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.
In Europe, the Seven Years' War was fought between an alliance of France, Russia, Sweden, Austria and Saxony against Prussia, Hanover and Great Britain from 1756 to 1763. However, the war was global in nature. Mainly because Britain and France were fighting for dominance in North America and India. Thus, it was called the first "World War". The North American theater of war was called the "French and Indian" War, and in Germany the Seven Years' War is known as the "Third Silesian War".
Diplomatic revolution
The treaty signed in Aix-la-Chapelle, which ended the War of the Austrian Succession in 1748, in fact turned out to be only a truce, a temporary stop to the war. Austria, angry at Prussia and its own allies for the loss of a rich land - Silesia - began to reconsider its alliances and search for alternatives. The growing power and influence of Prussia worried Russia and raised the question of conducting a “preventive” war. Prussia believed that another war would be required to retain Silesia.
In the 1750s, as tensions increased in North America between British and French colonists competing for North American lands, the British attempted to prevent an ensuing war that would destabilize Europe by changing their alliances. These actions and the change in policy of the Prussian king Frederick II, known to many of his later followers as Frederick "the Great", sparked the so-called "Diplomatic Revolution" as the previous system of alliances broke down and a new one emerged: Austria, France and Russia united against Britain, Prussia and Hanover.
Europe: Frederick immediately seeks retribution
In May 1756, Britain and France officially declared war on each other, prompted by French attacks on Minorca; recent treaties have kept other countries from trying to intervene. With new alliances, Austria was ready to strike Prussia and retake Silesia, and Russia was also planning a similar initiative, so Frederick II, aware of the conflict that had begun, tried to gain an advantage.
He wanted to defeat Austria before France and Russia could mobilize, occupying as much enemy territory as possible. Therefore, Frederick attacked Saxony in August 1756 to try to break the alliance with Austria, seize Saxon resources and organize a military campaign planned for 1757. Under the pressure of the Prussian army, Saxony capitulated. Frederick took its capital, forcibly incorporated the Saxons into his army, and drained vast amounts of wealth from Saxony.
Prussian troops then advanced into Bohemia, but were eventually unable to gain a foothold there and retreated back to Saxony. In the spring of 1757, on May 6, the Prussians blocked the Austrian army in Prague. However, another Austrian army came to the aid of the besieged. Fortunately for the Austrians, Frederick lost the battle on June 18 at the Battle of Kolin and was forced to leave Bohemia.
Prussia under attack
Prussia was under attack from all sides, as French forces defeated the Hanoverians, who were commanded by an English general (the King of England was also the King of Hanover), and headed into Prussia, while Russia entered Prussia from the east. The Russian army eventually retreated, re-occupying East Prussia the following January. Sweden, which fought against Prussia on the side of the Franco-Russian-Austrian alliance, also initially successfully acted against Prussia. Frederick was depressed for some time, but proved himself a brilliant general, defeating vastly superior French and Austrian forces: the French army at Rosbach on November 5, and the Austrian army at Leuthen on December 5. But none of these victories were enough to force Austria or France to capitulate.
From this point on, the French set their sights on Hanover, which had recovered from defeat, and did not fight Frederick while he quickly redeployed his troops and defeated the enemy armies one by one, preventing them from effectively uniting. Austria soon ceased to fight Prussia in large open spaces, which allowed for superior maneuvering of the Prussian army, despite the fact that this was accompanied by heavy losses among the Prussians. Britain began to pursue the French coast to try to draw troops back, while Prussia drove the Swedes out.
Europe: victories and defeats
The British ignored the surrender of their Hanoverian army and returned to the region to contain France. This new British-Prussian army, commanded by Frederick's close ally (his brother-in-law), kept French forces engaged in the west away from Prussia and the French colonies. They won the Battle of Minden in 1759 and carried out a series of strategic maneuvers to tie down the enemy armies.
As mentioned above, Frederick attacked Austria, but was outnumbered during the siege and forced to retreat. He then fought the Russians at Zorndorf, but suffered heavy losses (a third of his army was killed). He was battered by Austria at Hochkirch, again losing a third of his army. By the end of the year he had cleared Prussia and Silesia of enemy armies, but was greatly weakened, unable to continue larger offensives. Austria was very pleased with this.
By this time, all the warring parties had spent huge sums on the war. At the Battle of Kunersdorf in August 1759, Frederick was completely defeated by the Austro-Russian army. On the battlefield, he lost 40% of his troops, although he managed to save the rest of the army. Thanks to Austrian and Russian caution, delays and disagreements, the victory over Prussia was not brought to its logical conclusion, and Frederick avoided capitulation.
In 1760, Frederick failed in another siege, but won minor battles against the Austrians, although at the Battle of Torgau he emerged victorious thanks to his subordinates, and not his own military talents. France, with some support from Austria, tried to achieve peace. By the end of 1761, with the enemy wintering on Prussian soil, things were going badly for Frederick, whose once highly trained army was now overflowing with hastily recruited recruits (significantly outnumbered by the enemy armies).
Frederick could no longer carry out marches and detours, and sat on the defensive. If Frederick's enemies had overcome their seeming inability to coordinate (thanks to xenophobia, animosity, confusion, class differences, etc.), the Prussians might already have been defeated. Against only part of Prussia, Frederick's efforts looked doomed, despite Austria being in dire financial straits.
The death of Elizabeth as the salvation of Prussia
Frederick hoped for a miracle, and it happened. Russian Empress Elizabeth II died and was succeeded by Tsar Peter III. The new emperor was favorable to Prussia and made an immediate peace, sending Russian troops to help Frederick. And although Peter (who even tried to invade Denmark) was soon killed, the new empress - Peter's wife, Catherine the Great - continued to honor the peace agreements, but withdrew the Russian army that had helped Frederick. This freed Frederick's hands and allowed him to win the battles against Austria. Britain took the opportunity to break its alliance with Prussia (thanks in part to mutual antipathy between Frederick and the new British Prime Minister), and declared war on Spain. Spain invaded Portugal but was stopped by the British.
World War
Although British troops fought on the continent, Britain chose to limit itself to financial support for Frederick and Hanover (subsidies exceeding anything ever previously issued in the history of the British crown) rather than fighting in Europe. This made it possible to send troops and navies to a completely different part of the world. The British had been fighting in North America since 1754, and William Pitt's government decided to further prioritize the war in America and attack French imperial possessions with its powerful navy, where France was most vulnerable.
In contrast, France first focused on Europe, planning an invasion of Britain, but this opportunity was dashed by the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, destroying what remained of France's Atlantic naval power and ability to hold colonies in the Americas. By 1760, England had effectively won the French and Indian War in North America, but the world was awaiting the end of hostilities in other theaters.
In 1759, a small opportunistic British force, without suffering any losses and acquiring a large amount of valuables, captured Fort Louis on the Senegal River in Africa. Thus, by the end of the year, all French trading posts in Africa were in British hands. Britain then attacked France in the West Indies, taking the rich island of Guadeloupe and moving on to other targets to enrich itself. The British East India Company attacked the French colonies in India, and, thanks to the large British Royal Navy dominating the Indian Ocean as well as the Atlantic, drove France out of the region. By the end of the war, the British Empire had increased significantly, and the territory of the French possessions had decreased significantly. England and Spain also declared war on each other, and Britain crushed its new enemy, capturing Havana and a quarter of the Spanish navy.
World
Neither Prussia, nor Austria, nor Russia or France could achieve the decisive advantage in the war necessary to capitulate their enemies, and by 1763 the war in Europe had so exhausted the belligerents that the powers began to seek peace. Austria faced bankruptcy and the inability to continue the war without Russia, France was winning abroad and was unwilling to fight for Austria in Europe, and England was seeking to consolidate global success and put an end to France's resources. Prussia intended to return to the pre-war state of affairs, but as peace negotiations dragged on, Frederick sucked as much out of Saxony as he could, including kidnapping girls and placing them in depopulated areas of Prussia.
The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10, 1763. He settled the problems between Great Britain, Spain and France, diminishing the latter, once the greatest power in Europe. Britain returned Havana to Spain, but received Florida in return. France ceded Louisiana to Spain, while England received all French lands in North America east of the Mississippi except New Orleans. Britain also received most of the West Indies, Senegal, Minorca and lands in India. Hanover remained with the British. On February 10, 1763, the Treaty of Hubertusburg, signed between Prussia and Austria, confirmed the status quo: it secured Silesia and achieved the status of a “great power,” while Austria retained Saxony. As historian Fred Anderson noted, “Millions were spent and tens of thousands died, but nothing changed.”
Results
Britain remained the dominant world power, although it incurred large debts, which led to increased exploitation of the colonies in North America, and, as a result, the War of Independence of the British Colonies (another global conflict that would end in British defeat). France approached economic disaster and the ensuing revolution. Prussia lost 10% of its population, but, crucially for Frederick's reputation, survived an alliance of Austria, Russia, and France that wanted to reduce Prussia's influence or even destroy it, although historians like Szabó claim that Frederick's role is too exaggerated.
Reforms followed in many of the warring states and armies, as Austrian fears that Europe was on the road to catastrophic militarism were well founded. Austria's failure to subjugate Prussia condemned it to competition between them for the future of Germany, benefiting Russia and France, and led to the emergence of a German Empire under Prussian leadership. The war also brought a shift in the balance of diplomacy, with Spain and Holland decreasing in importance to give way to two new Great Powers - and Russia. Saxony was plundered and destroyed.
After the Thirty Years' War, the nature of confrontations between countries in the world began to change. Local conflicts gave way to wars of an international nature. For example, this was the Seven Years' War, which began in Europe in 1756. It was an attempt by the Prussian king Frederick II to extend his influence over most of the continent. Prussia’s aspirations were supported by England, and such a powerful “tandem” was opposed by a coalition of four states. These were Austria, Saxony, Sweden, France, supported by Russia.
The war lasted until 1763, ending with the signing of a series of peace treaties that influenced the political development of the countries.
Reason and reasons for the war
The official reason for the war was the dissatisfaction of many countries with the results of the redistribution of the “Austrian heritage”. This process lasted eight years - from 1740 to 1748, leaving the states of Europe dissatisfied with the new territorial acquisitions. The political and economic situation of that time had a significant influence on the formation of contradictions between England and France, Austria and Prussia. So by the end of the 1750s. Two groups of reasons formed that provoked the beginning of the Seven Years' War:
- England and France could not divide their colonial possessions among themselves. Countries constantly competed with each other on this issue, and not only at the political level. There were also armed clashes that claimed the lives of the population in the colonies and soldiers of both armies.
- Austria and Prussia argued over Silesia, which was Austria's most developed industrial region, taken from it as a result of the conflict of 1740-1748.
Participants in the confrontation
Prussia, which fueled the fire of war, concluded a coalition agreement with England. This group was opposed by Austria, France, Saxony, Sweden and Russia, which provided significant support to the coalition. Neutrality was occupied by Holland, which participated in the War of the Austrian Succession.
Main fronts of the war
Historians identify three directions in which the enemy’s military actions took place. Firstly, this is the Asian front, where events unfolded in India. Secondly, this is the North American front, where the interests of France and England collided. Thirdly, the European front, on which many military battles took place.
Start of hostilities
Frederick II had been preparing for war for several years. First of all, he increased the number of his own troops and carried out a complete reorganization. As a result, the king received a modern and combat-ready army for that time, whose soldiers made a number of successful conquests. In particular, Silesia was taken away from Austria, which provoked a conflict between the participants of the two coalitions. The ruler of Austria, Maria Theresa, wanted to return the region, so she turned to France, Sweden and Russia for help. The Prussian army could not withstand such a united army, which became the reason for the search for allies. Only England was able to resist both Russia and France at the same time. For its “services” the British government wanted to secure possessions on the mainland.
Prussia was the first to begin hostilities, attacking Saxony, which was strategically important for Frederick the Second:
- A springboard for further advance into Austria.
- Providing constant supplies of food and water for the Prussian army.
- Using the material and economic potential of Saxony to the benefit of Prussia.
Austria tried to repel the attack of the Prussian army, but everything was unsuccessful. No one could stand against Frederick's soldiers. Maria Theresa's army turned out to be unable to hold back Prussia's attacks, so it kept losing in local skirmishes.
Within a short time, Frederick II managed to capture Moravia and Bohemia, briefly entering Prague. The Austrian army began to fight back only in the summer of 1757, when the Austrian military commander Daun, using his entire military reserve, ordered constant shelling of the Prussian army. The consequence of such actions was the surrender of the troops of Frederick the Second and his gradual retreat to the city of Nimburg. In order to preserve the remnants of his army, the king ordered the obligation of Prague to be removed and to return to the border of his own state.
European front 1758-1763: main events and battles
An allied army of almost 300 thousand people opposed the army of the Prussian king. Therefore, Frederick II decided to divide the coalition that fought against her. First, the French, who were in the principalities neighboring Austria, were defeated. This allowed Prussia to invade Silesia again.
Strategically, Frederick II was several steps ahead of his enemies. He managed to bring chaos into the ranks of the army of the French, Lorraine and Austrians with deceptive attacks. Thanks to a well-planned operation, Silesia came under Prussian rule in the second.
In the summer of 1757, Russian troops began to actively take part in the war, trying to capture the eastern regions of the Prussian state through Lithuania. By August of the same year, it became clear that Frederick the Second would lose the battle for Königsberg and East Prussia. But Russian General Apraksin refused to continue military operations, citing the fact that the army was at a disadvantage. As a result of a successful campaign, the Russian army retained only the port of Memel, where the base of the fleet of the Russian Empire was located for the entire period of the war.
During 1758-1763 Many battles took place, the main ones being:
- 1758 - East Prussia and Königsberg are retaken from the Russians, the decisive battle took place near the village of Zorndorf.
- The battle near the village of Kunersdorf, where a major battle between the Prussian army and the united Russian-Astrian army took place. After the battle, only three thousand soldiers remained from the 48 thousand army of Frederick the Second, with whom the king was forced to retreat across the Oder River. Another part of the Prussian military personnel were scattered across neighboring settlements. It took the king and his commanders several days to get them back into action. The allies did not pursue the army of Frederick II, since the casualties were tens of thousands, many soldiers were wounded and went missing. After the Battle of Kunersdorf, Russian troops redeployed to Silesia, which helped the Austrians drive out the Prussian army.
- In 1760-1761 There were practically no military operations; the nature of the war can be described as inactive. Even the fact that Russian troops temporarily occupied Berlin in 1760, but then surrendered it without a fight, did not cause an intensification of hostilities. The city was returned back to Prussia because it was of strategic importance.
- In 1762, Peter the Third ascended to the Russian throne and replaced Elizaveta Petrovna. This radically affected the further course of the war. The Russian emperor worshiped the military genius of Frederick the Second, so he signed a peace treaty with him. At this time, England destroyed the French fleet, taking it out of the war. Peter the Third was killed in July 1762 on the orders of his wife, after which Russia returned to the war again, but did not continue it. Catherine the Second did not want to allow Austria to strengthen in Central Europe.
- February 1763 The Austro-Prussian peace treaty was signed.
North American and Asian fronts
In North America, confrontations took place between England and France, which could not divide the spheres of influence in Canada. The French did not want to lose their possessions in this part of the North American continent, so they in every possible way strained relations with the British. Numerous Indian tribes who tried to survive in the undeclared war were also drawn into the confrontation.
The battle that finally put everything in its place took place in 1759 near Quebec. After this, the French finally lost their colonies in North America.
A clash of interests between the two countries also occurred in Asia, where Bengal rebelled against the British. This happened in 1757, at the very beginning of the Seven Years' War. France, to which Bengal was subject, declared neutrality. But this did not stop the British; they began to attack French outposts more and more often.
The war on several fronts and the lack of a strong army in Asia led to the fact that the government of this country was unable to adequately organize the defense of its Asian possessions. The British hastened to take advantage of this by landing their troops on the island of Martinique. It was the center of French trade in the West Indies, and as a result of the Seven Years' War, Martinique was ceded to Britain.
The results of the confrontation between England and France were enshrined in a peace treaty, which was signed in early February 1762 in Paris.
Results of the war
In fact, the war stopped in 1760, but local confrontations continued for almost three more years. Peace treaties between the countries were signed in 1762 and 1763, and on their basis the system of relations in Europe was then created after the Seven Years' War. The results of this conflict changed, once again, changed the political map of Europe, slightly adjusting the borders and reformatting the balance of power in the second half of the 18th century. in international relations.
The main consequences of the war include:
- The redistribution of colonial possessions in Europe, which caused a redistribution of spheres of influence between England and France.
- England became the largest colonial empire in Europe, thanks to the displacement of France from Northern Europe and Europe.
- France in Europe lost many territories, which caused a weakening of the state's position in Europe.
- In France, during the Seven Years' War, the prerequisites for the start of the revolution gradually took shape, which began in 1848.
- Prussia formalized its claims to Austria in the form of a peace treaty, under the terms of which Silesia, like neighboring territories, came under the rule of Frederick the Second.
- Territorial contradictions in Central Europe have intensified.
- Russia has gained invaluable experience in conducting military operations in Europe against the leading states of the continent.
- A galaxy of outstanding commanders was formed in Europe, who then began to bring victories to their states.
- Russia did not receive any territorial gains, but its position in Europe became stronger and stronger.
- A large number of people died. According to average estimates, about two million military personnel could have died in the Seven Years' War.
- In the British colonies in North America, taxes were increased several times to pay for military expenses. This caused resistance from the colonists, who in Canada and the North American states tried to develop industry, build roads, and invest money in the economy of the colonies. As a result, the preconditions began to take shape for the struggle against British rule on the continent.
- The Asian colonies of France became the property of the British monarchy.
The victory of Prussia in the Seven Years' War could not have been predicted by the talented commanders of that time. Yes, Frederick II was a brilliant strategist and tactician, but his army was on the verge of complete defeat many times. Historians believe that a number of factors prevented the final defeat of the Prussian army:
- The allied coalition created against Prussia was not effective. Each country defended its own interests, which prevented it from uniting at the right moment and acting as a single force against the enemy.
- Strong Prussia was a beneficial ally for Russia, England, and France, so the states agreed to the seizure of Silesia and Austria.
Thanks to this, the consequences of the Seven Years' War had a serious impact on the situation in Europe. A strong Prussian state arose in the central part of the continent, with centralized power. Thus, Frederick the Second managed to overcome the separatism of individual principalities, get rid of fragmentation within the country, focusing on the unity of the German lands. Prussia subsequently became the central core of the formation of a state such as Germany.
In the photo: “The Battle of Kunersdorf on August 12, 1759”, engraving from the turn of the 1750s-1760s.
Seven Years' War(1756-1763) covered all of Europe and even America. Ten countries were involved in it, including the Russian Empire.
How did the Seven Years' War begin?
It all started with a conflict that broke out between England and France on the American continent, followed by a declaration of war, which caused a complete reformatting of the existing political alliances in Europe. Prussia, led by the ambitious and energetic King Frederick II, was eager to take a leading place in European politics - it was she who found herself at the center of all the military events of the Seven Years' War. Frederick, nicknamed the Great, was undoubtedly a talented commander, which did not prevent him from losing major battles.
Battle of Kunersdorf in the Seven Years' War
The most famous of them was Kunersdorf. On August 1 (old style), 1759, the combined Russian-Austrian forces under the command of about 60 thousand bayonets met with the 50 thousand-strong army of Frederick II near the village of Kunersdorf.
The battle continued all day. The allies exhausted the enemy forces in a well-organized defense, and then rushed to the offensive - the Prussians were completely defeated, Frederick had no more than three thousand soldiers left in the ranks.
The successes of Russian troops and the paradoxes of Russian rule
Much more happened later in the war, including the Russian capture of Berlin in 1760. Subsequently, the successes of the Russian troops followed one after another, but Peter III, who took the Russian throne in 1761, who was a devoted admirer of the Prussian king, concluded an unexpected peace with Frederick - and precisely when there was literally half a step left before the final victory.
Sasha Mitrakhovich 06.02.2018 09:09
The Seven Years' War of 1756-1763 showed many examples of valor and meanness. What was the cost of the victorious entry of Russian troops into Berlin and the alliance treaty with Frederick that followed after the accession of Peter III, which crossed out all victories! Battle of Zorndorf became an example of the “senseless and merciless” battle of that war...
It went down in history as a brutal, even by today’s standards, meat grinder (11 thousand dead Prussians and 17 thousand Russians in one day) with zero results.
It began on the morning of August 14, 1758. Frederick II forced the Russian commander V.V. Fermor to fight in a position that was more than unfavorable for the Russians. Possessing the initiative, the Prussians carried out a lightning-fast maneuver and attacked Fermor, who had lined up a square to repel an attack from the north, to the left flank and rear. Russian troops were forced to turn almost completely 180 degrees during the battle (in military parlance this is called “taking the battle with an inverted front”), and even fight pressed to the river, with virtually no maneuver!
What led to the sluggishness of the Russian commander in Battle of Zorndorf, it is clear: the cavalry retreating from the attack blocked the view of its own infantry, which, temporarily “blind”, came under a simultaneous attack on the front, flank and rear, the artillerymen, in the confusion, confused their cavalrymen with the enemy (with extremely disastrous consequences for the cavalrymen), Fermor lost control of the battle...
And then something happened that was never written about in books on the art of war. The Russians "bitten into the ground." The infantry began to fight to the death, repelling attack after attack in an extremely awkward position. Where the Prussians managed to push back the infantrymen, they were counterattacked and driven back by the Russian cavalry, who, quite unexpectedly for Frederick, showed brilliant fighting qualities - they even forced one of the enemy battalions to capitulate, capturing several guns!
Eventually Battle of Zorndorf, which, according to all the rules of military science, the Russians should have lost miserably, ended... in nothing.
Sasha Mitrakhovich 01.03.2018 09:14
occurred on August 30, 1757.
In the late 1750s and early 1760s, the Seven Years' War raged in Europe (as well as America and Asia). On the one hand - Prussia and the British Empire with colonies, on the other - France, Russia, Saxony and a number of other European countries.
The first major battle of the Russian army in that war was (1757), where, as in a mirror, both Russian military power and Russian military weakness were fully reflected.
To begin with, both sides (Russia and Prussia) did not have reliable information about the enemy. Europe had not seen the Russian army and had a very weak idea of it - and even with an error towards underestimation. The Russians, on the contrary, considered the Prussians invincible. However, our commander is Field Marshal S.F. Apraksin was paralyzed not so much by fear as by the need to coordinate every step with St. Petersburg.
He showed amazing carelessness - he forgot about intelligence and reconnaissance. But his counterpart, I. von Lewald, conducted reconnaissance very poorly, not seeing the flank of the Russian army. As a result, the battle began unexpectedly for everyone. The Prussians found their bearings faster, the Russians suffered severe losses, but, systematically launching hand-to-hand counterattacks, they held back the enemy with the support of cannons. By shifting the direction of the attack, Lewald managed to bend the front line into an arc; but at this critical moment four regiments attacked the advancing Prussians. Lewald did not expect anything like this; his soldiers wavered, retreated, came under fire, and ran even faster. As a result, the losses in the battle, which began so unsuccessfully for the Russians, were comparable. The battlefield remained with Apraksin, but he did not build on his success and retreated.
Needless to say, the qualities that the Russian army showed in Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf, she later showed it more than once in other conflicts, desperately creating difficulties for herself and heroically overcoming them?
Sasha Mitrakhovich 15.03.2020 08:58
Seven Years' War 1756 - 1763 - received a variety of definitions in historical science. So Winston Churchill called it the forerunner of the First World War, for Austria it was the Third Silesian, the Swedes called it Pomeranian, in Canada - the Third Carnatic. It was a global conflict that covered various corners of the planet; many European states essentially fought in it. How Russia got involved in this war, and what role it played, read in this article.
Causes
In short, the causes of this war are colonial in nature. Colonial tensions existed between France and England mainly in North America, and because of the possessions of the English king on the continent. Also, Prussia and Austria competed for disputed territories. So, during the first two wars for Silesia, Prussia was able to chop off these lands for itself, which almost doubled its population.
Prussia, led by King Frederick II, after several centuries of fragmentation, began to lay claim to hegemony in Europe. Many people didn't like it. However, in the forerunner of the Seven Years' War, we can observe such a historical phenomenon as a coup of coalitions. This is when a seemingly understandable coalition falls apart and a new one is formed.
King of Prussia Frederick the Second the Great. Reign 1740 - 1786
It all happened like this. For Russia, Austria and England were long-time allies. And Russia opposed the strengthening of Prussia. Prussia was blockaded with France and England against Austria. King Frederick II asked England to influence Russia, of course, so as not to fight on two fronts. To this end, Prussia promised that it would protect English possessions on the continent in exchange for money.
A turning point that no one expected was the conclusion of a non-aggression treaty between England and Prussia. This caused a strong reaction in France, Austria and Russia. Ultimately, the following coalitions were formed: Austria, France, Russia and Saxony on the one hand, and Prussia and England on the other.
Thus, Russia was drawn into the Seven Years' War due to its own desires to stop the growth of Prussian influence in Europe. Schematically, this can be indicated as follows:
Progress of the battles
You should know that throughout the entire 18th century, the Russian army never suffered a single defeat! In the Seven Years' War she had no luck except with the commanders-in-chief. These were the main events and battles.
Field Marshal Stepan Fedorovich Apraksin
One of the key battles took place between Prussia and Russia in July 1757. The commander of the Russian troops was S.F. Apraksin, who did not particularly hide the fact that the Prussian king was his idol! As a result, despite the fact that the campaign began in May, the troops crossed the Prussian border only in July. The Prussians attacked and overtook the Russian army right on the march! Usually an attack on the march means victory for the attacker. But it was not there. Despite the complete lack of command on the part of Apraksin, the Russian army overthrew the Prussians. The battle ended in a decisive victory! Saltykov was tried and removed from command.
Count, General-in-Chief Willim Villimovich Fermor
The next major battle took place in 1958. The place of commander-in-chief of the Russian army was taken by V.V. Fermor. The battle between Russian and Prussian troops took place near the village of Zorndorf. Despite the fact that the commander fled from the battlefield altogether, the Russian army completely defeated the Prussians!
Field Marshal Pyotr Semenovich Saltykov
The last serious battle between the Russian and Prussian armies took place on August 12, 1759. The place of commander was taken by General P.S. Saltykov. The armies went head-to-head. Frederick decided to use the so-called oblique attack, when one of the attacking flanks is strongly strengthened and, as it were, sweeps away the enemy’s opposite flank obliquely, crashing into the main forces. The calculation is that the overturned flank will disorient the remaining troops and the initiative will be seized. But the Russian officers did not care what kind of attack Friedrich used. They still broke it!
Map of Russia's participation in the Seven Years' War
Miracle of the Brandenburg House - results
When the Kolberg fortress then fell, Frederick II was in real shock. He didn't know what to do. Several times the king tried to abdicate the throne, even tried to commit suicide. But at the end of 1761, the incredible happened. Elizaveta Petrovna died and ascended the throne.
The new Russian emperor signed the Treaty of St. Petersburg with Frederick, in which he completely renounced all Russian conquests in Prussia, including Königsberg. Moreover, Prussia was provided with a Russian corps for the war with Austria, Russia’s former ally!
Otherwise, it would be quite possible to count on the fact that Koenigsberg would become part of Russia in the 18th century, and not in 1945.
In fairness, it is worth saying how this war ended for the other warring parties, what were its results.
The Peace of Paris was concluded between England and France, according to which France ceded Canada and other lands in North America to England.
Prussia made peace with Austria and Silesia, which was called Hubertusburg. Prussia received disputed Silesia and the County of Glatz.
Best regards, Andrey Puchkov