Seven Years’ War

This was the third, last, and by far the longest and most terrible of the contests for the po e ion of Silesia. This long and desperate war was maintained by Frederick II. of Pru ia against Austria, Ru ia, and France, from 1756 to 1763. It made no change in the territorial distribution of Europe, but it increased tenfold the moral power of Pru ia, and gave its army a prestige it retained till the battle of Jena. It cost Europe 1,000,000 lives, and prostrated the strength of almost all the powers who had engaged in it.