Seven Years' War participants surnames. Peter III leads Russia out of the Seven Years' War, abandoning the conquered East Prussia. Attack on Bohemia, Silesia

The Seven Years' War (1756-1763) got its name from its length in time. This was the largest conflict of the 18th century. It took place not only in Europe, but also in North America, India, and the Caribbean. At one time, Churchill called it the “First World War.” In history, this conflict is referred to as the third Silesian, Pomeranian, Carnatic, French-Indian, and Recent War.

Causes

The main reasons for the Seven Years' War were hidden behind the confrontation between world powers over colonies in North America. Military clashes there began two years before the declaration of war. The main rivals were England and France. Colonists from these countries started an armed conflict. Allied Indians also took part in it. Another reason was the strengthening of Prussia in Europe. Many developed countries did not like this.

Other countries joined coalitions for their own benefit:

• Austria wanted to return Silesia.
• Prussia hoped to capture Saxony.
• Sweden sought to reconquer Stettin and a number of other lands.
• Russia fought for East Prussia.

Countries united in coalitions. One included England, Prussia, Hanover, the other - France, Austria, Russia, Spain. This was quite unusual, since France and Austria had been fighting each other for hegemony in Europe for a long time.

Opponents

The main states that participated in the Seven Years' War (opponents) and their commanders-in-chief:

• Prussia was ruled by Frederick II. He was the emperor and commander-in-chief rolled into one, so he didn't have to answer to anyone.
• England - King George II was the king.
• Austria - Maria Theresa was at the head of the state, Karl Alexander was appointed commander. But after the unsuccessful Battle of Leuthen, he resigned and command passed to Leopold Joseph.
• Russia - Elizaveta Petrovna ruled the country, the commander-in-chief was first Apraksin, he was replaced by Fermor, then Saltykov and Buturlin. They were subordinate to the St. Petersburg Conference. Later Peter the Third became emperor.
• France - Louis the Fifteenth was the emperor, commanders replaced each other as a result of intrigues and frequent defeats. Le Tellier was appointed first, then Richelieu, de Bourbon-Condé, Erasmus, Victor-François, de Rohan.

Invasion of Saxony

Officially, the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) began with the Prussian invasion of Saxony. Frederick II entered its territory on August 28, 1756. A couple of days later, Russia declared war on Prussia.

The thirty-three thousand army of Austria came to the aid of Saxony. But she was broken. Saxony had only eighteen thousand soldiers. They could not resist the two hundred thousand Prussian army, so they capitulated. Frederick II forced the Saxons into his army, and in vain. Throughout the war they ran over to the enemy in battalions.

It was important for Frederick the Second to capture these lands in order to transfer the fighting to the enemy’s side. He was also able to use the human and material resources of wealthy Saxony.

Major battles in Europe

During such a long period of the war, many battles were fought. Main battles of the Seven Years' War:

• Under Colin - took place on June 18, 1757. The battle lasted six hours. Austria had fifty-four thousand troops, and Prussia had thirty-five thousand. Frederick II was intoxicated by success, but miscalculated his strength and lost.
• Under Leuthen - happened on December 5, 1757. Thirty-two thousand soldiers came from Prussia, and Austria had eighty thousand soldiers. Despite this numerical superiority, the army under the command of Prince Charles Alexander lost.
• Under Rosbach - took place on November 5, 1757. French troops of forty-three thousand people were unable to invade Prussia, because they were defeated by twenty-two thousand soldiers of Frederick the Second.
• Zorndorf - occurred on August 25, 1758. Russian forces (forty-two thousand soldiers) clashed with Frederick the Second (thirty-three thousand). The battle was bloody. Russian troops lost sixteen thousand, and Prussian troops - eleven thousand. The battle ended in nothing.
• Kunersdorf - took place on August 12, 1759. Frederick II with thirty-five thousand troops opposed forty-one thousand Russian soldiers under the command of Semenovich. The Prussian army was defeated.
• Under Torgai - happened on November 3, 1760. It is considered the last major battle of the war. The forces of Prussia (forty-four thousand) and Austria (fifty-three thousand) collided. The losses of both sides were colossal - sixteen thousand soldiers on each side. Victory was for Frederick the Second.

Having lost a significant part of his army in battles, the Prussian ruler began to protect it from bloody battles. The war continued for another three years, but everything was limited to maneuvers and marches. The main battles of the Seven Years' War were fought only in the first years.

North American Front

Events in North America began back in 1754, when a skirmish occurred at Great Meadows between colonists from England and France. At first the French lost ground, but united with the Indians and were able to win the Battle of Monongahela in 1755. After a series of battles on May 17, 1756, England declared war on Louis the Fifteenth.

The decisive battle took place in 1759 near Quebec. The French outnumbered the British. The difference was four thousand soldiers. However, the English subjects were better prepared and won. Quebec was taken, and a year later Montreal was captured. The result of the Seven Years' War was the ousting of the French from Canada.

Asian front

In 1757, the British and French captured land from each other in Bengal and India. There was also a struggle for dominance in the Indian Ocean between the two fleets. In 1759, French ships left the Indian coast.

The ground forces of Louis the Fifteenth were also not up to par. In 1760 they were defeated at Vandivash, and a year later the British achieved the surrender of the enemy from the capital of French India. Such results of the Seven Years' War suited George II quite well.

The British carried out military operations in the Philippines in 1762 against Spain. However, they could not stay there for long and in 1765 they completed the evacuation from the islands. The result of the Seven Years' War in the Philippines was the impetus for new anti-Spanish uprisings of the local population. However, they cannot be called successful. The Philippines remained under Spanish rule until 1898, when it was ceded to the United States.

Losses

Losses among the warring states:

• Austria - four hundred thousand soldiers;
• Prussia - about two hundred thousand;
• France - up to two hundred thousand;
• Russia – about one hundred and forty thousand;
• England - twenty thousand.

No one can name the number of indigenous people killed in North America, India and other colonies for which the war was fought. What were the results of the Seven Years' War? Were they worth such sacrifices? Did the war resolve the contradictions between the strongest powers of Europe at that time?

Results of the Seven Years' War

Four peace treaties were signed between the warring countries. Each of them had its own characteristics:

• Petersburg - it was already signed by Peter the Third. According to the agreement, Russia withdrew from the conflict and voluntarily transferred its lands to Prussia, which were occupied by Russian soldiers. Subsequently, these actions of Peter the Third became one of the reasons for the coup and the accession to the throne of Catherine the Second.
• Hamburg - concluded between Sweden and Prussia. Peace was established on the terms of the withdrawal of Swedish troops from the occupied territories. The parties released prisoners without ransom.
• The Paris Agreement was concluded by four states at once. England and Portugal negotiated with France and Spain. Louis the Fifteenth renounced Canada, Nova Scotia, the Gulf of St. Lawrence Islands, and the Ohio Valley. Spain received Havana from England, but ceded Florida. England received Puerto Rico, Minorca was returned to her, but she gave Martinique and Guadeloupe to France. Spain received Louisiana, but undertook to withdraw troops from Portugal. France had to leave Hanover, Senegal. The state of Louis XV was allowed to engage in fishing near Newfoundland, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• Hubertusburg - ended the war. Was signed between Austria, Prussia, Saxony. Maria Theresa renounced Silesia and Graudenz, and Frederick II did not demand compensation for damages. Troops were withdrawn from foreign lands, prisoners of war were freed or demobilized. By secret agreement, Prussia was going to vote for the son of Maria Theresa in the election of the head of the Holy Roman Empire.

Many contemporaries were perplexed about the peace treaty between European states. So much blood was shed, and as a result, the pre-war status quo was restored. However, this is not quite true.

Consequences

Prussia became the leading state in Europe. The preconditions were laid for the unification of German territories under Prussian hegemony.

England did not have its own regular army. To resolve military conflicts, she used mercenary troops that she had all over the world. The prolonged war doubled the national debt. To extinguish it, Great Britain began to intensively exploit its American colonies. This led to the Revolutionary War. So we can say that the consequences of the Seven Years' War for England were extremely negative.

By strengthening the supreme power, mobilizing resources, creating a well-organized, large army (over 100 years it grew 25 times and reached 150 thousand people), the relatively small Prussia turns into a strong aggressive power. The Prussian army becomes one of the best in Europe. She was distinguished by iron discipline, high maneuverability on the battlefield, and precise execution of orders. In addition, the Prussian army was led by an outstanding commander of that era - King Frederick II the Great, who made a significant contribution to the theory and practice of military affairs. By the middle of the 18th century. Anglo-French contradictions related to the struggle for the redistribution of colonies are also sharply aggravated. All this led to changes in traditional ties. England enters into an alliance with Prussia. This forces former adversaries France and Austria to unite against the threat of the Anglo-Prussian alliance. The latter unleashes the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). Two coalitions took part in it. On the one hand, England (in union with Hanover), Prussia, Portugal and some German states. On the other are Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, Saxony and most of the German states. As for Russia, St. Petersburg was not satisfied with the further strengthening of Prussia, which was fraught with its claims to influence in Poland and the former possessions of the Livonian Order. This directly affected Russian interests. Russia joined the Austro-French coalition and, at the request of its ally, the Polish king Augustus III, entered the Seven Years' War in 1757. First of all, Russia was interested in the territory of East Prussia, which St. Petersburg intended to give to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, receiving from it in return the region of Courland bordering Russia. In the Seven Years' War, Russian troops acted both independently (in East Prussia, Pomerania, on the Oder) and in cooperation with their Austrian allies (on the Oder, in Silesia).

Campaign of 1757

In 1757, Russian troops operated mainly in East Prussia. In May, the army under the command of Field Marshal Stepan Apraksin (55 thousand people) crossed the border of East Prussia, which was defended by troops under the command of Field Marshal Lewald (30 thousand regular troops and 10 thousand armed residents). According to the recollections of contemporaries, they did not go on the campaign with a light heart. Since the time of Ivan the Terrible, the Russians had not actually fought with the Germans, so the enemy was known only by hearsay. The Russian army knew about the famous victories of the Prussian king Frederick II the Great and therefore were afraid of the Prussians. According to the memoirs of a participant in the campaign, the future writer Andrei Bolotov, after the first unsuccessful border skirmish for the Russians, the army was overcome by “great timidity, cowardice and fear.” Apraksin avoided clashes with Levald in every possible way. This happened at Velau, where the Prussians occupied strong fortified positions. The “Peaceful Field Marshal” did not dare to attack them, but decided to bypass them. To do this, he started crossing the Pregel River in the area of ​​​​the village of Gross-Jägersdorf, in order to then move to Allenburg, bypassing the Prussian positions. Having learned about this maneuver, Lewald with an army of 24 thousand hurried to meet the Russians.

Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf (1757). After the crossing, Russian troops found themselves in an unfamiliar wooded and swampy area and lost their battle formation. Lewald took advantage of this, and on August 19, 1757, he quickly attacked the Russian units scattered near the river. The main blow fell on the 2nd division of General Vasily Lopukhin, which did not have time to complete the formation. She suffered heavy losses, but showed resilience and did not retreat. Lopukhin himself, wounded by bayonets, fell to the Prussians, but was repulsed by his soldiers and died in their arms. The Russians were unable to hold back a repeated attack in the same direction and found themselves pressed against the forest. They were threatened with complete defeat, but then the brigade of General Pyotr Rumyantsev intervened, which decided the outcome of the battle. Seeing the death of his comrades, Rumyantsev hastened to their aid. Having made his way through the forest thickets, his brigade delivered an unexpected blow to the flank and rear of Lewald's infantry. The Prussians could not withstand the bayonet attack and began to retreat. This gave the Russian center the opportunity to recover, form up and launch a counterattack. On the left flank, meanwhile, the Don Cossacks distinguished themselves. With a false retreat, they brought the Prussian cavalry under infantry and artillery fire, and then also launched a counterattack. The Prussian army retreated everywhere. The damage to the Russians amounted to 5.4 thousand people, the Prussians - 5 thousand people.

This was the first Russian victory over the Prussian army. It greatly boosted their morale, dispelling past fears. According to the testimony of foreign volunteers who were in Apraksin’s army (in particular, the Austrian Baron Andre), such a brutal battle had never happened in Europe. The experience of Groß-Jägersdorf showed that the Prussian army does not like close bayonet combat, in which the Russian soldier shows high fighting qualities. However, Apraksin did not follow up his success and soon withdrew his troops back to the border. According to the widespread version, the reason for his departure was not military, but internal political in nature. Apraksin feared that after the death of the ill Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, her nephew Peter III, an opponent of the war with Prussia, would come to power. A more prosaic reason that stopped the Russian offensive was the smallpox epidemic, which caused enormous devastation in the ranks of the Russian army. Thus, in 1757, 8.5 times more soldiers died from disease than on the battlefields. As a result, the 1757 campaign ended in vain for the Russians in tactical terms.

Campaign of 1758

Elizaveta Petrovna, who soon recovered, removed Apraksin from command and placed General William Farmer at the head of the army, demanding that he energetically continue the campaign. In January 1758, a 30,000-strong Russian army again crossed the border of East Prussia. The second East Prussian campaign ended quickly and almost bloodlessly. Not expecting the Russians to undertake a winter campaign, Frederick II sent Lewald's corps to Stettin (now Szczecin) to defend against a Swedish attack. As a result, small garrisons remained in East Prussia, which offered almost no resistance to the Russians. On January 11, Königsberg surrendered, and the population of East Prussia was soon sworn in to the Russian Empress. Thus, the last stronghold remained from the previous conquests of the crusaders in the Baltic states fell, and Elizaveta Petrovna, as it were, completed the work begun by Alexander Nevsky. In fact, in the winter of 1758, Russia fulfilled its immediate goals in the Seven Years' War. After waiting out the spring thaw, the Farmer moved the army to the Oder, to the Küstrin (Küstrzyn) area, where he planned to interact with the Swedish army, which was located on the Baltic coast. The appearance of the Russians at Küstrin (75 km from Berlin) seriously alarmed Frederick II. In an effort to avert the threat from his capital, the Prussian king left a barrier against the Austrians in Silesia, and he himself moved against the Farmer. Frederick's 33,000-strong army approached the Oder, on the other bank of which stood Farmer's 42,000-strong army. In a night march, the Prussian king ascended the river to the north, crossed the Oder and went to the rear of the Farmer, cutting off his retreat. The Russian commander accidentally learned about this from the Cossacks, one of whose patrols had a skirmish with the Prussians. The farmer immediately lifted the siege of Küstrin and positioned his army in an advantageous position near the village of Zorndorf.

Battle of Zorndorf (1758). On August 14, 1758, at 9 o’clock in the morning, the Prussians attacked the right wing of the Russian army. The first blow was taken by the so-called. "Observation Corps", consisting entirely of recruits. But he did not flinch and held back the onslaught. Soon the Russian cavalry drove back the Prussians. In turn, it was overthrown by the Prussian cavalry under the command of the famous General Seydlitz. Clouds of dust from under the hooves and smoke from shots were carried by the wind to the Russian positions and made visibility difficult. The Russian cavalry, pursued by the Prussians, galloped towards its infantrymen, but they, without disassembling it, opened fire on it. The soldiers of both armies were mixed in dust and smoke, and the massacre began. Having fired the cartridges, the Russian infantry stood unshakably, fighting back with bayonets and cutlasses. True, while some fought heroically, others got to the barrels of wine. After getting drunk, they began to beat their officers and disobeyed orders. Meanwhile, the Prussians attacked the Russian left wing, but were repulsed and put to flight. The brutal massacre continued until late in the evening. On both sides, the soldiers ran out of gunpowder, and they fought hand-to-hand with cold steel. Andrei Bolotov describes the courage of his compatriots in the last moments of the Battle of Zorndorf: “In groups, small groups, having fired their last cartridges, they remained solid as a rock. Many, pierced through, continued to stand on their feet and fight, others, having lost a leg or arm, already lying on the ground, they tried to kill the enemy with their surviving hand." Here is evidence from the opposite side of the Prussian cavalryman Captain von Kate: “The Russians lay in rows, kissed their guns - while they themselves were cut down with sabers - and did not leave them.” Exhausted, both troops spent the night on the battlefield. The Prussians lost more than 11 thousand people in the Battle of Zorndorf. The damage to the Russians exceeded 16 thousand people. (“Observation Corps” lost 80% of its members). In terms of the ratio of the number of killed and wounded to the total number of troops participating in the battle (32%), the Battle of Zorndorf is one of the bloodiest battles of the 18th-19th centuries. The next day the Farmer was the first to retreat. This gave Frederick a reason to attribute the victory to himself. However, having suffered heavy losses, he did not dare to pursue the Russians and took his battered army to Küstrin. With the Battle of Zorndorf, Farmer actually ended the campaign of 1758. In the fall, he went to winter quarters in Poland. After this battle, Frederick uttered a phrase that went down in history: “It is easier to kill Russians than to defeat them.”

Campaign of 1759

In 1759, the Russians agreed on joint actions with the Austrians on the Oder, General Pyotr Saltykov was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Russian troops. Here is the impression of him from one of the eyewitnesses: “A gray-haired old man, small, simple... without any decorations or pomp... He seemed to us like a real chicken, and no one dared to think that he could do anything important.” Meanwhile, the most brilliant campaign of the Russian troops in the Seven Years' War is associated with Saltykov.

Battle of Palzig (1759). The path to Saltykov's troops (40 thousand people), marching to the Oder to join the Austrian corps of General Laudon, was blocked by the Prussian corps under the command of General Wedel (28 thousand people). In an effort to prevent the allies from meeting, Wedel attacked Russian positions at Palzig (a German village southeast of Frankfurt an der Oder) on July 12, 1759. Saltykov used defense in depth against Prussian linear tactics. Prussian infantry fiercely attacked Russian positions four times. Having lost over 4 thousand people in unsuccessful attacks, only over 4 thousand people were killed, Wedel was forced to retreat. “Thus,” Saltykov wrote in his report, “the proud enemy, after a five-hour fierce battle, was completely defeated, driven out and defeated. The jealousy, bravery and courage of the entire generals and the fearlessness of the army, especially their obedience, I cannot sufficiently describe, in one word, commendable and unparalleled The act of soldiering left all foreign volunteers in amazement.” Russian losses amounted to 894 killed and 3,897 wounded. Saltykov almost did not pursue the Prussians, which allowed them to avoid complete defeat. After the battle of Palzig, the Russians occupied Frankfurt-on-Oder and united with the Austrians. The victory at Palzig raised the morale of the Russian troops and strengthened their faith in the new commander-in-chief.

Battle of Kunersdorf (1759). After joining with Laudon's corps (18 thousand people), Saltykov occupied Frankfurt-on-Oder. Frederick feared the Russian movement towards Berlin. At the end of July, his army crossed to the right bank of the Oder and went to the rear of the Russian-Austrian army. The Prussian king planned with his famous oblique attack to break through the left flank, where the Russian units were stationed, to press the Allied army to the river and destroy it. On August 1, 1759, at 11 a.m., near the village of Kunersdorf, the Prussian army led by King Frederick the Great (48 thousand people) attacked a pre-fortified position of Russian-Austrian troops under the command of General Saltykov (41 thousand Russians and 18 thousand Austrians) . The hottest battles took place over the heights of Mühlberg (left flank) and B. Spitz (the center of Saltykov’s army). The Prussian infantry, having created numerical superiority in this direction, managed to push back the Russian left flank, where units were located under the command of General Alexander Golitsyn. Having occupied Mühlberg, the Prussians installed artillery at this height, which opened longitudinal fire on the Russian positions. Frederick, no longer doubting victory, sent a messenger to the capital with news of success. But while the good news was rushing to Berlin, Russian guns hit Mühlberg. With precise fire they disrupted the ranks of the Prussian infantry, which was about to launch an attack from this height on the center of the Russian positions. Finally, the Prussians struck the main blow in the center, in the area of ​​the B. Spitz heights, where the regiments were stationed under the command of General Pyotr Rumyantsev. At the cost of heavy losses, the Prussian infantry managed to reach the height at which a fierce battle broke out. Russian soldiers showed great resilience and repeatedly launched counterattacks. The Prussian king brought up more and more forces, but in the “game of reserves” he was outplayed by the Russian commander-in-chief. Tightly controlling the course of the battle, Saltykov promptly sent reinforcements to the most threatened areas. To support his tortured infantry, Frederick sent General Seydlitz's cavalry shock forces into battle. But she suffered heavy losses from rifle and artillery fire and retreated after a short battle. After this, Rumyantsev led his soldiers into a bayonet counterattack. They overthrew the Prussian infantry and threw them from a height into a ravine. The surviving remnants of the Prussian cavalry made their way to the aid of their own, but were driven back by a blow from the right flank by Russian-Austrian units. At this turning point in the battle, Saltykov gave the order to launch a general offensive. Despite exhaustion after many hours of battle, the Russian soldiers found the strength to carry out a powerful attack, which turned the Prussian army into a wholesale rout. By seven in the evening it was all over. The Prussian army suffered a crushing defeat. Most of her soldiers fled, and after the battle Frederick had only 3 thousand people left under arms. The king’s condition is evidenced by his letter to one of his friends the day after the battle: “Everything is running, and I no longer have power over the army... A cruel misfortune, I will not survive it. The consequences of the battle will be worse than the battle itself: I have more There are no means and, to tell the truth, I consider everything lost." The Prussian damage amounted to over 7.6 thousand killed and 4.5 thousand prisoners and deserters. The Russians lost 2.6 thousand killed, 10.8 thousand wounded. Austrians - 0.89 thousand killed, 1.4 thousand wounded. Heavy losses, as well as contradictions with the Austrian command, did not allow Saltykov to use his triumph to capture Berlin and defeat Prussia. At the request of the Austrian command, instead of attacking Berlin, Russian troops went to Silesia. This gave Frederick the opportunity to come to his senses and recruit a new army.

Kunersdorf is the largest battle of the Seven Years' War and one of the most striking victories of Russian weapons in the 18th century. She promoted Saltykov to the list of outstanding Russian commanders. In this battle, he used traditional Russian military tactics - the transition from defense to offense. This is how Alexander Nevsky won on Lake Peipus, Dmitry Donskoy - on the Kulikovo Field, Peter the Great - near Poltava, Minikh - at Stavuchany. For the victory at Kunersdorf, Saltykov received the rank of field marshal. The participants in the battle were awarded a special medal with the inscription “To the winner over the Prussians.”

1760 Campaign

As Prussia weakened and the end of the war approached, the contradictions within the Allied camp intensified. Each of them achieved his own goals, which did not coincide with the intentions of his partners. Thus, France did not want the complete defeat of Prussia and wanted to preserve it as a counterbalance to Austria. She, in turn, sought to weaken Prussian power as much as possible, but sought to do this through the hands of the Russians. On the other hand, both Austria and France were united in the fact that Russia should not be allowed to grow stronger, and persistently protested against East Prussia joining it. Austria now sought to use the Russians, who had generally completed their tasks in the war, to conquer Silesia. When discussing the plan for 1760, Saltykov proposed moving military operations to Pomerania (an area on the Baltic coast). According to the commander, this region remained unravaged by the war and it was easy to get food there. In Pomerania, the Russian army could interact with the Baltic Fleet and receive reinforcements by sea, which strengthened its position in this region. In addition, the Russian occupation of Prussia's Baltic coast sharply reduced its trade relations and increased Frederick's economic difficulties. However, the Austrian leadership managed to convince Empress Elizabeth Petrovna to transfer the Russian army to Silesia for joint action. As a result, Russian troops were fragmented. Minor forces were sent to Pomerania, to besiege Kolberg (now the Polish city of Kolobrzeg), and the main ones to Silesia. The campaign in Silesia was characterized by inconsistency in the actions of the allies and Saltykov’s reluctance to destroy his soldiers in order to protect the interests of Austria. At the end of August, Saltykov became seriously ill, and command soon passed to Field Marshal Alexander Buturlin. The only striking episode in this campaign was the capture of Berlin by the corps of General Zakhar Chernyshev (23 thousand people).

Capture of Berlin (1760). On September 22, a Russian cavalry detachment under the command of General Totleben approached Berlin. According to the testimony of prisoners, there were only three infantry battalions and several cavalry squadrons in the city. After a short artillery preparation, Totleben stormed the Prussian capital on the night of September 23. At midnight, the Russians burst into the Gallic Gate, but were repulsed. The next morning, a Prussian corps led by the Prince of Württemberg (14 thousand people) approached Berlin. But at the same time, Chernyshev’s corps arrived in time to Totleben. By September 27, a 13,000-strong Austrian corps also approached the Russians. Then the Prince of Württemberg and his troops left the city in the evening. At 3 o'clock in the morning on September 28, envoys arrived from the city to the Russians with a message of agreement to surrender. After staying in the capital of Prussia for four days, Chernyshev destroyed the mint, the arsenal, took possession of the royal treasury and took an indemnity of 1.5 million thalers from the city authorities. But soon the Russians left the city upon news of the approaching Prussian army led by King Frederick II. According to Saltykov, the abandonment of Berlin was due to the inactivity of the Austrian commander-in-chief Daun, who gave the Prussian king the opportunity to “beat us as much as he pleases.” The capture of Berlin had more financial than military significance for the Russians. The symbolic side of this operation was no less important. This was the first capture of Berlin by Russian troops in history. It is interesting that in April 1945, before the decisive assault on the German capital, Soviet soldiers received a symbolic gift - copies of the keys to Berlin, given by the Germans to Chernyshev’s soldiers in 1760.

Campaign of 1761

In 1761, the Allies again failed to achieve coordinated action. This allowed Frederick, by successfully maneuvering, to once again avoid defeat. The main Russian forces continued to operate ineffectively together with the Austrians in Silesia. But the main success fell to the Russian units in Pomerania. This success was the capture of Kohlberg.

Capture of Kohlberg (1761). The first Russian attempts to take Kolberg (1758 and 1760) ended in failure. In September 1761, a third attempt was made. This time, the 22,000-strong corps of General Pyotr Rumyantsev, the hero of Gross-Jägersdorf and Kunersdorf, was moved to Kolberg. In August 1761, Rumyantsev, using a new for those times tactics of scattered formation, defeated the Prussian army under the command of the Prince of Württemberg (12 thousand people) on the approaches to the fortress. In this battle and subsequently, Russian ground forces were supported by the Baltic Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Polyansky. On September 3, the Rumyantsev corps began the siege. It lasted four months and was accompanied by actions not only against the fortress, but also against the Prussian troops, who threatened the besiegers from the rear. The Military Council spoke out three times in favor of lifting the siege, and only the unyielding will of Rumyantsev allowed the matter to be brought to a successful conclusion. On December 5, 1761, the garrison of the fortress (4 thousand people), seeing that the Russians were not leaving and were going to continue the siege in the winter, capitulated. The capture of Kolberg allowed Russian troops to capture the Baltic coast of Prussia.

The battles for Kolberg made an important contribution to the development of Russian and world military art. Here the beginning of a new military tactic of scattered formation was laid. It was under the walls of Kolberg that the famous Russian light infantry - the rangers - were born, the experience of which was then used by other European armies. Near Kolberg, Rumyantsev was the first to use battalion columns in combination with loose formation. This experience was then effectively used by Suvorov. This method of combat appeared in the West only during the wars of the French Revolution.

Peace with Prussia (1762). The capture of Kolberg was the last victory of the Russian army in the Seven Years' War. The news of the surrender of the fortress found Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on her deathbed. The new Russian Emperor Peter III concluded a separate peace with Prussia, then an alliance and freely returned to it all its territories, which by that time had been captured by the Russian army. This saved Prussia from inevitable defeat. Moreover, in 1762, Frederick was able, with the help of Chernyshev’s corps, which was now temporarily operating as part of the Prussian army, to oust the Austrians from Silesia. Although Peter III was overthrown in June 1762 by Catherine II and the treaty of alliance was terminated, the war was not resumed. The number of deaths in the Russian army in the Seven Years' War was 120 thousand people. Of these, approximately 80% were deaths from diseases, including the smallpox epidemic. The excess of sanitary losses over combat losses was also typical for other countries participating in the war at that time. It should be noted that the end of the war with Prussia was not only the result of the sentiments of Peter III. It had more serious reasons. Russia achieved its main goal - weakening the Prussian state. However, its complete collapse was hardly part of the plans of Russian diplomacy, since it primarily strengthened Austria, Russia’s main competitor in the future division of the European part of the Ottoman Empire. And the war itself has long threatened the Russian economy with financial disaster. Another question is that the “knightly” gesture of Peter III towards Frederick II did not allow Russia to fully benefit from the fruits of its victories.

Results of the war. Fierce fighting also took place in other theaters of military operations of the Seven Years' War: in the colonies and at sea. In the Treaty of Hubertusburg in 1763 with Austria and Saxony, Prussia secured Silesia. According to the Paris Peace Treaty of 1763, Canada and the East were transferred to Great Britain from France. Louisiana, most of the French possessions in India. The main result of the Seven Years' War was the victory of Great Britain over France in the struggle for colonial and trade primacy.

For Russia, the consequences of the Seven Years' War turned out to be much more valuable than its results. She significantly increased the combat experience, military art and authority of the Russian army in Europe, which had previously been seriously shaken by Minich’s wanderings in the steppes. The battles of this campaign gave birth to a generation of outstanding commanders (Rumyantsev, Suvorov) and soldiers who achieved striking victories in the “age of Catherine.” It can be said that most of Catherine’s successes in foreign policy were prepared by the victories of Russian weapons in the Seven Years’ War. In particular, Prussia suffered huge losses in this war and could not actively interfere with Russian policy in the West in the second half of the 18th century. In addition, under the influence of impressions brought from the fields of Europe, ideas about agricultural innovations and rationalization of agriculture arose in Russian society after the Seven Years' War. Interest in foreign culture, in particular literature and art, is also growing. All these sentiments developed during the next reign.

"From Ancient Rus' to the Russian Empire." Shishkin Sergey Petrovich, Ufa.

04/24/1762 (05/07). - Peter III concluded an agreement between Russia and Prussia, Russia’s withdrawal from the Seven Years’ War of 1756–1763.

Seven Years' War 1756-1763

The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) is the largest military conflict of modern times, involving all European powers, as well as North America, the Caribbean, India, and the Philippines. In this war, Austria lost 400 thousand killed, Prussia - 262,500, France - 168 thousand, Russia - 138 thousand, England - 20 thousand, Spain - 3 thousand. In total, more than 600 thousand soldiers and 700 thousand civilians were killed. This war was later called by W. Churchill “the First World War.”

The main reason for the war was the clash of colonial interests of Great Britain, France and Spain; the escalation of military clashes in the overseas colonies led in May 1756 to Great Britain declaring war on France. But we will not consider overseas colonial rivalry here; we will limit ourselves to the European theater of military operations. In August of the same year, the Prussian king Frederick II invaded Saxony with an army of 60,000 and forced its army to capitulate in October. The main confrontation in Europe was between Austria and Prussia over the rich Silesia that Austria had lost in the previous Silesian Wars with the Prussians. From the end of 1756, Russia found itself drawn into a war in a coalition with Austria, France, Spain, Saxony, Sweden, which was opposed by a coalition of Prussia, Great Britain (in a union with Hanover) and Portugal. perceived the strengthening of Prussia as a threat to Russian western borders and interests in the Baltic states and northern Europe. Russia's close ties with Austria, a treaty of alliance with which was signed back in 1746, also influenced Russia's choice in this conflict. (Further in the text, to the dates according to the Julian calendar, we also add in parentheses the then dates according to the Gregorian calendar - since military operations took place in Europe.)

The 70,000-strong Russian army began hostilities in May 1757. However, due to the extraordinary restrictions on the actions of the commander-in-chief, Field Marshal S.F. Apraksin and his superior strategists did not take any drastic steps. Apraksin decided to cross the Prussian border only in June. Military operations developed successfully for Russia: Memmel was taken on June 24 (July 5), and the first serious clash with the Prussians at Gross-Jägersdorf on August 19 (30) brought victory to the Russians. Nevertheless, at the military council of the army, it was decided to retreat from East Prussia back to Lithuania due to the breakdown of the economic sector; in addition, according to rumors, Apraksin expected that Empress Elizabeth, who was seriously ill at that time, could be replaced on the throne any day now by a man known for his love for Prussia and its order - and therefore all the sacrifices would be in vain. The field marshal was not mistaken, although another five years had to pass before this, during which the Russian army achieved a number of successes that impressed Europe.

In October 1757, Apraksin was removed by the Empress from the post of commander-in-chief for his slowness, recalled to St. Petersburg and arrested (and a year later he died in prison from a stroke). Chief General Willim Fermor became the new commander-in-chief of the Russian forces. At the beginning of 1758, he occupied, without meeting resistance, all of East Prussia. The main goal of the war for Russia was achieved: East Prussia was converted into a Russian general government for the next 4 years. The Prussian population, sworn to Russian citizenship, did not oppose our troops, and the local authorities were favorably disposed towards Russia. (We must also not forget that these lands were not originally German; the local Slavic and Baltic peoples were assimilated during the German “Drang nach Osten” by the 13th century.)

In July 1758, the Russian army besieged Küstrin, a key fortress on the way to Berlin. Frederick stepped forward. A bloody battle took place on August 14 (25) near the village of Zorndorf and called into question the competence of the Russian commander-in-chief. At a critical moment in the battle, Fermor left the army and leadership of the battle, appearing only towards the end. But even in the chaotic battle, the Russian soldiers showed such amazing tenacity that Frederick uttered his famous words: “It was not enough to kill the Russians, it was also necessary to knock them down.” Both sides fought until exhaustion and suffered huge losses. The Russian army lost 16,000 people, the Prussians 11,000. The opponents spent the night on the battlefield, but the next day Fermor was the first to withdraw his troops, thereby giving Frederick a reason to attribute the victory to himself.

However, the Zorndorf massacre did not have strategic consequences: according to military historian A. Kersnovsky, both armies “broke against each other.” In moral terms, Zorndorf was a Russian victory and another blow for the “invincible” Friedrich.

In May 1759, Chief General P.S. was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army, concentrated at that time in Poznan, instead of Fermor. Saltykov. The 40,000-strong Russian army marched west to the Oder River, in the direction of the city of Krosen, intending to link up with the Austrian troops there. On July 12 (23), at the Battle of Palzig, Saltykov completely defeated the 28,000-strong corps of the Prussian General Wedel and occupied Frankfurt-on-Oder, where about a week later Russian troops met with the Austrian allies.

At this time, the Prussian king was moving towards them from the south. He crossed to the right bank of the Oder near the village of Kunersdorf. On August 1 (12), 1759, the famous battle of the Seven Years' War took place there. Frederick was completely defeated; out of an army of 48 thousand, by his own admission, he did not have even 3 thousand soldiers left. He wrote to his minister after the battle: “... everything is lost. I will not survive the death of my Fatherland. Goodbye forever".

After the victory at Kunersdorf, the Allies could only deliver the final blow, take Berlin, the road to which was clear, and thereby force Prussia to capitulate, but disagreements in their camp did not allow them to use the victory and end the war. Instead of attacking Berlin, they withdrew their troops away, accusing each other of violating allied obligations. Frederick himself called his unexpected salvation “the miracle of the House of Brandenburg.”

In 1760, Frederick had difficulty raising the size of his army to 120,000 soldiers. The Franco-Austro-Russian troops by this time numbered up to 220,000 soldiers. However, as in previous years, the numerical superiority of the Allies was negated by the lack of a unified plan and coordination in actions. The Prussian king tried to prevent the actions of the Austrians in Silesia, but was defeated in August. Having barely escaped encirclement, Frederick soon lost his own capital, which was attacked by Major General Totleben. At the military council in Berlin, due to the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Russians and Austrians, the Prussians decided to retreat. The garrison left in the city brought the capitulation of Totleben as the general who first besieged Berlin.

On the morning of September 28 (Oct 9), 1760, the Russian detachment of Totleben and the Austrians entered Berlin. In the city, guns and rifles were captured, gunpowder and weapons warehouses were blown up. An indemnity was imposed on the population. “The Prussian “newspapers” who wrote all sorts of libels and fables about Russia and the Russian army were duly flogged,” notes Kersnovsky. “This event hardly made them special Russophiles, but it is one of the most comforting episodes in our history.” Panin's corps and Krasnoshchekov's Cossacks took over the pursuit of the enemy; they managed to defeat the Prussian rearguard and capture more than a thousand prisoners. However, at the news of the approach of Frederick with the main forces of the Prussians, the allies, maintaining manpower, left the capital of Prussia.

On October 23 (November 3), 1760, the last major battle of the Seven Years' War between the Prussians and Austrians took place near Torgau. Frederick won a Pyrrhic victory, losing 40% of his army in one day. He was no longer able to make up for the losses and abandoned offensive actions. No one in Europe, not excluding Frederick himself, at this time no longer believed that Prussia would be able to avoid defeat: the resources of a small country were incommensurate with the power of its opponents. Frederick had already begun to propose peace negotiations through intermediaries.

But at this moment, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna dies, always determined to continue the war to a victorious end, “even if she had to sell half of her dresses to do this.” On December 25, 1761, according to Elizabeth’s manifesto, Peter III ascended to the Russian throne, who saved Prussia from defeat by concluding the Peace of St. Petersburg with Frederick, his longtime idol, on April 24 (May 5), 1762.

As a result, Russia voluntarily abandoned all its important acquisitions in this war (East Prussia) and even provided Frederick with a corps under the command of Count Z. G. Chernyshev for the war against the Austrians, its recent allies. This policy of Peter III, which insulted the sacrifices made in the war, caused outrage in Russian society, contributed to the decline of his popularity and, ultimately, his overthrow. She overthrew her spouse, terminated the alliance treaty with Prussia and recalled Chernyshev’s corps, but did not continue the war again, considering it unnecessary for Russia at this time.

As a result of this turn of events, at the beginning of 1763, the Seven Years' War ended with the victory of the Anglo-Prussian coalition, which significantly influenced the appearance of the subsequent world. The war ended the power of France in America: the French ceded to England Canada, East Louisiana, some islands of the Caribbean, as well as the bulk of their colonies in India. And Great Britain established itself as the dominant colonial power, spreading the English language across the planet.

Prussia confirmed its rights to Silesia and the County of Glatz, and also finally entered the circle of leading European powers. This led at the end of the 19th century to the unification of the German lands led by Prussia (and not with Austria, which previously seemed quite logical).

Russia gained nothing in this war except military experience and greater influence on European affairs. Although the St. Petersburg Conference of the Allies constantly sought to make the Russian army an auxiliary force for the Austrians, Europe was able to verify the fighting qualities of our army, the only army of the anti-Prussian coalition, which, based on the results of the battles with the “victorious” Prussians, had a positive result. Despite the territorial outcome that was inconclusive for us, the Seven Years' War glorified the power of Russian weapons in Europe.

Discussion: 11 comments

Please explain what kind of phenomenon this is in Russian history - Peter III?

Again I read a libel against Tsar Peter Fedorovich!!! YES, someday this disgusting will end, not only did his wife and her lovers kill the Lawful Emperor, but they have been mocking him for 250 years already... I could also understand this by reading on some stupid communist or liberal site, but reading the repetition of all sorts of nonsense on the monarchist website is simply unbearable...
I have another question for the author of the article: WHY THE HELL did we even get involved in this whole European squabble? What was the threat to us and where did it come from?? By the way, Poland separated us from Prussia at that time! This is the first thing, and secondly, it was not Frederick the Great, but we who declared war on Prussia! The question is - for what? She did not attack us, and there were no military threats...Frederick simply spoke unfavorably about Elizaveta Petrovna - so what, is this a reason for war? And the death of 120,000 Russian soldiers? So, which was the wiser Sovereign, “the feeble-minded Peter III” or the “wisest Daughter of Petrov”??

Awesome summary, I got 10 for it

ok everything is explained

Leonidov - Peter III was a fool according to all the reviews of his contemporaries, incl. foreign diplomats.
Why did we go to war with Frederick - the anti-Prussian direction of Russian foreign policy was determined in 1745, we began to prepare for war directly in 1753 in order to take advantage of any pretext, and even planned to involve the Austrians in it, not knowing that they were also planning at this time to involve us in the war. The nonsense that Frederick simply spoke badly about Elizabeth and therefore we fought with him is generally unworthy even of the 20th century, not to mention the 21st century. Prussian tales. In fact, since 1944, our diplomats, both Bestuzhev brothers, persuaded Elizabeth that Prussia was dangerous, that its strengthening was a threat to Russia, that it would oust Russia from its spheres of influence. in the first watered Frederick's will in 1752, with the king's general fear of fighting with Russia, he at the same time argues that Russia needs to create as many problems as possible, he needs a civil war in Russia and its division between two dynasties, it is advisable to push the Swedes into Russia , then you can either receive from the Swedes for helping Pomerania, or capture the approx. provinces of Russia. Frederick conducted systematic anti-Russian intrigues in Sweden, Poland, Turkey, Crimea, displacing Russian influence on affairs from there in order to exclude Russia from European affairs. They knew all this in St. Petersburg, and therefore they decided to turn Prussia into a second-rate state. It would take too long to write further, but by the beginning of 1762, Russia was actually the leading power in Europe, on which Austria depended, against which France could diplomatically do nothing, with which Britain wanted to be friends and which crushed Prussia. All that remained was to secure this position legally - at a peace congress, at which Russia would legally become the leading force in Europe. If this had happened, there would be no Crimean Wars, no divisions of unfortunate Poland and no long enmity under Catherine with Austria and France. the history of all of Europe was different. And all this was destroyed by the German prince on the throne, for whom Russia was only an appendage to Holstein.
Unfortunately, Elizabeth did not become Great, as six months in the life of one woman means a lot in history. And to this day, her great era, the era of the Russian national revival, has been forgotten, spat upon and slandered.

Peter III is a truly great sovereign, who managed to pass as many laws that were most useful for Russia and its people in six months as “great” Catherine did not accept during her 33 years of reign. It is enough to name the law on freedom of religion, incl. providing for the complete rehabilitation of the original Orthodox Old Believers... Etc. And Peter III did not return the conquered East Prussia to Frederick II, although he led Russia out of a meaningless war for it (Russian occupation troops continued to remain there). East Prussia was returned to Frederick II by Catherine - that’s right! Read the actual history, not the myths launched by the husband-killer and usurper of the throne, the depraved woman Catherine... Under Elizabeth Petrovna, during the Seven Years' War, Catherine's mother (former mistress of Frederick II) and she herself were caught red-handed in military espionage for Prussia . After that, the mother was expelled from Russia, and Elizaveta Petrovna pardoned Catherine, in order to avoid discrediting the Russian throne (the wife of the heir to the throne). Therefore, in the future, Catherine never fought with Frederick and, together with Prussia, divided Poland... Peter’s popularity was very great among the people, which was used by impostors with his name not only in Russia (Pugachev), but also abroad (Stephan Maly in Montenegro) .

Our troops fought heroically. We cleaned up East Prussia. We entered Berlin. We hit Friedrich from the first to the thirteenth.
But the damned question remains unanswered - WHY?

The Old Believer - Peter III and returned East Prussia to Frederick, he signed such an agreement with him.
The troops remained there to support the war between Rumyantsev’s corps and Denmark for Holstein, which Peter III planned to start in the summer of 1762, but was killed.
Peter III corresponded with Frederick during the war, and within a few years he promoted him to general of the Prussian army, claiming that this was only because of the military talents that he saw in his letters.
Catherine's mother, Johanna Elisabeth, was expelled from Russia long before the war with Prussia. No one caught Catherine in espionage, and there is still no evidence of their connections with Frederick during the Seven Years' War, but there is evidence of Peter III's connections with him during the same war. Catherine indeed confirmed the terms of peace with Prussia.
The fact that Catherine’s mother was Friedrich’s mistress is a fairy tale; Friedrich did not tolerate women, he had a weakness for men.
Peter III was not popular. He simply would not have had time to physically conquer it - his name was only a pretext for anti-Catherine actions, and in Montenegro it was simply a symbol of Russia.

For the amateur - this is how everything is written - why, it is written below. Then why did Peter fight with the Swedes? Only Peter won the war and crushed his enemy forever, Sweden was not dangerous for Russia from then on, and Elizabeth did not have time.

Very worthy and good essay. I really liked it.

Expert, you are wrong.
I categorically disagree with your nonsense, based on Romanov (or whatever it is - Holstein-Gottorp, interpreted differently) historiography.
That Catherine the 2nd. was not officially convicted of having connections with Frederick, this does not mean that she is not a spy.

The Union Treaty was drawn up in two copies; they have not been preserved (officially). But testimonies of people who saw this agreement have been preserved. These testimonies (from different parties) indicate a different text of the union agreement.

Nhjkkm, I'm right, but you're wrong. You don't even understand what we're talking about. It was about Catherine's mother, not about herself. Peter III was a spy, this is a well-known fact. Catherine was not caught - that means she is not a spy, but the opposite opinion is a delusional fantasy. I don’t know Romanov historiography, and it’s better for you to base yourself on it, and not invent who knows what. All alliance agreements with Prussia (I just don’t know which one you are writing about specifically, under Peter III or under Catherine) have been preserved with us. Both in the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in Martens’ publications before the revolution. There is no need to fantasize and rave.

The Seven Years' War was an all-European war between Prussia and England on one side and a coalition of France, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Russia, and Spain on the other. Ended with the Treaty of Paris and the Treaty of Hubertsburg. Lasted from 1756 to 1763. The battles of the war took place both on land - in Europe, India and North America, and in the oceans: the Atlantic and Indian.

Causes of the war

• Unresolved issues of European politics by the previous war - For the Austrian inheritance of 1740-1748
• Lack of freedom of navigation in the seas of the East Indies
• The struggle for colonies between France and England
• The emergence of a new serious rival on the European stage - Prussia
• Prussian capture of Silesia
• England's desire to protect its European possessions - Hanover
• Russia's desire to dismember Prussia and annex its eastern region
• Sweden's desire to gain Pomerania
• Mercantile considerations of the parties: France and England hired allies for money

The main reason for the Seven Years' War was the struggle between England and France for primacy in Europe and, consequently, the world. France, by that time already considered a great power, thanks to the policies of Louis XIV, tried to retain this title, England, whose socio-political system was the most advanced at that time, tried to take it away. The remaining participants, taking advantage of the moment, resolved their narrow national-egoistic issues

« But instead of focusing against England, France began another continental war, this time with a new and unusual ally. The Empress of Austria, playing on the king's religious prejudices and the irritation of his favorite, who was offended by Frederick the Great's ridicule of her, drew France into an alliance with Austria against Prussia. Russia, Sweden and Poland subsequently joined this union. The Empress insisted that the two Roman Catholic powers should unite to wrest Silesia from the Protestant king and expressed her readiness to cede to France part of her possessions in the Netherlands, in accordance with her always desire.
Frederick the Great, having learned of this combination, instead of waiting for its development, moved his armies and invaded Saxony, the ruler of which was also the king of Poland. This march-maneuver began the Seven Years' War in October 1756." (A. T. Mahan “The Influence of Sea Power on History” )

Progress of the Seven Years' War

• 1748, April 30 - Treaty of Aachen, which crowned the War of Austrian Succession
• 1755, June 8 - Naval battle of the fleets of England and France at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River in Canada
• 1755, July-August - English warships began a privateering operation against French ships off the coast of Canada
• 1756, March 25 - Russian-Austrian Union Treaty
• 1756, April 17 - Blockade of the English island of Minorca in the Mediterranean Sea by the French army and navy
• 1756, May 1 - Treaty of Versailles between Austria and France
• 1756, May 17 - England declared war on France
• 1756, May 20 - Naval battle of the British and French off the island of Minorca
• 1756, June 20 - France declared war on England
• 1756, June 28 - Minorca came into possession of France
• 1756, October - The invasion of the Prussian army of Frederick the Great into Saxony, which belongs to Poland. Beginning of the Seven Years' War
• 1756, October 4 - Surrender of the Saxon army
• 1756, November - France conquered Corsica
• 1757, January 11 - Austro-Russian treaty on each side fielding an 80,000-strong army against Prussia
• 1757, February 2 - Treaty between Austria and Russia, according to which Russia received 1 million rubles annually for participation in the war
• 1757, April 25-June 7 - Frederick's unsuccessful campaign in Bohemia
• 1757, May 1 - Treaty of Versailles between France and Austria, according to which France agreed to pay Austria 12 million florins annually

  1757, May - Russia enters the war. For the first time, Russia actively became a participant in European politics

• 1757 - Prussian troops are defeated by the Russian army at Groß-Jägersdorf
• 1757, October 25 - Defeat of the French at the Battle of Rosbach
• 1757, December - Russian offensive in East Prussia
• 1757, December 30 - Fall of Kenicksberg
• 1757, December - Prussia captured all of Silesia
• 1758, July - Siege of the Küstrin fortress, Clue to Brandenburg, by the Russian army
• 1758, August 1 - Victory of the Russian army in the Battle of Kunersdorf
• 1758, August 14 - Defeat of the Russian army near Zorndorf
• 1759, July - Victory of the Russian army at Palzig
• 1759, August 20 - Destruction of the Toulon fleet of France by the English fleet
• 1759, November 20 - Destruction of the Brest Fleet of France by the English fleet
• 1760, March 12 - negotiations between Austria and Russia on the acquisition by Russia of the right bank of the Dnieper, which then belonged to Poland, and East Prussia

  1760 September 8 - France lost Montreal, ending French control of Canada

• 1760 -September 28 - The Russian army entered Berlin
• 1760, February 12 - France lost the island of Martinique in the West Indies
• 1761, January 16 - Fall of the French fortress of Pondicherry in India
• 1761, August 15 - Treaty of Friendship between France and Spain with a secret protocol for Spain's entry into the Seven Years' War
• 1761, September 21 - Spain received a cargo of colonial American gold, allowing it to start a war with England
• 1761, December - The Russian army took the Prussian fortress of Kolberg (today the city of Kolobrzeg)
• 1761, December 25 - Death of the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna
• 1762, January 4 - England declared war on Spain
• 1762, May 5 - The new Russian emperor concluded an alliance treaty with Frederick, which changed the balance of power in Europe

  Peter III was an ardent admirer of Frederick. He not only renounced all conquests in Prussia, but also expressed a desire to help Frederick. Chernyshev's corps was ordered to unite with Frederick for joint offensive actions against Austria

• 1762, June 8 - Palace coup in Russia. Catherine II ascended the throne, the treaty with Prussia was terminated
• 1762, August 10 - Spain lost Cuba
• 1763, February 10 - Treaty of Paris between France and England
• 1763, February 15 - Treaty of Hubertusburg between Austria, Saxony and Prussia

Results of the Seven Years' War

France lost Canada with all its associated areas, i.e. the Ohio River Valley and the entire left bank of the Mississippi River, with the exception of New Orleans. In addition, she had to give Spain the right bank of the same river and pay a reward for Florida ceded to England by the Spaniards. France was forced to abandon Hindustan, retaining only five cities. Austria lost Silesia forever. Thus, the Seven Years' War in the west put an end to France's overseas possessions, ensured England's complete hegemony on the seas, and in the east marked the beginning of Prussian hegemony in Germany. This predetermined the future unification of Germany under the auspices of Prussia.

“Under the terms of the Peace of Paris, France renounced all claims to Canada, Nova Scotia and all the islands of the Gulf of St. Lawrence; Together with Canada, she ceded the Ohio Valley and all of her territory on the eastern bank of the Mississippi, with the exception of the city of New Orleans. At the same time, Spain, in exchange for Havana, which England returned to her, ceded Florida, by which name all her continental possessions east of the Mississippi were called. Thus, England acquired a colonial state that included Canada from Hudson Bay and all of the present United States east of the Mississippi. The possible benefits of possessing this vast area were only partly foreseen at that time, and at that time nothing predicted the indignation of the thirteen colonies. In the West Indies, England gave back important islands to France, Martinique and Guadeloupe. Four islands from the Lesser Antilles group, called neutral, were divided between two powers: Santa Lucia went to France, and St. Vincent, Tobago and Dominica to England, which also held Grenada. Minorca was returned to England, and since the return of this island to Spain was one of the conditions of its alliance with France, the latter, not being able to fulfill this condition now, ceded Louisiana to Spain, west of the Mississippi. In India, France recovered the possessions it had previously had, but lost the right to erect fortifications or maintain troops in Bengal and thus left the station at Chander Nagore defenseless. In short, France again gained the opportunity to trade in India, but practically abandoned its claims to political influence there. It was understood that the English company retained all its conquests. The right of fishing off the coast of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which France had previously enjoyed, was reserved to it by treaty; but it was not given to Spain, which demanded it for its fishermen" ( Ibid.)

The war of two coalitions for hegemony in Europe, as well as for colonial possessions in North America and India. One of the coalitions included England and Prussia, the other - France, Austria and Russia . There was a struggle between England and France for colonies in North America. Clashes here began as early as 1754, and in 1756 England declared war on France. In January 1756, the Anglo-Prussian alliance was concluded. In response, Prussia's main rival, Austria, made peace with its longtime enemy France. The Austrians hoped to regain Silesia, while the Prussians intended to conquer Saxony. Sweden joined the Austro-French defensive alliance, hoping to recapture Stettin and other territories lost during the Northern War from Prussia. At the end of the year, Russia joined the Anglo-French coalition, hoping to conquer East Prussia in order to later transfer it to Poland in exchange for Courland and Zemgale. Prussia was supported by Hanover and several small North German states.

The Prussian king Frederick II the Great had a well-trained army of 150 thousand, at that time the best in Europe. In August 1756, he invaded Saxony with an army of 95 thousand people and inflicted a series of defeats on the Austrian troops who 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 troops. After this, the 50,000-strong Austrian army left Saxony.

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

On June 17, 1757, the Prussians began to bypass the right flank of the Austrian position at Kolin from the north, but Daun noticed this maneuver in a timely manner and deployed his forces to the north. When the Prussians attacked the next day, delivering the main blow against the enemy's right flank, it was met with heavy fire. General Gülsen's Prussian infantry managed to occupy the village of Krzegory, but the tactically important oak grove behind it remained in Austrian hands. Daun moved his reserve here. In the end, the main forces of the Prussian army, 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. Daun's cavalry pursued the defeated enemy for several kilometers. The remnants of Frederick's army retreated to Nimburg.

Down's victory was the result of a one-and-a-half-fold superiority of the Austrians in men and a two-fold superiority in artillery. The Prussians lost 14 thousand killed, wounded and prisoners and almost all their artillery, and the Austrians lost 8 thousand people. Frederick was forced to lift the siege of Prague and retreat to the Prussian border.

Prussia's strategic position seemed critical. Allied forces of up to 300 thousand people were deployed against Frederick's army. The Prussian king 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 occupied a position near Mücheln. Frederick, who had only 24 thousand soldiers, lured the enemy out of the fortifications with a feigned retreat to the village of Rossbach. The French hoped to cut off the Prussians from crossing the Saale River and defeat them.

On the morning of November 5, 1757, the allies set out in three columns to bypass the enemy's left flank. This maneuver was covered by an 8,000-strong detachment, which began a firefight with the Prussian vanguard. Frederick guessed the enemy's plan and at half past three in the afternoon he ordered to break camp and simulate a retreat to Merseburg. The Soyuanians tried to intercept the escape routes by sending their cavalry around Janus Hill. However, it was suddenly attacked and defeated by Prussian cavalry under the command of General Seydlitz.

Meanwhile, under the cover of heavy fire from 18 artillery batteries, the Prussian infantry went on the offensive. The Allied infantry was forced to form a battle formation under the enemy cannonballs. Soon she found herself under the threat of a flank attack from Seydlitz’s squadrons, she wavered and began to panic. The French and their allies lost 7 thousand killed, wounded and prisoners and all their artillery - 67 guns and a convoy. Prussian losses were insignificant - only 540 killed and wounded. This affected both the qualitative superiority of the Prussian cavalry and artillery, as well as the mistakes of the allied command. The French commander-in-chief launched a complex maneuver, as a result of which most of the army was in marching columns and was deprived of the opportunity to participate in the battle. Frederick was given the opportunity to beat the enemy piece by piece.

Meanwhile, Prussian troops in Silesia were defeated. The king rushed to their aid with 21 thousand infantry, 11 thousand cavalry and 167 guns. The Austrians settled near the village of Leuthen on the banks of the Weistrica River. They had 59 thousand infantry, 15 thousand cavalry and 300 guns. On the morning of December 5, 1757, the Prussian cavalry drove back the Austrian vanguard, depriving the enemy of the opportunity to observe Frederick's army. Therefore, the attack of the main forces of the Prussians came as a complete surprise to the Austrian commander-in-chief, Duke Charles of Lorraine.

Frederick, as always, delivered the main blow on his right flank, but by the actions of the vanguard he drew the enemy’s attention to the opposite wing. When Charles realized his true intentions and began to rebuild his army, the Austrian battle order was disrupted. The Prussians took advantage of this for a flank attack. The Prussian cavalry defeated the Austrian cavalry on the right flank and put it to flight. Seydlitz then attacked the Austrian infantry, which had previously been pushed back beyond Leuthen by the Prussian infantry. Only darkness saved the remnants of the Austrian army from complete destruction. The Austrians lost 6.5 thousand people killed and wounded and 21.5 thousand prisoners, as well as all the artillery and convoys. Prussian losses did not exceed 6 thousand people. Silesia was again under Prussian control.

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

On August 19, a 22,000-strong detachment of the Prussian general Lewald attacked Russian troops near the village of Gross-Jägersdorf, having no idea about the true number of the enemy, who was almost three times larger than him, or about his location. Instead of the left flank, Lewald found himself in front of the center of the Russian position. The regrouping of Prussian forces during the battle only worsened the situation. Lewald's right flank was overturned, which could not be compensated by the success of the left-flank Prussian troops, who captured the enemy battery, but did not have the opportunity to build on the success. Prussian losses amounted to 5 thousand killed and wounded and 29 guns, Russian losses reached 5.5 thousand people. Russian troops did not pursue the retreating enemy, and the battle at Gross-Jägersdorf was not decisive.

Unexpectedly, Apraksin ordered a retreat, citing a lack of supplies and the separation of the army from its bases. The field marshal was accused of treason and put on trial. The only success was the capture of Memel by a 9,000-strong Russian landing force. This port was turned into the main base of the Russian fleet during the war.

Instead of Apraksin, Chief General Villim Villimovich Fermor was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian troops. English by origin, he was born in Moscow. He was a good administrator, but an indecisive man and a bad commander. Soldiers and officers, mistaking Fermor for a German, expressed dissatisfaction with his appointment to the post of commander-in-chief. It was unusual for the Russian people to observe that the commander-in-chief had a Protestant chaplain instead of an Orthodox priest. Upon arrival at the troops, Fermor first of all gathered all the Germans from his headquarters - and there were quite a few of them in the Russian army at that time - and led them to a tent, where a prayer service was held with strange chants for Orthodox Christians in an unfamiliar language.

The conference set before Fermor at the end of 1757 - beginning of 1758 the task of conquering all of East Prussia and bringing its population to the oath of allegiance to Russia. This task was solved successfully by Russian troops. In the bitter frosts, stuck in snowdrifts, formations under the command of P.A. Rumyantsev and P.S. Saltykova.

On January 22, 1758, the Russian army occupied Königsberg, and after that the whole of East Prussia. In these operations, Fermor did not even show signs of military leadership. Almost all operational and tactical plans were developed and carried out independently by Rumyantsev and Saltykov, and Fermor often interfered with them with his ill-conceived orders.

When Russian troops entered Königsberg, the burgomaster of the city, members of the magistrate and other officials with swords and uniforms solemnly came out to meet them. Under the thunder of timpani and the beat of drums, Russian regiments entered the city with unfurled banners. Residents looked at the Russian troops with curiosity. Following the main regiments, Fermor entered Königsberg. He was given the keys to the capital of Prussia, as well as to the fortress of Pillau, which protected Königsberg from the sea. The troops settled down to rest until the morning, lit fires for warmth, music thundered all night, fireworks flew into the sky.

The next day, thanksgiving services for Russians were held in all churches in Prussia. The single-headed Prussian eagle was everywhere replaced by the double-headed Russian eagle. On January 24, 1758 (on the birthday of the Prussian king, one can easily imagine his condition) the entire population of Prussia took an oath to Russia - their new Motherland! History cites the following fact: the great German philosopher Immanuel Kant took the oath with his hand on the Bible, which was perhaps the most striking episode in his boring life.

The German historian Archenholtz, who idolized the personality of Frederick II, wrote about this time: “Never before has an independent kingdom been conquered as easily as Prussia. But never have the winners, in the rapture of their success, behaved as modestly as the Russians.”

At first glance, these events may seem incredible, some kind of historical paradox: how was this possible? After all, we are talking about the citadel of the Prussian Junkers, from where the ideas of domination over the world came, from where the German Kaisers took personnel to implement their aggressive plans.

But there is no paradox in this, if we take into account the fact that the Russian army did not capture or occupy Prussia, but annexed this ancient Slavic land to Slavic Russia, to the Slavic land. The Prussians understood that the Russians would not leave here, they would remain on this Slavic land, once captured German Principality of Brandenburg. The war waged by Frederick II devastated Prussia, taking people for cannon fodder, horses for cavalry, food and fodder. The Russians who entered Prussia did not touch the property of local citizens, treated the population of the occupied areas humanely and friendly, and even helped the poor as much as they could.

Prussia became a Russian general government. It would seem that for Russia the war could be considered over. But the Russian army continued to fulfill its “duties” to the Austrian allies.

Of the battles of 1758, it is worth noting the Battle of Zorndorf on August 14, 1758, when Frederick, with his maneuver, forced our army to fight on an inverted front. The ferocity of the battle fully corresponded to the name of the place where it took place. Zorndorf means "angry, furious village" in German. The bloody battle did not end with an operational victory for either side. The result was difficult for both sides. Both armies simply crashed against each other. The losses of the Russians were about half of the entire army, the Prussians - more than a third. Morally, Zorndorf was a Russian victory and a cruel blow to Frederick. If earlier he thought with disdain about Russian troops and their combat capabilities, then after Zorndorf his opinion changed. The Prussian king paid tribute to the resilience of the Russian regiments at Zorndorf, saying after the battle: “The Russians can be killed every last one, but they cannot be forced to retreat.” http://federacia.ru/encyclopaedia/war/seven/ King Frederick II set the resilience of the Russians as an example for his own troops.

Fermor showed himself at the Battle of Zorndorf... He did not show himself at all, and in the literal sense of the word. For two hours, Russian troops withstood the destructive fire of Prussian artillery. The losses were heavy, but the Russian system stood indestructible, preparing for the decisive battle. And then Willim Fermor left the headquarters and, together with his retinue, rode off in an unknown direction. In the midst of battle the Russian army was left without a commander. A unique case in the history of world wars! The Battle of Zorndorf was fought by Russian officers and soldiers against the king, based on the situation and showing resourcefulness and intelligence. More than half of the Russian soldiers lay dead, but the battlefield remained with the Russians.

Towards night, when the battle stopped, Fermor appeared from nowhere. Where he was during the battle - there is no answer to this question in historical science. Huge losses and the absence of a concrete tactical result for the Russian army are the logical result of the Battle of Zorndorf, carried out without a commander.

After the battle, Frederick retreated to Saxony, where in the fall of the same year (1758) he was defeated by the Austrians due to the fact that his best soldiers and officers were killed at Zorndorf. Fermor, after an unsuccessful attempt to capture the heavily fortified Kolberg, withdrew the army to winter quarters in the lower reaches of the Vistula. http://www.rusempire.ru/voyny-rossiyskoy-imperii/semiletnyaya-voyna-1756-1763.html

In 1759, Fermor was replaced by Field Marshal General Count Saltykov P.S. By that time, the Allies had sent 440 thousand people against Prussia, to whom Frederick could oppose only 220 thousand. On June 26, the Russian army set out from Poznan to the Oder River. On July 23, in Frankfurt an der Oder, she joined forces with Austrian troops. On July 31, Frederick with a 48,000-strong army took a position near the village of Kunersdorf, expecting to meet here the combined Austro-Russian forces, which significantly outnumbered his troops.

Saltykov's army numbered 41 thousand people, and the Austrian army of General Down - 18.5 thousand people. On August 1, Frederick attacked the left flank of the Allied forces. The Prussians managed to capture an important height here and place a battery there, which brought fire to the center of the Russian army. Prussian troops pressed the center and right flank of the Russians. However, Saltykov managed to create a new front and launch a general counteroffensive. After a 7-hour battle, the Prussian army retreated across the Oder in disarray. Immediately after the battle, Frederick had only 3 thousand soldiers on hand, since the rest were scattered in the surrounding villages, and they had to be collected under the banners over the course of several days.

Kunersdorf is the largest battle of the Seven Years' War and one of the most striking victories of Russian weapons in the 18th century. She promoted Saltykov to the list of outstanding Russian commanders. In this battle, he used traditional Russian military tactics - the transition from defense to offense. This is how Alexander Nevsky won on Lake Peipus, Dmitry Donskoy - on the Kulikovo Field, Peter the Great - near Poltava, Minikh - at Stavuchany. For the victory at Kunersdorf, Saltykov received the rank of field marshal. The participants in the battle were awarded a special medal with the inscription “To the winner over the Prussians.”

1760 Campaign

As Prussia weakened and the end of the war approached, the contradictions within the Allied camp intensified. Each of them achieved his own goals, which did not coincide with the intentions of his partners. Thus, France did not want the complete defeat of Prussia and wanted to preserve it as a counterbalance to Austria. She, in turn, sought to weaken Prussian power as much as possible, but sought to do this through the hands of the Russians. On the other hand, both Austria and France were united in the fact that Russia should not be allowed to grow stronger, and persistently protested against East Prussia joining it. Austria now sought to use the Russians, who had generally completed their tasks in the war, to conquer Silesia. When discussing the plan for 1760, Saltykov proposed moving military operations to Pomerania (an area on the Baltic coast). According to the commander, this region remained unravaged by the war and it was easy to get food there. In Pomerania, the Russian army could interact with the Baltic Fleet and receive reinforcements by sea, which strengthened its position in this region. In addition, the Russian occupation of Prussia's Baltic coast sharply reduced its trade relations and increased Frederick's economic difficulties. However, the Austrian leadership managed to convince Empress Elizabeth Petrovna to transfer the Russian army to Silesia for joint action. As a result, Russian troops were fragmented. Minor forces were sent to Pomerania, to besiege Kolberg (now the Polish city of Kolobrzeg), and the main ones to Silesia. The campaign in Silesia was characterized by inconsistency in the actions of the allies and Saltykov’s reluctance to destroy his soldiers in order to protect the interests of Austria. At the end of August, Saltykov became seriously ill, and command soon passed to Field Marshal Alexander Buturlin. The only striking episode in this campaign was the capture of Berlin by the corps of General Zakhar Chernyshev (23 thousand people).

Capture of Berlin (1760). On September 22, a Russian cavalry detachment under the command of General Totleben approached Berlin. According to the testimony of prisoners, there were only three infantry battalions and several cavalry squadrons in the city. After a short artillery preparation, Totleben stormed the Prussian capital on the night of September 23. At midnight, the Russians burst into the Gallic Gate, but were repulsed. The next morning, a Prussian corps led by the Prince of Württemberg (14 thousand people) approached Berlin. But at the same time, Chernyshev’s corps arrived in time to Totleben. By September 27, a 13,000-strong Austrian corps also approached the Russians. Then the Prince of Württemberg and his troops left the city in the evening. At 3 o'clock in the morning on September 28, envoys arrived from the city to the Russians with a message of agreement to surrender. After staying in the capital of Prussia for four days, Chernyshev destroyed the mint, the arsenal, took possession of the royal treasury and took an indemnity of 1.5 million thalers from the city authorities. But soon the Russians left the city upon news of the approaching Prussian army led by King Frederick II. According to Saltykov, the abandonment of Berlin was due to the inactivity of the Austrian commander-in-chief Daun, who gave the Prussian king the opportunity to “beat us as much as he pleases.” The capture of Berlin had more financial than military significance for the Russians. The symbolic side of this operation was no less important. This was the first capture of Berlin by Russian troops in history. It is interesting that in April 1945, before the decisive assault on the German capital, Soviet soldiers received a symbolic gift - copies of the keys to Berlin, given by the Germans to Chernyshev’s soldiers in 1760.

" NOTE RUSFACT .RU: “...When Frederick learned that Berlin had suffered only minor damage during its occupation by the Russians, he said: “Thank you to the Russians, they saved Berlin from the horrors with which the Austrians threatened my capital.” These words were recorded in history by witnesses. But at the same moment, Frederick gave one of his close writers the task of composing a detailed memoir about what “atrocities the Russian barbarians committed in Berlin." The task was completed, and evil lies began to circulate throughout Europe. But there were people, real Germans, who wrote The truth is known, for example, the opinion about the presence of Russian troops in Berlin, which was expressed by the great German scientist Leonhard Euler, who treated both Russia and the King of Prussia equally well. He wrote to one of his friends: “We had a visit here which in other circumstances would have been extremely pleasant. However, I always wished that if Berlin were ever destined to be occupied by foreign troops, then let it be the Russians...”

Voltaire, in letters to his Russian friends, admired the nobility, steadfastness and discipline of the Russian troops. He wrote: “Your troops in Berlin make a more favorable impression than all the operas of Metastasio.”

... The keys to Berlin were transferred for eternal storage to St. Petersburg, where they are still located in the Kazan Cathedral. More than 180 years after these events, the ideological heir of Frederick II and his admirer Adolf Hitler tried to take possession of St. Petersburg and take the keys to his capital, but this task turned out to be too much for the possessed furer..." http://znaniya-sila.narod. ru/solarsis/zemlya/earth_19_05_2.htm)

Campaign of 1761

In 1761, the Allies again failed to achieve coordinated action. This allowed Frederick, by successfully maneuvering, to once again avoid defeat. The main Russian forces continued to operate ineffectively together with the Austrians in Silesia. But the main success fell to the Russian units in Pomerania. This success was the capture of Kohlberg.

Capture of Kohlberg (1761). The first Russian attempts to take Kolberg (1758 and 1760) ended in failure. In September 1761, a third attempt was made. This time, the 22,000-strong corps of General Pyotr Rumyantsev, the hero of Gross-Jägersdorf and Kunersdorf, was moved to Kolberg. In August 1761, Rumyantsev, using a new for those times tactics of scattered formation, defeated the Prussian army under the command of the Prince of Württemberg (12 thousand people) on the approaches to the fortress. In this battle and subsequently, Russian ground forces were supported by the Baltic Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Polyansky. On September 3, the Rumyantsev corps began the siege. It lasted four months and was accompanied by actions not only against the fortress, but also against the Prussian troops, who threatened the besiegers from the rear. The Military Council spoke out three times in favor of lifting the siege, and only the unyielding will of Rumyantsev allowed the matter to be brought to a successful conclusion. On December 5, 1761, the garrison of the fortress (4 thousand people), seeing that the Russians were not leaving and were going to continue the siege in the winter, capitulated. The capture of Kolberg allowed Russian troops to capture the Baltic coast of Prussia.

The battles for Kolberg made an important contribution to the development of Russian and world military art. Here the beginning of a new military tactic of scattered formation was laid. It was under the walls of Kolberg that the famous Russian light infantry - the rangers - were born, the experience of which was then used by other European armies. Near Kolberg, Rumyantsev was the first to use battalion columns in combination with loose formation. This experience was then effectively used by Suvorov. This method of combat appeared in the West only during the wars of the French Revolution.

Peace with Prussia (1762). The capture of Kolberg was the last victory of the Russian army in the Seven Years' War. The news of the surrender of the fortress found Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on her deathbed. The new Russian Emperor Peter III concluded a separate peace with Prussia, then an alliance and freely returned to it all its territories, which by that time had been captured by the Russian army. This saved Prussia from inevitable defeat. Moreover, in 1762, Frederick was able, with the help of Chernyshev’s corps, which was now temporarily operating as part of the Prussian army, to oust the Austrians from Silesia. Although Peter III was overthrown in June 1762 by Catherine II and the treaty of alliance was terminated, the war was not resumed. The number of deaths in the Russian army in the Seven Years' War was 120 thousand people. Of these, approximately 80% were deaths from diseases, including the smallpox epidemic. The excess of sanitary losses over combat losses was also typical for other countries participating in the war at that time. It should be noted that the end of the war with Prussia was not only the result of the sentiments of Peter III. It had more serious reasons. Russia achieved its main goal - weakening the Prussian state. However, its complete collapse was hardly part of the plans of Russian diplomacy, since it primarily strengthened Austria, Russia’s main competitor in the future division of the European part of the Ottoman Empire. And the war itself has long threatened the Russian economy with financial disaster. Another question is that the “knightly” gesture of Peter III towards Frederick II did not allow Russia to fully benefit from the fruits of its victories.

Results of the war. Fierce fighting also took place in other theaters of military operations of the Seven Years' War: in the colonies and at sea. In the Treaty of Hubertusburg in 1763 with Austria and Saxony, Prussia secured Silesia. According to the Paris Peace Treaty of 1763, Canada and the East were transferred to Great Britain from France. Louisiana, most of the French possessions in India. The main result of the Seven Years' War was the victory of Great Britain over France in the struggle for colonial and trade primacy.

For Russia, the consequences of the Seven Years' War turned out to be much more valuable than its results. She significantly increased the combat experience, military art and authority of the Russian army in Europe, which had previously been seriously shaken by Minich’s wanderings in the steppes. The battles of this campaign gave birth to a generation of outstanding commanders (Rumyantsev, Suvorov) and soldiers who achieved striking victories in the “age of Catherine.” It can be said that most of Catherine’s successes in foreign policy were prepared by the victories of Russian weapons in the Seven Years’ War. In particular, Prussia suffered huge losses in this war and could not actively interfere with Russian policy in the West in the second half of the 18th century. In addition, under the influence of impressions brought from the fields of Europe, ideas about agricultural innovations and rationalization of agriculture arose in Russian society after the Seven Years' War. Interest in foreign culture, in particular literature and art, is also growing. All these sentiments developed during the next reign.