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The Seven Years' War (1756-1763) is one of the largest military conflicts of the 18th century. Its participants were countries whose possessions extended to all the then known continents (Australia and Antarctica still remained unknown).

Main participants:

Habsburg Austria
Great Britain
Russian empire
Prussian kingdom
french kingdom

Causes

The prerequisite for the conflict was the unresolved geopolitical issues of the great powers of Europe in the previous confrontation - the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748). The immediate causes of the new war were the contradictions between:

1. England and France with respect to their overseas possessions, in other words, there was a sharp colonial competition.

2. Austria and Prussia over the Silesian territories. In the previous conflict, the Prussians selected Silesia, the most industrialized region of the Habsburg monarchy, as the Austrians.

Map of military operations

coalitions

As a result of the last war, two coalitions were formed:

- Habsburg (main participants: Austria, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, Saxony);

- anti-Habsburg (Prussia, France, Saxony).

By the mid-1750s, the situation continued, except that the Dutch chose neutrality, and the Saxons did not want to fight anymore, but maintained close relations with the Russians and Austrians.

During 1756, the so-called. "diplomatic coup". In January, secret negotiations between Prussia and England ended, and a subsidiary treaty was signed. Prussia was supposed to protect the European possessions of the English king (Hanover) for a fee. There was only one enemy - France. As a result, coalitions completely changed over the course of the year.

Now two groups confronted each other:

Austria, Russia, France
England and Prussia.

Other participants did not play a significant role in the war.

The beginning of the war

Frederick II the Great of Prussia - the protagonist of the Seven Years' War

The beginning of the war is considered to be the first battles in Europe. Both camps no longer concealed their intentions, so the allies of Russia discussed the fate of Prussia, its king Frederick II did not wait for the blows. In August 1756, he was the first to act: he invaded Saxony.

There were three main theaters of warfare:

Europe
North America
India.

In Russian historiography, the first and the last are often considered separately from the war in Europe.

Fighting in North America

Back in January 1755, the British government decided to intercept a French convoy in the Canadian area. The attempt was unsuccessful. Versailles found out about this and broke off diplomatic relations with London. The confrontation was also on the ground - between the British and French colonists, with the involvement of the Indians. That year, an undeclared war was in full swing in North America.

The decisive battle was the Battle of Quebec (1759), after which the British captured the last French outpost in Canada.

In the same year, a powerful British landing captured Martinique, the center of French trade in the West Indies.

European theater

Here the main events of the war unfolded and all the warring parties took part in them. The stages of the war are conveniently structured by campaigns: every year there is a new campaign.

It is noteworthy that in general, military clashes were fought against Frederick II. Great Britain provided the main assistance in cash. The contribution of the army was insignificant, limited to the Hanoverian and neighboring lands. Also, Prussia was supported by small German principalities, providing their resources under the Prussian command.

Frederick II at the Battle of Kunersdorf

At the beginning of the war, there was an impression of a quick Allied victory over Prussia. However, for various reasons this did not happen. This:

- lack of coordinated coordination between the commands of Austria, Russia and France;

- Russian commanders-in-chief did not have the right of initiative, they depended on the decisions of the so-called. Conferences at the Highest Court.

On the contrary, Frederick the Great allowed his generals, if necessary, to act at their own discretion, to negotiate a ceasefire, etc. The king himself directly commanded his army and lived in the field. He could carry out lightning marches, thanks to which he “simultaneously” fought on different fronts. In addition, in the middle of the century, the Prussian military machine was considered exemplary.

Main battles:

under Rosbach (November 1757).
at Zorndorf (August 1758).
at Kunersdorf (August 1759).
the capture of Berlin by the troops of Z.G. Chernyshev (October 1760).
at Freiberg (October 1762).

With the outbreak of the war, the Prussian army proved its ability to resist the three largest states of the continent almost alone. Until the end of the 1750s, the French lost their American possessions, the profits from the trade of which went to finance the war, including aid from Austria and Saxony. In general, the forces of the allies began to dwindle. Prussia was also exhausted, she held on only thanks to the financial assistance of England.

In January 1762, the situation changed: the new Russian Emperor Peter III sent Frederick II an offer of peace and alliance. Prussia took this turn as a gift of fate. The Russian Empire withdrew from the coalition, but did not break off relations with the former allies. Dialogue with Britain was also activated.

The anti-Prussian coalition began to fall apart after Russia, Sweden (in April) announced its intention to withdraw from the war. In Europe, they were afraid that Peter III would act together with Frederick the Great, but only a separate corps was transferred under the banner of the latter. However, the emperor was going to fight: with Denmark for his hereditary rights in Holstein. However, this adventure was avoided due to a palace coup, which in June 1762 brought Catherine II to power.

In the autumn, Frederick won a brilliant victory at Freiberg and used this as an important argument for making peace. By that time, the French had lost their possessions in India and were forced to sit down at the negotiating table. Austria could no longer fight on its own.

Theater of War in Asia

In India, it all began with the confrontation between the ruler of Bengal and the British in 1757. The colonial French administration declared neutrality, even after the news of the war in Europe. However, the British quickly began attacking the French outposts. Unlike the previous War of the Austrian Succession, France was unable to turn the tide in its favor, and was defeated in India.

Peace resumed after the conclusion of treaties February 10, 1762 in Paris (between England and France) February 15, 1763 in Hubertusburg (between Austria and Prussia).

War results:

Austria received nothing.
The UK was the winner.
Russia pulled out of the war ahead of time, so it did not take part in peace negotiations, maintained the status quo and once again demonstrated its military potential.
Prussia finally secured Silesia and entered the family of the strongest countries in Europe.
France lost almost all of its overseas territories and gained nothing in Europe.

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The armed clash between France and England and Austria and Prussia in 1756-1763 went down in history as the Seven Years' War. Irreconcilable rivals dragged other states into it. Our article tells about Russia's participation in this war.

The beginning of the war for Russia

In 1756, the reforms begun by Empress Elizabeth continued in the Russian army. They concerned both the formation of the troops themselves, the principles of warfare, and the supply system of everything necessary. Therefore, the new military campaign in 1757, the army began with insufficient confidence.

Since the Russian troops in the Seven Years' War acted on the side of Austria, it was no longer possible to postpone participation to a later date. Prussia strengthened its positions by capturing Saxony, and quite successfully repulsed the attacks of the French and Austrian armies.

Rice. 1. Russian soldiers of the 18th century.

General Apraksin, who was appointed commander, only in July 1757 decided to take active steps. Russian troops crossed the border of Prussia and were able to win near Gross-Egersdorf. But, instead of consolidating success, the general gave the order to retreat. For which he was stripped of his rank and sent to Russia under arrest.

Apraksin suffered because of his excessive foresight. Knowing about the serious illness of the empress, he expected the imminent coming to power of Peter ΙΙΙ, who considered Prussia a more profitable ally. But Elizabeth Petrovna continued to rule.

Rice. 2. Field Marshal Stepan Fedorovich Apraksin.

Participation and results

Russia has changed three more commanders-in-chief: Fermor, Saltykov, Buturlin. Continuing the reorganization of the army, they managed to achieve serious results. Russian troops participated in such important battles:

What have we learned?

From the article, we learned that since 1757, Russia has actively participated in the Seven Years' War, supporting the Austro-French alliance. Russian troops achieved significant results, but due to the change of power in 1762, they were forced to stop the offensive against Prussia.

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The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) is a war of two coalitions for hegemony in Europe, as well as for colonial possessions in North America and India.

general political situation. Causes

One coalition included England and Prussia, the other - France, Austria and Russia. Between England and France there was a struggle for colonies in North America. Clashes there began as early as 1754, and in 1756 England declared war on France. 1756, January - the Anglo-Prussian alliance was concluded. In response, Prussia's main rival, Austria, decided to make peace with its old enemy France.

The Austrians wanted to regain Silesia, while the Prussians hoped to conquer Saxony. Sweden joined the Austro-French defensive alliance, hoping to win Stettin and other territories from Prussia that were lost during the Great Northern War. By the end of the year, Russia joined the Anglo-French coalition, hoping to conquer East Prussia in order to transfer it to Poland later in exchange for Courland and Semigallia. Prussia was supported by Hanover and several small North German states.

The course of hostilities

1756 Invasion of Saxony

The King of Prussia had a well-trained army of 150,000, at that time the best in Europe. 1756, August - he invaded Saxony with an army of 95 thousand people and inflicted a number of defeats on the Austrian army, which came to the aid of the Saxon elector. On October 15, the 20,000-strong Saxon army capitulated at Pirna, and its soldiers joined the ranks of the Prussian army. After that, the 50,000th Austrian army left Saxony.

Attack on Bohemia, Silesia

1757, spring - the Prussian king invaded Bohemia with an army of 121.5 thousand people. At this time, the Russian army had not yet begun the invasion of East Prussia, and France was going to act against Magdeburg and Hanover. On May 6, near Prague, 64,000 Prussians defeated 61,000 Austrians. Both sides in this battle lost 31.5 thousand killed and wounded, and the Austrian troops also lost 60 guns. As a result, 50,000 Austrians were blocked in the capital of the Czech Republic by a 60,000-strong Prussian army. To unblock Prague, the Austrians gathered at Kolin the 54,000th army of General Down with 60 guns. She moved to Prague. Friedrich fielded 33 thousand people with 28 heavy guns against the Austrian troops.

Battles of Kolin, Rosbach and Leuthen

1757, June 17 - Prussian troops began to bypass the right flank of the Austrian position at Kolin from the north, but Daun was able to notice this maneuver in time and deployed his forces with a front to the north. When the next day the Prussians went on the attack, inflicting the main blow against the enemy's right flank, they were met with heavy fire. The Prussian infantry of General Gulsen was able to occupy the village of Krzegory, but the tactically important oak grove behind it remained in the hands of the Austrians.

Down moved his reserve here. Finally, the main forces of the Prussians, concentrated on the left flank, could not withstand the rapid fire of enemy artillery, which fired grapeshot, and fled. Here the Austrian troops of the left flank went on the attack. Down's cavalry pursued the defeated enemy for several kilometers. The remnants of the Prussian army retreated to Nimburg.

Down's victory was the result of a one-and-a-half superiority of the Austrians in people and a twofold advantage in artillery. Frederick's army lost 14 thousand killed, wounded and captured and almost all artillery, and the Austrians - 8 thousand people. The Prussian king was forced to lift the siege of Prague and retreat to the border of Prussia.

Clockwise from top left: Battle of Plasse (June 23, 1757); Battle of Carillon (July 6-8, 1758); Battle of Zorndorf (August 25, 1758); Battle of Kunersdorf (August 12, 1759)

The strategic position of Prussia seemed critical. Allied forces numbering up to 300 thousand people were deployed against the Prussian army. Frederick 2 decided to first defeat the French army, reinforced by the troops of the principalities allied with Austria, and then again invade Silesia.

The 45,000-strong allied army took up a position near Müheln. Frederick, who had only 24 thousand soldiers, was able to lure the enemy out of the fortifications with a false retreat to the village of Rosbach. The French hoped to cut off the Prussian army from crossings over the Saale River and defeat it.

November 5, 1757, in the morning - the allies marched in three columns around the enemy left flank. This maneuver was covered by an 8,000-strong detachment, which started a skirmish with the Prussian vanguard. Friedrich was able to unravel the enemy's plan and at half past three in the afternoon he ordered to withdraw from the camp and simulate a withdrawal to Merseburg. The Allies attempted to intercept the escape route by sending their cavalry around Janus Hill. But she was unexpectedly attacked and defeated by the Prussian cavalry under the command of General Seidlitz.

At this time, under the cover of heavy fire from 18 artillery batteries, the Prussian infantry went on the offensive. The allied infantry had to line up in battle formation under enemy nuclei. Soon she was under the threat of a flank attack by the Seidlitz squadrons, faltered and ran. The French and their allies lost 7,000 killed, wounded and captured, and all their artillery - 67 guns and a convoy. The losses of the Prussian army were insignificant - only 540 killed and wounded. Here, both the qualitative superiority of the Prussian cavalry and artillery, and the mistakes of the allied command, affected. The French commander-in-chief started a complex maneuver, as a result, most of the army was in marching columns and was not able to take part in the battle. Friedrich got the opportunity to beat the enemy in parts.

Meanwhile, the Prussian army in Silesia was defeated. Frederick rushed to their aid with 21,000 infantry, 11,000 cavalry, and 167 guns. The Austrians settled down near the village of Leiten on the banks of the Weistritsa River. They had 59 thousand infantry, 15 thousand cavalry and 300 guns. 1757, December 5, morning - the Prussian cavalry threw back the Austrian vanguard, depriving the enemy of the opportunity to observe Frederick's army. Therefore, the attack of the main forces of the Prussian army was a complete surprise for the Austrian commander-in-chief, Duke Charles of Lorraine.

The Prussian king, as always, delivered the main blow on his right flank, but by the actions of the avant-garde he drew the attention of the enemy to the opposite wing. When Karl realized the true intentions and began to rebuild his army, the Austrians' order of battle was broken. Frederick took advantage of this for a flank attack. The Prussian cavalry routed the Austrian cavalry on the right flank and put them to flight. Then Seydlitz also attacked the Austrian infantry, which had previously been pushed back behind Leithen by the Prussian infantry. Only darkness saved the remnants of the Austrian army from complete annihilation. The Austrians lost 6.5 thousand people killed and wounded and 21.5 thousand prisoners, as well as all artillery and convoy. The losses of the Prussian army did not exceed 6 thousand people. Silesia was again under Prussian control.

Frederick II the Great

East Prussia

Meanwhile, Russian troops began active hostilities. Back in the summer of 1757, the 65,000-strong Russian army under the command of Field Marshal S.F. Apraksin moved to Lithuania, intending to capture East Prussia. In August, the Russian army approached Koenigsberg.

On August 19, the 22,000th detachment of the Prussian General Lewald attacked the Russian army near the village of Gross-Egersdorf, having no idea either about the true number of the enemy, who was almost three times superior to him, or about his location. Instead of the left flank, Levald found himself in front of the center of the Russian position. The regrouping of the Prussian forces during the battle only exacerbated the situation. The right flank of Lewald turned out to be overturned, which could not be compensated for by the success of the left-flank Prussian troops, who captured the enemy battery, but did not have the opportunity to develop success. The losses of the Prussians amounted to 5 thousand killed and wounded and 29 guns, the losses of the Russians reached 5.5 thousand people. The Russian troops did not pursue the retreating enemy, and the battle at Gross-Egersdorf had no decisive significance.

Unexpectedly, Apraksin gave the order to retreat, citing the lack of supplies and the separation of the army from their bases. The field marshal was accused of treason and put on trial. The only success was the capture of Memel by 9,000 Russian troops. This port was turned into a home base Russian fleet.

1758 - the new commander-in-chief, general-in-chief, Count V.V. Fermor, with a 70,000th army with 245 guns, was able to easily occupy East Prussia, captured Koenigsberg and continued the offensive to the west.

Battle of Zorndorf

In August, a general battle of Russian and Prussian troops took place near the village of Zorndorf. On the 14th, the Prussian king, who had 32 thousand soldiers and 116 guns, attacked Fermor's army here, in which there were 42 thousand people and 240 guns. The Prussians managed to press the Russian army, which retreated to Kalisz. Fermor lost 7,000 killed, 10,000 wounded, 2,000 prisoners, and 60 guns. Friedrich's losses reached 4 thousand killed, more than 6 thousand wounded, 1.5 thousand prisoners. Frederick did not pursue the defeated army of Fermor, but headed for Saxony.

Map of the Seven Years' War

1759 - Battle of Kunersdorf

1759 - Fermor was replaced by Field Marshal Count PS Saltykov. By this time, the Allies had put up 440 thousand people against Prussia, whom the Prussian king could only oppose with 220 thousand. On June 26, the Russian army set out from Poznan to the Oder River. On July 23, at Frankfurt an der Oder, she joined the Austrian army. On July 31, the king of Prussia with a 48,000th army took up a position near the village of Kunersdorf, hoping to meet here the combined Austro-Russian forces, which largely outnumbered his troops.

Saltykov's army numbered 41 thousand people, and the Austrian army of General Down - 18.5 thousand people. On August 1, the Prussians attacked the left flank of the allied forces. The Prussian troops succeeded in capturing an important height here and placing a battery there, which brought down fire on the center of the Russian army. The Prussians pressed the center and the right flank of the Russians. But Saltykov was able to create a new front and go on a general counteroffensive. After a 7-hour battle, the Prussian army retreated behind the Oder in disarray. Immediately after the battle, Frederick had only 3,000 soldiers at hand, as the rest scattered around the surrounding villages, and they had to be gathered under the banners for several days.

Frederick's army lost 18 thousand people killed and wounded, the Russians - 13 thousand, and the Austrians - 2 thousand. Due to the heavy losses and fatigue of the soldiers, the Allies were unable to organize the pursuit, which saved the Prussians from the final defeat. After Kunersdorf, the Russian army, at the request of the Austrian emperor, was transferred to Silesia, where the Prussian army also suffered a number of defeats.

1760-1761

The campaign of 1760 proceeded sluggishly. Only at the end of September was a raid on Berlin undertaken. The first assault on the city, undertaken on the 22-23rd of the 5th thousand. detachment of General Totleben, ended in failure. Only with the approach of the 12,000th corps of General Chernyshev and the detachment of the Austrian General Lassi, the Prussian capital was besieged by the 38,000th allied army (of which 24,000 were Russians), 2.5 times greater than the number of the Prussian army concentrated near Berlin. The Prussians chose to leave the city without a fight. On September 28, the 4,000-strong garrison that covered the retreat capitulated. In the city, 57 guns were captured and gunpowder factories and an arsenal were blown up. Because Friedrich hurried to Berlin with the main forces of the army, Field Marshal Saltykov ordered Chernyshev's corps and other detachments to retreat. Berlin itself was not of strategic importance.

The campaign of 1761 proceeded as sluggishly as the previous one. In December, Rumyantsev's corps was taken by Kolberg.

The final stage. Results

The position of the Prussian king seemed hopeless, but the emperor, who replaced the Russian throne in early 1762, bowed to the military genius of Frederick II, stopped the war and even concluded an alliance with Prussia on May 5. At the same time, after the destruction of its fleet by the British, France withdrew from the war, having suffered a number of defeats from the British in North America and India. True, in July 1762, Peter was deposed on the orders of his wife. She terminated the Russo-Prussian alliance, but did not continue the war. An excessive weakening of Prussia was not in the interests of Russia, as it could lead to Austrian hegemony in Central Europe.

Austria was forced to make peace with Prussia on February 15, 1763. The King of Prussia was forced to renounce his claims to Saxony, but retained Silesia. Five days earlier, peace had been concluded in Paris between England and France. The French lost their possessions in Canada and India, retaining only 5 Indian cities in their hands. The left bank of the Mississippi also passed from France to England, and the French were forced to cede the right bank of this river to the Spaniards, and they also had to pay compensation to the latter for Florida ceded to the British.

It is customary in historiography to call the Seven Years' War a conflict between Prussia, Portugal, Russia, Britain on the one hand and the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Sweden, France on the other.
One of the greatest Britons, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, called the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) the "first world war", as it took place on several continents and huge human resources were involved in it.
The Seven Years' War was also called the "first trench war", because it was then that rapidly erected fortifications, redoubts, etc. were involved on a large scale. During the conflict, artillery guns also began to be widely used - the number of artillery in the armies increased by 3 times.

Causes of the war

One of the main causes of the Seven Years' War is considered to be the Anglo-French conflicts in North America. There was a sharp colonial rivalry between the countries. In 1755, a war broke out between England and France in America, during which the indigenous tribes also took part. Officially, the British government declared war already in 1756.

It was the conflict between the French and the British that violated all the alliances and agreements that had developed in Western Europe. Prussia, once a weak state, after coming to power of Frederick II, began to gain its power, thereby oppressing France and Austria.
After the war with France had already begun, the British entered into an alliance with a new powerful player in the political arena - with Prussia. Austria, which had previously lost the war to Prussia and ceded Silesia, entered into negotiations with France. In 1755, France and Austria signed a defensive alliance, and in 1756 the Russian Empire also joined this alliance. Thus, Frederick found himself embroiled in a conflict against three powerful states. England, which at that moment did not have a powerful land army, could only help Prussia with funding.

France, Austria and Russia were not interested in the complete destruction of Prussia, but each of them wanted to significantly weaken the country, and then use it in their own interests. Thus, we can say that France, Austria and Russia sought to restore the old political picture of Europe.

The balance of forces of opponents at the beginning of hostilities in Europe
Anglo-Prussian side:

Prussia - 200 thousand people;
England - 90 thousand people;
Hannover - 50 thousand people.

In total, the Anglo-Prussian coalition had 340 thousand fighters at its disposal.
Anti-Prussian coalition:

Spain - 25 thousand people;
Austria - 200 thousand people;
France - 200 thousand people;
Russia - 330 thousand people.

The opponents of the Anglo-Prussian side were able to assemble an army with a total strength of 750 thousand people, which was more than twice the strength of their enemies. Thus, we can see the complete superiority of the anti-Prussian coalition in manpower at the beginning of hostilities.

On August 28, 1756, the Emperor of Prussia, Frederick II the Great, started the war first, without waiting for the moment when his enemies would join forces and march on Prussia.
First of all, Frederick went to war with Saxony. Already on September 12, the Russian Empire reacted to the aggression of Prussia and declared war on that.

In October, an Austrian army was sent to help Saxony, but Frederick defeated it at the Battle of Lobositz. Thus, the Saxon army was left in a stalemate. On October 16, Saxony capitulated, and its fighting forces were forcibly driven into the ranks of the Prussian army.

European theater of operations in 1757

Frederick, again, decided not to wait for aggression from France and the Russian Empire, but planned to defeat Austria in the meantime and throw it out of the conflict.

In 1757, the Prussian army enters the Austrian province of Bohemia. Austria sent 60,000 men to stop Frederick, but was defeated, as a result of which the Austrian army was blocked in Prague. In June 1757, Frederick lost the battle to the Austrians without taking Prague, after which he was forced to return to Saxony.
The initiative was intercepted by the Austrian troops and during 1757 they inflicted several defeats on the Prussian army, and in October of the same year they managed to capture the capital of Prussia - Berlin.

Meanwhile, Frederick with the army defended his borders from the West - from the aggression of the French. Upon learning of the fall of Berlin, Friedrich sends 40 thousand soldiers in order to regain the advantage and defeat the Austrians. December 5, leading the army personally, Frederick the Great inflicts a crushing defeat on the Austrians at Leuthen. Thus, the situation at the end of 1757 returned the opponents to the beginning of the year, and the military campaigns eventually ended in a “draw”.

European theater of operations in 1758

After an unsuccessful campaign in 1757, the Russian army under the command of Fermor occupies East Prussia. In 1758, Konigsberg also fell under the onslaught of the Russian army.

In August 1858, the Russian army was already approaching Berlin. Frederick advances the Prussian army to meet. On August 14, a battle takes place near the village of Zorndorf. A bloody chaotic battle unleashed, and in the end both armies retreated. The Russian army returned to the Vistula. Frederick withdrew troops to Saxony.

Meanwhile, the Prussian army is fighting against the French. During 1758, Frederick inflicted three major defeats on the French, which also seriously weakened the Prussian army.

European theater of operations in 1759

On July 23, 1759, the Russian army under the command of Saltykov defeated the Prussian army in the Battle of Palzig. Friedrich moved on the Russian army from the south and on August 12, 1759, the battle of Kunersdofr began. With a numerical advantage, the Austrian-Russian army was able to deliver a crushing blow to Frederick. The king had only 3 thousand soldiers left and the road to Berlin was already open.
Friedrich understood that the situation was hopeless. And yet, a miracle happened - due to disagreements, the allies left Prussia, not daring to go to Berlin.

In 1759, Friedrich asks for peace, but is refused. The Allies intend to completely defeat Prussia next year by taking Berlin.
Meanwhile, England inflicted a crushing defeat on the French at sea.
European theater of operations in 1760
Although the allies had a numerical advantage, they did not have an agreed plan of action, which Frederick II continued to use.
At the beginning of the year, Frederick with difficulty again gathered an army of 200 thousand people, and already in August 1760, not far from Liegnitz, he defeated the corps of the Austrian army.

Allies storm Berlin

In October 1760, the Allies storm Berlin, but the defenders repulse the attack. On October 8, seeing the advantage of the enemy, the Prussian army deliberately leaves the city. Already on October 9, the Russian army accepts the surrender of the capital of Prussia. Then information about the approach of Frederick reaches the Russian command, after which they leave the capital, and the king of Prussia, having heard about the retreat, deploys the army to Saxony.

On November 3, 1760, one of the largest battles of the war takes place - at Torgau, Frederick defeats the Allied armies.
European theater of operations in 1761-1763

In 1761, neither side was actively fighting. The Allies are sure that the defeat of Prussia cannot be avoided. Friedrich himself thought otherwise.

In 1762, the new ruler of the Russian Empire, Peter III, concludes the Peace of St. Petersburg with Frederick and thereby saves Prussia from defeat. The emperor renounces the occupied territories in East Prussia and sends an army to support Frederick.
Peter's actions caused discontent, as a result of which the emperor was thrown off the throne and he died under strange circumstances. Catherine takes the throne of the Russian Empire. After the empress recalls the army sent to help Prussia, but does not declare war, adhering to the peace agreement of 1762.

In 1762, the Prussian army, taking advantage of the situation, won four big battles against the Austrians and the French, completely returning the initiative to Prussia.

In parallel with the fighting in Europe, a war was going on between the French and the British in North America.
On September 13, 1759, the British won a brilliant victory over the French at Quebec, despite being outnumbered by the enemy. In the same year, the French withdraw to Montreal, and the British take Quebec - Canada was lost to France.

Fighting in Asia

In 1757-1761, the war continues between France and England in India. During the fighting, the French suffered a series of crushing defeats. As a result, in 1861 the capital of the French possessions in India surrendered under the onslaught of the British army.
After the victory in India, the British faced a war with the Spaniards in the Philippines. In 1762, the British sent a large fleet to the Philippines and captured Manila, which was defended by a Spanish garrison. And yet, the British did not manage to gain a foothold here completely. After 1763, English troops began to gradually leave the Philippines.

The reason for the end of the war was the complete exhaustion of the warring parties. On May 22, 1762, Prussia and France signed a peace treaty. On November 24, Prussia and Austria abandoned hostilities.

On February 10, 1763, Great Britain and France signed a peace treaty.
The war ended with a complete victory for the Anglo-Prussian side. As a result, Prussia significantly strengthened its position in Europe and became an important player in the international arena.

France lost control of India and Canada during the war. Russia, on the other hand, gained nothing during the war but military experience. England got India and Canada.

Approximately 1.5 million people died during the hostilities, including civilians. Prussian and Austrian sources speak of a figure of 2 million people.

Secrets of the House of the Romanovs Balyazin Voldemar Nikolaevich

Seven Years' War between Russia and Prussia in 1757-1760

After Russia joined the Treaty of Versailles on January 11, 1757, concluded on May 1, 1756 between Austria and France against England and Prussia, Sweden, Saxony and some small states of Germany joined the anti-Prussian coalition, strengthened at the expense of Russia.

The war, which began in 1754 in the colonial possessions of England and France in Canada, only in 1756 passed to Europe, when on May 28 the Prussian king Frederick II invaded Saxony with an army of 95 thousand people. Frederick defeated the Saxon and Austrian troops in two battles and occupied Silesia and part of Bohemia.

It should be noted that the foreign policy of Russia during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna was distinguished almost all the time by peacefulness and restraint. The war with Sweden that she inherited was completed in the summer of 1743 with the signing of the Abo peace treaty, and until 1757 Russia did not fight.

As for the Seven Years' War with Prussia, Russia's participation in it turned out to be an accident, fatally connected with the intrigues of international adventurer politicians, as already mentioned when it came to the furniture of Madame Pompadour and the tobacco trade of the Shuvalov brothers.

But now, after the victories won by Frederick II in Saxony and Silesia, Russia could not stand aside. She was obliged to do this by recklessly signed allied treaties with France and Austria and a real threat to her possessions in the Baltic states, since East Prussia was a border territory adjacent to the new Russian provinces.

In May 1757, the seventy-thousandth Russian army, under the command of Field Marshal Stepan Fedorovich Apraksin, one of the best Russian commanders of that time, moved to the banks of the Neman River bordering Prussia.

Already in August, the first major victory was won - at the village of Gross-Egersdorf, Russian troops defeated the corps of the Prussian Field Marshal Lewald.

However, instead of going to the nearby capital of East Prussia, Koenigsberg, Apraksin gave the order to return to the Baltic states, explaining this by a lack of food, heavy losses and illnesses among the troops. This maneuver gave rise to rumors in the army and in St. Petersburg about his betrayal and led to the fact that a new commander-in-chief was appointed in his place - a Russified Englishman, General-in-Chief, Count Vilim Vilimovich Fermor, who successfully commanded troops in the wars with Sweden, Turkey and in the latter war with Prussia.

Apraksin was ordered to go to Narva and wait for further orders. However, there were no orders, and instead, the “Grand State Inquisitor”, the head of the Secret Chancellery A. I. Shuvalov, came to Narva. It should be borne in mind that Apraksin was a friend of Chancellor Bestuzhev, and the Shuvalovs were his ardent enemies. The “Grand Inquisitor”, having arrived in Narva, immediately subjected the disgraced field marshal to a severe interrogation, mainly concerning his correspondence with Ekaterina and Bestuzhev.

Shuvalov had to prove that Catherine and Bestuzhev persuaded Apraksin to treason in order to alleviate the position of the Prussian king in every possible way. After interrogating Apraksin, Shuvalov arrested him and transported him to the Four Hands tract, not far from St. Petersburg.

Apraksin also denied any malicious intent in his retreat beyond the Neman and claimed that "he did not make any promises to the young court and did not receive any comments from him in favor of the Prussian king."

Nevertheless, he was accused of high treason, and everyone suspected of having a criminal connection with him was arrested and brought for interrogation to the Secret Chancellery.

On February 14, 1758, unexpectedly for everyone, Chancellor Bestuzhev was also arrested. He was first arrested and only then they began to look for: what to accuse him of? It was difficult to do this, because Bestuzhev was an honest man and a patriot, and then he was credited with "the crime of insulting Majesty and for the fact that he, Bestuzhev, tried to sow discord between Her Imperial Majesty and Their Imperial Highnesses."

The case ended with Bestuzhev being expelled from St. Petersburg to one of his villages, but in the course of the investigation, suspicions fell on Catherine, the jeweler Bernardi, Poniatovsky, a former favorite of Elizaveta Petrovna, Lieutenant General Beketov, teacher Ekaterina Adodurov. All these people were associated with Catherine, Bestuzhev and the English envoy Williams. Of all of them, only Catherine, as the Grand Duchess, and Poniatowski, as a foreign ambassador, could feel relatively calm if it were not for their secret intimate relationship and a highly secret relationship with Chancellor Bestuzhev, which could easily be regarded as an anti-government conspiracy. The fact is that Bestuzhev drew up a plan according to which, as soon as Elizaveta Petrovna dies, Pyotr Fedorovich will become emperor by right, and Catherine will be co-ruler. For himself, Bestuzhev provided for a special status that endowed him with power no less than that of Menshikov under Catherine I. Bestuzhev claimed chairmanship of the three most important boards - Foreign, Military and Admiralty. In addition, he wanted to have the rank of lieutenant colonel in all four Life Guards regiments - Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky, Izmailovsky and Konnom. Bestuzhev outlined his thoughts in the form of a manifesto and sent it to Catherine.

Fortunately for himself and for Ekaterina, Bestuzhev managed to burn the manifesto and all the drafts, and thus deprived the investigators of the most serious evidence of treason. Moreover, through one of her most devoted servants, the valet Vasily Grigorievich Shkurin (remember the name of this man, soon, dear reader, you will meet him again in more than extraordinary circumstances), Catherine learned that the papers were burned and she had nothing to fear.

Nevertheless, the suspicion remained, and Elizaveta Petrovna, through the efforts of the Shuvalov brothers, Peter and Alexander, was notified of the Bestuzhev-Ekaterina alliance. The impulsive and unbalanced empress decided, at least outwardly, to show her displeasure with Catherine and stopped receiving her, which led to a chill in her and a significant part of the “big court”.

And Stanislav-August remained the lover of the Grand Duchess, and there are many reasons to believe that in March 1758, Catherine became pregnant again from him and on December 9 she gave birth to a daughter named Anna. The girl was taken to the chambers of Elizaveta Petrovna immediately after birth, and then everything happened the same as four years ago, when her first-born, Pavel, was born: balls and fireworks began in the city, and Catherine was left alone again. True, this time, court ladies close to her turned out to be at her bedside - Maria Alexandrovna Izmailova, Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina, Natalya Alexandrovna Senyavina and the only man - Stanislav-August Poniatovsky.

Anna Naryshkina, nee Countess Rumyantseva, was married to Chief Marshal Alexander Naryshkin, and Izmailova and Senyavina were nee Naryshkins - sisters of the Chamberlain and Catherine's trusted confidantes. In Notes, Catherine reports that this company gathered in secret, that the Naryshkins and Poniatowski hid behind the screens as soon as there was a knock on the door, and in addition, Stanislav-August went to the palace, calling himself a musician of the Grand Duke. The fact that Poniatowski was the only man who ended up at the bedside of Catherine after giving birth looks like quite eloquent evidence confirming the version of his paternity.

In her Notes, Catherine cites a curious episode that occurred shortly before the birth in September 1758: “Since I became heavy from my pregnancy, I no longer appeared in society, believing that I was closer to childbirth than I actually was . It was boring for the Grand Duke ... Therefore, His Imperial Highness was angry at my pregnancy and decided to say one day at home, in the presence of Lev Naryshkin and some others: “God knows where my wife gets her pregnancy from, I don’t know too much, my Is it a child and should I take him personally?

And yet, when the girl was born, Pyotr Fedorovich was glad of what had happened. Firstly, the child was named exactly the same as the name of his late mother - the sister of the Empress - Anna Petrovna. Secondly, Pyotr Fedorovich received, as the father of a newborn, 60,000 rubles, which, of course, were more than necessary for him.

The girl did not live very long and died on March 8, 1759. For some reason, she was buried not in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, which since 1725 became the burial place of the Romanov dynasty, but in the Church of the Annunciation of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. And this circumstance also did not escape contemporaries, leading them to think about whether Anna Petrovna was the legitimate royal daughter?

And the events outside the walls of the imperial palaces went on as usual. On January 11, 1758, the troops of Vilim Fermor occupied the capital of East Prussia - Koenigsberg.

This was followed on August 14 by a bloody and stubborn battle at Zorndorf, in which the opponents lost only about thirty thousand people killed. Catherine wrote that more than a thousand Russian officers were killed in the battle near Zorndorf. Many of the dead had previously lodged or lived in St. Petersburg, and therefore the news of the Zorndorf massacre caused sorrow and despondency in the city, but the war continued, and so far there was no end in sight. Ekaterina was worried along with everyone. Pyotr Fedorovich felt and behaved quite differently.

Meanwhile, on August 6, 1758, without waiting for the trial, S.F. Apraksin suddenly died. He died of heart failure, but rumors about a violent death immediately spread throughout St. Petersburg - after all, he died in captivity. The supporters of this version were even more convinced that the field marshal was buried without any honors, hastily and secretly from everyone at the cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Apraksin died of heart failure, but why the paralysis occurred, one could only guess. An indirect recognition of Apraksin's innocence was that all those involved in the investigation into the Bestuzhev case - and it arose after Apraksin's arrest - were either demoted or deported from St. Petersburg to their villages, but no one was punished.

Catherine remained in disfavor with the Empress for some time, but after she asked to be released to Zerbst, to her parents, so as not to experience humiliation and insulting suspicions for her, Elizaveta Petrovna changed her anger to mercy and restored her former relationship with her daughter-in-law.

And in the theater of operations, success was replaced by failure, and, as a result, the commanders-in-chief also changed: Fermor was replaced by field marshal Count Pyotr Semenovich Saltykov in June 1759, and in September 1760 another field marshal appeared, Count Alexander Borisovich Buturlin. The favorite of the empress flashed with fleeting luck - he occupied Berlin without a fight, the small garrison of which left the city at the approach of the Russian cavalry detachment.

However, after three days, the Russians also hastily retreated, having learned about the approach to the capital of Prussia of the superior forces of Frederick II. "Sabotage" on Berlin did not change anything during the war. And the decisive factor for its outcome was not a military campaign, but the coming to power in England of a new government that refused Prussia further monetary subsidies.

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