After the Thirty Years' War, along with the War of the Heir to the Austrian Throne, the economies of the major European countries developed rapidly, their comprehensive national strength soared, their masses rose one after another, conflicts of interest intensified, the political pattern was reorganized, the struggle tended to be white-hot, and a war affecting the whole of Europe and overseas colonies was brewing. It broke out in 1756 and ended in 1763, which is the famous "Seven Years' War" in European history. Because of its impact, it is also known as "World War Zero".
However, the most peculiar thing about this war is that it is a pick and a half. Prussia single-handedly challenged the four great powers of France, Austria, Sweden and Russia on the European continent, and the war was extremely difficult and brutal, so that Frederick the Great thought of committing suicide twice, but finally survived tenaciously. So, why can Prussia, led by Frederick the Great, reach four powers with one country? Why is it so good to fight?
First, excellent military quality. At that time, the military quality of the Prussian army was quite excellent. From Frederick the Great to the command skills of his generals, to the training quality of ordinary soldiers, it was one of the best armies in Europe at that time. In the 18th century European armies, the common weapon of infantry and cavalry was the front-loading flintlock gun, the Prussian soldiers could fight an average of 4 to 5 times a minute, while the Austrian army could only fight once, and the two shots were excellent. Moreover, the Prussians' mobility and multi-service coordination tactics are very skilled, often achieving the suddenness of battles and winning more with less.
Frederick the Great had excellent command skills, and was good at commanding infantry, cavalry and artillery to fight together, so that the combat effectiveness of the Prussian army could be exerted beyond normal. During the Seven Years' War, Prussia was a loose multi-ethnic community, but through this war, a strong sense of Prussian national identity gradually emerged, which greatly boosted the morale of the Prussian army. Frederick's personal command skills and firm character not only inspired the army, but were also admired by the popular soldiers.
The second is good geographical advantages. In the course of the war, Frederick the Great's decisions seemed reckless, but in fact he had his intentions, such as directly attacking the Saxon region, allowing the Prussian army to seize favorable defensive terrain and ensuring a source of supplies. East Prussia in the east, Westphalia and the Sudetenland in the south all played a role in defending the core important areas around Prussia.
Throughout the Seven Years' War, Prussia was mainly defensive, and although there were several active attacks, they still attacked defensively. The Prussians gave full play to the advantages of local operations, used to wait for work, and relied on favorable terrain to ensure the stability of rear supplies. Coupled with the confrontation of defensive positions, it is conducive to the Prussian army concentrating superior forces to break through the peripheral coalition forces and exert its advantages in coordinated operations.
Third, the opponent's guarantee is difficult. Fighting a war is actually about fighting logistics and support. Although Europe entered the era of hot weapons at that time, it was also inseparable from favorable guarantees. The Prussians took advantage of the local operations and made the rear supply much better than the allied forces. Throughout the war, the Russian army was plagued by unfavorable logistics, because Prussia's ally, Britain, controlled the sea control, and the land transport support faced poor road conditions and Prussian raids, so the Russian army could not effectively guarantee the front-line operation, and its combat effectiveness was weakened.
During the Seven Years' War, Britain also did a lot of manipulation against France, cutting off its ties with overseas colonies and making the financial crisis worse. This, coupled with the decline in royal prestige after the war, led to a low morale for the French army. Almost all the troops attacking the four countries of Prussia had problems with supply difficulties, which was the most favorable condition for the Prussian army to persist in fighting for a long time.
Fourth, we are not alone. In fact, in the Seven Years' War, the Prussians did not fight alone. Shortly after the War of the Austrian Succession, prussia and Great Britain formed an alliance in the diplomatic revolution that took place in Europe. When Frederick the Great, with his good infantry and artillery, coordinated operations and won the Battle of Rossbach with fewer victories and more victories, Britain intervened in the war, giving Prussia a financial subsidy of 670,000 pounds per year, and using sea supremacy to harass Russia, France and other countries to ensure the sea supply and transportation lines.
Because of the complexity of the situation at that time, France gradually withdrew from the war at the Battle of Rossbach. Sweden has never worked hard, and has its own little nine-nine in its heart. It was Austria and Tsarist Russia that really contributed, but Tsarist Russia also reversed due to the change of Tsar. In addition to Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the Ottomans and other countries have all considered their respective geographical interests, and have more or less explicitly or implicitly supported and responded to Prussia.
Fifth, good luck from Heaven. Successive years of war brought Prussia to 1762, a rather difficult situation in terms of the replenishment of troops and the production of the country, while the 100,000-strong army of Russia and Austria was approaching Berlin. At this precarious moment, Elizabeth of Tsarist Russia, who hated Frederick the Great very much, died suddenly, and her nephew Peter III succeeded her Tsar. Because Frederick the Great was highly prestigious and influential at that time, there were many admirers not only in Prussia but also abroad. The new Tsar Peter III was one of them, so the Russian-Prussians quickly signed a contract and sent Russian troops to assist Frederick the Great in recovering the Prussian territories previously occupied by russia.
The desperate Prussian dilemma was immediately reversed, which not only aborted the Plan of the Russian-Austrian Coalition To besiege Berlin, but also made Sweden face the situation of being surrounded by prussia and Tsarist Russia, which made Sweden, which was not so determined, change its course. Later, although Catherine II killed Peter III and took over Tsarist Russia, she did not have the same momentum as Elizabeth who wanted to kill Frederick the Great.
In the Seven Years' War, prussia was able to fight and persist to the end for many and complicated reasons, but the most fundamental and important thing was due to its own comprehensive strength. Factors such as British financial assistance and the sudden reversal of Peter III were based on frederick the Great and the Prussians themselves, and also on favorable conditions for Prussia to win. Without this foundation, everything would be zeroed out.
The final outcome of the Seven Years' War was actually a victory for Britain's continental balance of power strategy. Britain used Prussia to drag France, its main rival, to expand its overseas colonization. France, Austria, Switzerland, Russia and other countries fought four and one, curbing the rise of Prussia, and also preventing Tsarist Russia from continuing to advance westward. Although Prussia did not become the top power on the European continent, it united the hearts and minds of the people, laying a solid foundation for the future unification of Germany and the realization of the dream a hundred years later.