally,
Speaker 1: with everyone totally exhausted, the Treaty of Paris in seventeen
Speaker 1: sixty three and the Treaty of Houtsburg that followed ended
Speaker 1: the fighting of the Seven Years War. And by the way,
Speaker 1: I haven't talked about this directly, but the Seven Years
Speaker 1: War is called the French and Indian War if you're
Speaker 1: talking about it in North America. The Treaty of Paris
Speaker 1: involved Britain, France, and Spain. Essentially, France seeded Canada and
Speaker 1: all claims east of the Mississippi to Great Britain. Spain
Speaker 1: seated Florida Britain but received Louisiana from France. France retained
Speaker 1: a few Caribbean sugar islands and trading posts in India. Now,
Speaker 1: a lot of what I just mentioned is going to
Speaker 1: get undone in the subsequent American Revolution and then French
Speaker 1: Revolution and rise of Napoleon. But that's where it stands
Speaker 1: at least at this point. So it's important to note
Speaker 1: that France essential seeds Canada and all of the Mississippi
Speaker 1: East to Great Britain. That's important because, as we're going
Speaker 1: to talk about very very soon, that's going to play
Speaker 1: a huge role in the lead up to the American Revolution. Now,
Speaker 1: the Treaty of Hutsburg involved only Prussia. In Austria, Silesia
Speaker 1: remained Prussian, which really confirmed Frederick's victory. There were no
Speaker 1: major territorial changes, but quite frankly, all that mattered was
Speaker 1: that Prussia had survived. Frederick emerged militarily undefeated. He had
Speaker 1: paid a terrible price. Sure, his army was gutted as
Speaker 1: economy wrecked, but Prussia was now a great power. Voltaire
Speaker 1: would actually write quote he began the war as a prince,
Speaker 1: but he ended it as a king. The Seven Years
Speaker 1: War reshaped the globe, but in many ways, Frederick the
Speaker 1: Great was its central figure. Without his survival, Prussia might
Speaker 1: have vanished off the map. Without Prussia's Britain's alliance strategy collapsed,
Speaker 1: and France could have redirected troops to win in North
Speaker 1: America and India. Frederick had now turned a small, vulnerable
Speaker 1: kingdom into what was a continental power. He brought modern
Speaker 1: maneuver warfare to its peak and his armies became the
Speaker 1: model for nineteenth century militaries. He left behind a Prussia
Speaker 1: that would dominate Germany. In the Americas, the British Empire
Speaker 1: now stretched from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico,
Speaker 1: but the cost of the war had been enormous. Taxing
Speaker 1: the colonies to pay for the war would spark the
Speaker 1: American Revolution. As one New England pamphlet would put it, quote,
Speaker 1: we have paid in blood, and now we must pay
Speaker 1: in coin. Nay, we will pay no more. Native Americans
Speaker 1: who saw their fortune's turn. With France gone, their leverage vanished.
Speaker 1: In seventeen sixty three, Pontiac's rebellion erupted as indigenous nations
Speaker 1: sought to resist British encroachment. The age of mutual diplomacy
Speaker 1: was ending, and conquest would follow. In India, British supremacy
Speaker 1: was sealed, opening the door for the raj in the
Speaker 1: Caribbean and West Africa. Control over sugar and slaves and
Speaker 1: reached Britain, but deepened the morale crisis of empire. And
Speaker 1: in Europe, the rise of Prussia upset the fragile balance
Speaker 1: that would within a century lead to another Great War,
Speaker 1: but that will be for another day and before we
Speaker 1: get into the American Revolution. Next time, I'm going to pause.
Speaker 1: We're going to shift to the east and we're going
Speaker 1: to talk about the partition and end of Poland, Lithuania,
Speaker 1: Loo