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Home Foreign Affairs and the Empire, 1714-1763 Empire, 1714-1763; Part 8 |
Empire, 1714-1763; Part 8It was not only, however, the rivalry between France andi Great Britain that brought about the war, but also that between Austria and Prussia. Maria Theresa had no intention of allowing Frederick to retain Silesia; she felt its loss so keenly that she could not see a native of that country, it was said, without weeping. The only question was as to the partners which the rival powers would take. In the War of the Austrian Succession the allies on each side had been dissatisfied with one another. For this and for other reasons the old alliances were reversed in the Seven Years' War. Austria and France-hitherto the great European rivals- for once made alliance together, and subsequently persuaded Russia to join them; and Great Britain bound itself to Austria's, rival, Prussia.The Seven Years' War, so far as Great Britain is concerned, may be divided into two periods. The first two years (1756-7) were years of almost unrelieved failure. The Duke of New- castle for the greater part of the time was chief minister. Procrastinating and ignorant, timid and undecided, he was "unfit", said George II, "to be Chamberlain to the smallest Court in Germany"; and it would certainly be difficult to find anyone less fitted to carry on a great war. Commanders, both on land and sea, uninspired by the Government at home, planned their strategy without thought, and fought their battles by obsolete and formal methods. Consequently, at the beginning of the war, Great Britain was in terror of invasion, and to her disgrace Hessians and Hanoverians were brought over to defend her own shores. Meantime, Byng was dispatched with a fleet badly provisioned and poorly equipped to relieve Minorca, which, as has been stated, had been attacked by the French. Off that island he fought an indecisive action with the French fleet when he ought to have avoided a battle and confined his attention to harassing the French communications. He then, supported by the advice of a council of war, returned home, leaving Minorca to be taken by the French. The nation was furious. Byng was tried for neglect of duty, found guilty, and shot on the quarterdeck of his own ship in Portsmouth Harbour-a scapegoat for the incompetence of the British Government and the want of seamanship on the part of the British navy (Byng, who was the son of the admiral who had won the battle off Cape Passaro in 1720, was unfortunate in being the first victim of a new rule. Officers could previously be shot for "cowardice" or "disaffection"; but "negligence" had recently been added as a capital offence, and Byng came under this charge because he was found guilty of not having done his utmost to save Minorca. Voltaire's mot on this execution is well known? it was done, he said, "pour encourager les autres"). |
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