The Seven Years War: Crash Course World History #26

Summary

In this Crash Course World History episode, John Green explores the Seven Years War, a global conflict that began in 1756, featuring battles across Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and India. Highlighting its economic motivations and the pivotal role of the British East India Company, Green discusses the war's impact on colonialism, trade, and the eventual American Revolution. The episode also touches on the significant human cost and the consequences for indigenous populations, concluding with the paradoxical outcomes of winning and losing in the complex tapestry of history.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script is from a Crash Course World History episode, discussing the Seven Years War, which is considered the first truly global war.
• 🗺️ The war had a wide geographical scope, spanning from Europe to North America, the Caribbean, Africa, and India.
• ⏳ The Seven Years War is traditionally dated from 1756 to 1763, but some historians argue it lasted 23 years, starting from the War for Austrian Succession.
• 🏰 The main combatants were the British and the French, with significant involvement from American Indians and European powers like Prussia and Austria.
• 🛡️ The primary cause of the war was competition over land and trade, with British colonists seeking to expand west of the original 13 colonies.
• 🌳 Native Americans played a significant role in the North American theater, often siding with the French to maintain their autonomy against British expansion.
• 💣 The war saw many famous battles, such as the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, where both British and French commanders died.
• 🌊 In the Caribbean, naval battles over sugar colonies were common, with disease posing a greater threat to soldiers than combat.
• 🌍 The British East India Company, led by Robert Clive, played a crucial role in India, gaining control over Bengal through political maneuvering and military skill.
• 🏛️ The outcome of the war significantly reduced the French presence in mainland America, leading to an increase in British colonization and a decrease in Native American autonomy.
• 💸 The war was financially costly for Britain, leading to increased national debt and subsequent taxation policies that contributed to the American Revolution.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Seven Years War in world history?

The Seven Years War is significant as it was the first truly global war, involving multiple continents and various powers, and it set the stage for Britain's eventual dominance in India and the eventual American Revolution due to the financial strain it placed on Britain.

Why were historians traditionally keen on studying wars?

Historians are traditionally keen on studying wars because they have clearly delineated beginnings, middles, and ends, and they often involve significant death, drama, and impactful events, making them easier to analyze and understand.

What was the primary focus of the Seven Years War?

The primary focus of the Seven Years War was ostensibly land, but it was really about trade and the expansion of British colonies into the American interior to increase trade and wealth.

How did the Seven Years War impact the relationship between European powers and their colonies?

The Seven Years War impacted the relationship between European powers and their colonies by solidifying British control over trade in regions like Bengal, India, and by weakening France's presence in North America, which in turn affected the balance of power and colonial dynamics.

What was the role of the British East India Company in the Seven Years War?

The British East India Company played a significant role in the Seven Years War by having its own armies and engaging in military campaigns, particularly under the leadership of Robert Clive, which led to the British gaining control over trade in Bengal and eventually all of India.

Why did Native Americans initially get along better with the French than with the Dutch or English?

Native Americans initially got along better with the French because the French did not settle in large numbers, focusing more on trade and fur trapping, and French missionaries made efforts to learn Indian languages and adapt Catholicism to Indian religions.

What was the Black Hole of Calcutta incident and why is it significant?

The Black Hole of Calcutta was an incident in 1756 where British prisoners were held in a small, windowless room by the nawab Siraj-ud-daula, resulting in the death of 40 of 63 prisoners due to suffocation. It is significant because it was exaggerated by the British press to build support for the war in India.

How did the Seven Years War affect the French and British presence in North America?

The Seven Years War resulted in a greatly reduced French presence in North America, with Britain gaining control over more territories. This allowed for an influx of British settlers and reduced the ability of Native Americans to maintain autonomy.

What was the human cost of the Seven Years War?

The human cost of the Seven Years War was immense, with as many as a million combatants dying during the conflict. Additionally, civilian populations suffered from pillaging and displacement, such as the deportation of French Acadians.

How did the outcome of the Seven Years War contribute to the American Revolution?

The outcome of the Seven Years War contributed to the American Revolution because the war left Britain with a significantly increased national debt, leading them to impose taxes on the American colonies to help pay for it, which in turn fueled resentment and the desire for independence.

What was the role of Robert Clive in the Seven Years War and how did he influence British control in India?

Robert Clive played a crucial role in the Seven Years War by leading the British East India Company's military campaigns, particularly his victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. His success was due in part to a conspiracy with a Bengali banking family to overthrow the existing nawab, which resulted in the British gaining control over trade in Bengal and excluding the French.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Introduction to the Seven Years War

John Green introduces the topic of war in world history, focusing on the Seven Years War as the first truly global conflict. He humorously contrasts the dramatic narratives of war with the mundane last words of plague victims. Green outlines the traditional historian's interest in wars due to their clear structure and dramatic elements. He also hints at the complexities behind the Seven Years War, which involved multiple continents and nations, and was more about trade than land, contrary to common assumptions.

05:03

🌏 The Global Scope and Participants of the Seven Years War

This paragraph delves into the global nature of the Seven Years War, highlighting the various regions where the conflict took place, including Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, and India. It emphasizes the main combatants, such as the British and French, and the involvement of American Indians and other regional powers. The paragraph also touches on the different motivations for the war, including territorial expansion and trade interests, and introduces key figures like George Washington and the significance of battles in New York and Canada.

10:06

🏰 The Impact of the War on Native Americans and Colonial Powers

The focus shifts to the impact of the Seven Years War on Native Americans and the colonial powers in North America and the Caribbean. It discusses the differing land ownership concepts between Native Americans and Europeans, leading to conflicts over land and resources. The paragraph also covers the French and British struggle for control over sugar colonies in the Caribbean and the involvement of Spain. Additionally, it touches on the British East India Company's military campaigns in India, led by Robert Clive, and the political machinations that resulted in British control over Bengal, setting the stage for future British dominance in India.

💸 The Aftermath and Legacy of the Seven Years War

The final paragraph discusses the aftermath of the Seven Years War, including the peace treaty signed in Paris in 1763 and its implications for the French and British empires. It highlights the significant human cost of the war, with a million combatants dying and the widespread devastation caused by armies foraging and pillaging. The paragraph also addresses the financial burden of the war on Britain, which led to increased taxes on American colonists and ultimately contributed to the American Revolution. The Seven Years War is presented as a turning point that marked the beginning of Britain's second, more extensive empire.

Keywords

💡Crash Course World History

Crash Course World History is an educational video series that simplifies complex historical events and concepts into engaging and accessible lessons. The series is known for its humor and storytelling approach to teaching, making it a popular resource for students and history enthusiasts alike. In the script, John Green, the host, introduces the theme of the video as a part of this series, focusing on the Seven Years War.

💡Seven Years War

The Seven Years War, also known as the French and Indian War in North America, was a global conflict that took place from 1756 to 1763. It involved most of the major European powers of the time and had significant impacts on colonial territories around the world. The war is a central theme in the video, illustrating the geopolitical shifts and the beginning of Britain's second empire.

💡French and Indian War

The French and Indian War is the North American theater of the Seven Years War. It was fought primarily between the British and the French, with the involvement of American Indians. The term is used in the script to highlight the global nature of the conflict and to introduce the specific context of the war in North America.

💡Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill was a British statesman, army officer, and writer, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. In the script, he is mentioned as a historian who referred to the Seven Years War as 'The first world war,' emphasizing the global scale and impact of the conflict.

💡Prussia and Great Britain

Prussia and Great Britain were key players in the European theater of the Seven Years War. They fought against France and Austria, with the Austrian Hapsburgs attempting to regain Silesia. The script uses these nations to provide a brief overview of the European aspect of the war.

💡American Indians

American Indians, or Native Americans, played a significant role in the Seven Years War, particularly in North America. They were involved in the conflict due to their alliances with either the British or the French. The script discusses their strategic importance and the impact of the war on their communities and autonomy.

💡Trade

Trade was a fundamental cause of the Seven Years War, as it was a driving force behind the expansionist ambitions of European powers. The script explains that the British sought to expand westward into lands held by the French to increase trade opportunities, which would in turn lead to greater wealth.

💡George Washington

George Washington was a Virginia colonel who later became the first President of the United States. In the script, he is mentioned as a prominent commander of British troops during the early stages of the war, highlighting his involvement in the Battle of Fort Necessity.

💡Black Hole of Calcutta

The Black Hole of Calcutta refers to a notorious incident during the Seven Years War in India, where British prisoners were held in a small, windowless room, resulting in many deaths due to suffocation. The script uses this event to illustrate the brutality of the conflict and the British press's role in exaggerating the incident to garner support for the war.

💡British East India Company

The British East India Company was a powerful corporation that had its own armies and played a significant role in the military campaigns in India during the Seven Years War. The script discusses the company's involvement in the conflict, particularly under the leadership of Robert Clive, and its impact on the control of trade in Bengal.

💡Robert Clive

Robert Clive was a key figure in the British East India Company's military campaigns in India. He is known for his role in the Battle of Plassey, which the script describes as a turning point that led to British control over Bengal and, eventually, all of India. Clive's actions and the company's influence are central to the narrative of the Seven Years War in India.

💡Cajuns

Cajuns are an ethnic group in the United States, primarily living in Louisiana. The script mentions the deportation of French Acadians from Maine to Louisiana as a lesser-known outcome of the Seven Years War, which resulted in the formation of the Cajun culture.

💡American Revolution

The American Revolution was a colonial revolt against British rule that led to the formation of the United States. The script connects the financial burden of the Seven Years War and the subsequent taxes imposed on American colonists to the causes of the American Revolution, illustrating the long-term consequences of the war.

Highlights

The Seven Years War, also known as the French and Indian War, was the first truly global war.

Winston Churchill referred to it as 'The first world war'.

The war lasted from 1756 to 1763, but some historians consider it to have lasted 23 years, starting from the War for Austrian Succession.

The main combatants were the British and the French, with involvement from American Indians and fighting in various regions including Europe, the U.S., the Caribbean, and India.

The war was not just about land but primarily about trade, with the British seeking to expand for more wealth and influence.

George Washington, a Virginia colonel, played a significant role in the early fighting in North America.

Native American tribes initially had more autonomy due to the balance of power between the French and the British.

European settlers' notions of land ownership clashed with Native Americans' concepts of land use.

The French and British fought over sugar colonies in the Caribbean, with disease posing a significant threat to combatants.

In West Africa, the conflict was over trade, particularly gum Arabic, a key ingredient in the Diet Coke and Mentos phenomenon.

In India, local princes often sought European military help, leading to events like the Black Hole of Calcutta.

The British East India Company, led by Robert Clive, gained control over Bengal through political maneuvering and military skill.

The peace treaty in 1763 significantly limited the French presence in various regions, weakening them.

The human cost of the war was immense, with up to a million combatants dying and widespread pillaging affecting civilian populations.

The war resulted in the deportation of the French Acadians, leading to the formation of the Cajun culture in Louisiana.

The British national debt doubled as a result of the war, leading to taxes on American colonists that contributed to the American Revolution.

Winning the Seven Years War indirectly cost Britain its first empire but set the stage for the rise of its second empire in India.

Transcripts

Hi, my name is John Green, This is Crash Course World History. Oh my gosh! Today we're going

to talk about war. Ah! Explosions everywhere!

So, traditionally, historians are pretty keen on wars, because they feature clearly delineated

beginnings, and middles, and ends, and because they always have a fair bit of death and drama

and mortally wounded generals who have great last words like

"Let us cross the river and rest under the shade of those trees,"

whereas the last words of, plague victims are always, like, "Unggggg."

Sorry, plague victims. As if you don't have enough troubles. Now you've got me teasing

you about your uninspired death throes.

Wars have easy whens, wheres, whos, and whys: 1861-1865. The United States. The North vs.

the South. To end slavery and save the Union.

Mr. Green, Mr. Green. Are you gonna show us the hidden complexities behind something we

already think we understand again?

Sorry me from the past, but yes. However, to placate you, here are some more explosions.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw a bunch of top-notch wars, but today we're going to focus

on the 7 Years War, also called the French and Indian War, because it was the first truly global war.

In fact, no less a historian than Winston Churchill called it "The first world war."

But we've been so Eurocentric here on Crash Course that all we are going to say about

the ENTIRE WAR IN EUROPE is that Prussia and Great Britain fought France and Austria, and

that the Austrian Hapsburgs wanted to win back Silesia, which they failed to do. THERE.

THAT'S ALL YOU GET, EUROPE.

So the Seven Years War lasted for...anyone...anyone...

Twenty three years.

I hate you, Me from the Past. But, as it happens, by sheer coincidence, you are not necessarily wrong.

[theme music]

So, the when: The Seven Years War began in 1756 and ended in 1763.

Unless you believe—as many historians do—that the 7 Years War lasted 23 years, because it

was really a continuation of the War for Austrian Succession.

Then you have the fact that much of the information in today's episode is taken from a book called,

"The Global Seven Years War: 1754-1763," a nine year period.

As for the who: It was mainly fought between the British and the French, seen here reenacting

the knife fight from either Beat It or West Side Story, depending on your age.

But some of the British were actually Americans, and both the British and the French were supported

by American Indians. And there was fighting in India between Indian Indians, the British, the French.

And as previously noted the French were fighting the Prussians and the British were fighting the Austrians.

The where: Europe, the continental U.S., the Caribbean Sea, off the cost of Africa, India.

Basically, the world.

And the why: Ostensibly, land. British colonists wanted to expand into land west of the original 13 colonies.

And that land was technically held by the French, who left it alone except for a bunch

of trading posts. And they were like, "Je de veux pens l'anglais."

Thank you, four years of high school French.

Anyway, the war wasn't really about land; it was really about our old friend trade.

The British wanted to expand into the American interior to allow for more colonists, because

the British benefited from both the export of raw materials from the Americas and the

import of British consumer goods to the Americas.

So, more colonists meant more trade, which meant more wealth, which meant ever-fancier hats.

And the French realized that this British-Atlantic maritime trade was making Britain so rich

that British might come for France's actually valuable colonies—which were not in the

continental U.S. but those slave-based sugar plantations in the Caribbean.

So the fighting began around here. And while the British did send over actual British troops,

much of the early fighting was done by colonial militias.

Probably the most famous commander of British troops was a Virginia colonel named George Washington.

In fact, he may have actually started the shooting at the battle of Fort Necessity in

May of 1754. Washington was captured in that battle and then he was immediately released

because 18th century war was super weird.

Anyway, the real North American action was in New York and Canada. At the battle at the

Plains of Abraham in 1759, for instance, the British defeated the French and captured the

city of Quebec. Both the British commander, General Wolfe and the French commander, General

Montcalm, were killed at this battle, with the death of the former being immortalized

in this famous painting, by Benjamin West:

As indicated by the picture, almost all the battles in North America featured significant

participation by Native Americans.

Different Native tribes sided with both the British and the French, but as a broad generalization,

Native Americans were more likely to support the French.

Up to this point, shrewd Indian tribes had been able to play the British and the French

off each other and maintain a degree of autonomy for themselves.

And as long as the French were present, the British were prevented from encroaching too

much on lands Native Americans were using for hunting and agriculture.

Now, we haven't talked much about American Indians, mostly because they were geographically

isolated and didn't have a written language. But let's at least give them a Thought Bubble.

Before the arrival of the Europeans, most Native Americans lived in tribal groups. And

they subsisted on a combination of small-scale agriculture and hunting and gathering, depending

on where they were situated.

There were too many tribes to generalize about specific social structures but it's probably safe

to say that in terms of gender they were much more egalitarian than the Europeans who they met up with.

Which may explain why European women who were taken captive by Indians sometimes preferred

to stay with the tribe rather than be rescued, although that's somewhat controversial.

One thing we can say about the Indians: their notions of what it meant to hold property

were very different from those of the Europeans. Individual Indians did not "own" land in the

European sense; they used it, and not always particularly intensively.

Europeans, when they came to North America, had a hard time even recognizing that the

Indians were raising crops because their forms of farming were so different from European

agriculture, so the French and especially the English just assumed that the Indians

weren't improving the land, which meant that they didn't own the land, so that meant that

it was ok for Europeans to take it. As you might imagine, that was problematic for the Indians.

In general, Indian tribes initially got along better with the French than with the Dutch

or English because 1. The French did not settle in large numbers,

as they were mostly traders and fur trappers, and 2. French missionaries who made the journey

to the Americas were Catholic, often Jesuits, who were so intent on converting the Indians

that they took the time to learn Indian languages and try to make Catholicism more amenable

to Indian religion.

The end result of the war, a greatly reduced French presence on the American mainland,

meant that Indians could no longer easily play the British and French off each other,

which opened the floodgates of British settlers. In the end, the American Indians were perhaps

the biggest losers of the 7 Years War.

Thanks Thought Bubble. So, two thousand miles south, in the Caribbean, there was also quite

a lot of fighting between the French and the British over sugar colonies.

Most of these were naval battles, and by 1761, Spain got involved, because, you know, they

had some sugar colonies of their own.

While these battles get a lot of ink, it's interesting to note that by far, the greatest

threat to combatants, was disease.

By October of 1761 the British had lost about 1,000 men to war and 5,000 to disease.

Meanwhile in West Africa, the British and the French were fighting there too. Because, you know, why not?

The British attacked the French at a trading post called Saint Louis. Aw, Stan, don't make

me say it right. Fine. Saint Louis.

And at a town called Goree, both in Senegal. Why? Well, trade, of course.

Senegal was the major source of gum Arabic, which is notable for many reasons but most

importantly, it is a key ingredient in the Diet Coke and Mentos phenomenon, so of course

the British wanted lots of it.

The French were also fighting the British in India.

In the 18th century India was nominally ruled by the Mughal empire. I bet I'm saying that wrong, aren't I?

HowJSay: Mugal. John: Yeah, that sounds more plausible.

But as throughout most of its history, the real power in India lay with local kings and

princes, sometimes called nawabs.

And these princes, just like their European counterparts were constantly vying for power

and control over more territory.

And to get it, they often enlisted the help, especially the military help, of Europeans.

This is what happened in the most notorious event in the 7 Years War in India, the Black Hole of Calcutta.

In June of 1756 the British governor of Calcutta, Roger Drake, made the mistake of insulting

the emissaries sent by the nawab Siraj-ud-daula, who duly besieged and captured the English

garrison of 500 with his own army of 30,000.

Drake escaped to nearby ships with the town's women and children—you know the old saying,

women, children, and governors first.

But the town's defenders remained, and the survivors were imprisoned in a small windowless

room that came to be known as the Black Hole.

And 40 of 63 prisoners suffocated overnight.

This story is mostly famous, in a war that killed a million people, because the British

press exaggerated the numbers in order to build support for the war in India.

Not the last time that exaggerations of enemy brutality would be used to gin up support for a war.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the military campaigns in this part of the world

is that, at least initially, they were not undertaken by governments themselves, but

by corporations that had their own armies.

The British East India Company was the most successful of these corporations primarily

because of the military skill of its leader, Robert Clive.

Oh, it's time for the open letter? An Open Letter to Robert Clive.

But first, let's see what's in the secret compartment today. Oh, bubbles. That makes

sense, Stan. The British East India Company was involved in several early market bubbles.

Mmm, bubbles.

Dear Robert Clive, You were a complicated man, and not entirely

likable, but you did win a very important battle at Plassey in 1757.

And the way you won it says a lot about the relationship between Europe and its colonies.

So, the key to your success was a conspiracy to overthrow the existing nawab orchestrated

by a Bengali banking family, called the Seths. No, Stan. The Seths. Yes. Come on.

And in thanks for your support of their conspiracy, the new nawab quickly signed a treaty with

your company, the East India Company.

And thereafter, the British had effective control over trade in Bengal and the French were excluded from it.

This was an incredibly valuable region because it produced silk and inexpensive cotton cloth for export.

And it gave the British a decisive advantage over the French and eventually allowed them to control all of

India. And you accomplished this, Robert Clive, primarily by fomenting revolution. Why does this work

for you and it never works for the CIA?

Best wishes, John Green

So, by now you have probably figured out that since the French kept losing battles they eventually lost the war.

The main peace treaty, signed in Paris in 1763, limited French presence in the Caribbean,

in India, and in North America.

Although not completely, otherwise they couldn't have sold Louisiana to Thomas Jefferson in 1803.

So, France was obviously dramatically weakened. But overall, so was Britain.

One thing rarely mentioned is the actual human cost of war. As many as a million combatants

died in the Seven Years War, but even that doesn't tell the whole story.

In the 18th century armies usually fed themselves by foraging, which really meant just pillaging

the countryside. In Europe, a single Prussian province lost a fifth of its population to pillaging. And

in North America settlers in frontier regions lived in constant fear of raids.

And, one of the perhaps lesser known outcomes of the war was the systematic deportation

of the French Acadians from Maine to Louisiana where they became Cajuns.

Meaning that the stars of the television shows Lobster Wars and Swamp Wars are basically

the same people. What's that? There's no television show called Swamp Wars? STAN, CANCEL EVERYTHING

AND GET ME ON THE PHONE WITH THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL.

One last thing about wars: they are expensive.

In 1756 the British national debt was £75million; in 1763 it was £133 million.

Someone had to pay for this, and the British felt it was only fair that American colonists should foot the bill.

And those taxes, which helped fuel the American Revolution, were a direct result of the Seven Years War.

So in one way, winning the Seven Years War cost Britain its first empire.

But, when we remember that it was a global war, and especially when we think about what

happened in India, then the Seven Years War also begins to look like the beginning of

Britain's second, and much greater empire.

Winning is losing is winning is losing. Such is life, and such is history.

Thanks for watching. See you next week.

Crash Course is produced and directed by Stan Muller. Our script supervisor is Danica Johnson. The show is

written by my high school history teacher Raoul Meyer and myself and the graphics team is Though Bubble.

Last week's phrase of the week was "you're a grandfather." You can take a guess at this week's phrase

of the week or suggest future ones. You can do so in comments where you can also ask questions about

today's video that will be answered by our team of historians. Thanks for watching Crash Course and as we

say in my home town: Don't Forget To Be Awesome.