France in the Seven Years' War

This peace agreement was very unpopular with the French populace who saw the terms as excessively lenient to France's enemies, specifically Britain and the Dutch Republic, and many regarded it as a breathing space before war resumed.

Attempting to gain control of this territory, France built a complex system of alliances with the area's Native American tribes and brought them into conflict with Britain.

They were partly frustrated by an army led by the Duke of Brunswick made up of British forces and troops from the smaller German states which operated in western Germany.

The British navy, however, had initiated a tight blockade of the French coast which prevented supplies and troops moving freely and sapped morale.

[5] France began asserting control over the Ohio Country as early as 1749, issuing warnings and threats to British colonial traders active in the region.

After their initial successes in North America, however, France began to starve the theatre of forces and supplies, preferring to concentrate on the war in Europe rather than risk large numbers of troops on expeditions across the British-dominated Atlantic Ocean.

The French commander in Quebec, Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, had orders to try to hold out until the winter spell, with the promise that major reinforcements would arrive from Europe the following year.

In the wake of Britain's domination of India, they were able to launch an expedition from Madras to the Philippines which captured Manila from France's ally Spain – further weakening the Bourbon position in Asia.

The Mughals led by Shah Alam II were joined by Jean Law and 200 Frenchmen and waged a campaign against the British during the Seven Years' War.

[8] Jean Law's Memoire: Mémoires sur quelques affaires de l’Empire Mogol 1756-1761 contains detailed information about the campaign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II and his French allies against the British East India Company.

[9] In April 1758 a British expedition conceived by the merchant Thomas Cumming and authorised by Pitt captured the French settlement of Saint-Louis in Senegal.

Realizing the deficiency in the French navy, Louis XV began a massive rebuilding program to match British naval strength.

Choiseul drew up a long-term plan to gain victory over the British which was partially put into action during the American War of Independence after France joined the conflict in 1778, as did its ally Spain.