Figures/Terrain by Jim Purky; Photo courtesy of Bob Pavlik
No less an authority than Winston Churchill called this period of conflict the,
"first, first world war." This period was the height of the lace wars,
when kings took the field of battle, formal siege trains followed every army,
gentlemen's courtesy was extended to enemy officers, and the age of linear warfare
was almost at its peak. Navies sailed the world over, and formal European armies
marched in strange and exotic lands, from India to the Caribbean, and great empires
were won and lost.
Frederick the Greats' armies marched into Saxony, with the idea that once secured,
the low population and high production of agriculture in the region would help
sustain his Kingdom of Prussia. Frederick knew that his disciplined ranks of
blue-coated Prussian soldiers were more then a match for the multi-ethnic armies
of his enemy, the Austrian Empire.
Meanwhile, half a world away, on the wild frontiers of the colonies in North America,
English expansion and French claims came head to head when a young twenty-one year
old Virginia Provincial officer named George Washington delivered a summons to a
French outpost, demanding that they vacate the Ohio Valley. Destined one day to be
the Father of his Country, this young ambitious lad would lead adventures of
frontier military life that the entire country and his King would come to follow.
The North American frontier would shortly be engulfed in flames as garishly painted
warriors, along with French and English lords fought in everything from small
backwoods skirmishes to large formal European sieges. Thus, the stage would be
set for the powers of Great Britain and Prussia fighting against France, Austria,
Russia, and Spain in the first true global war.
Figures/Terrain by Jim Purky; Photo courtesy of Bob Pavlik
Though the Seven Years' War officially began in 1756 in Europe, hostilities had
already erupted two years earlier in North America in 1754 – which would
eventually be called the French & Indian War. George Washington started the
war by attacking a French and Canadian party in the Ohio Valley; this small skirmish
would prove to be the catalyst for the global war to come, and from that moment on,
both Britain and France began dispatching troops in a fight for global supremacy.
For France, the war in Europe was the top priority. France decided early on to only
send a limited of number troops to fight for its colonies of New France in Canada.
France also considered it important to protect its lucrative colonies in the West
Indies, as the sugar cane plantations of the Caribbean were deemed more profitable
than the fur trade in New France. France also found itself fighting in Europe to
help defend its ally Austria.
Photo courtesy Duncan MacFarland, Wargames Illustrated
Great Britain declined to commit its main forces on the European continent, instead
counting on the Prussians and their German allies to defend King George II's Electorate
of Hanover. Britain's war aims were to destroy the French navy and merchant fleet,
seize its colonies and eliminate France as a commercial rival. Great Britain would
eventually send more than 20,000 soldiers to America and the Caribbean.
In the early stages of the war, the American colonists seemed unable to defend
themselves against the French and Indian attacks, especially those led by Canadian
officers who excelled in the art of guerilla warfare. The Native peoples inspired
these military tactics that featured hit-and-run attacks and raids along the border
settlements and on remote enemy outposts. For the English colonies, it was imperative
to remove the threat of New France and its Native allies, which were preventing the
British colonies from acquiring and occupying new for an expanding population.
Although France and its Native allies did well early in the war, in 1758 the tide
began to turn in favor of the British with a string of battlefield victories
culminating in the epic battle on the Plains of Abraham in 1759, when General
James Wolfe defeated the army of the Marquis de Montcalm at Quebec. The following year,
surrounded by advancing English armies, the French forces in Canada were forced to
capitulate at Montreal.
Figures/Terrain by Jim Purky; Photo courtesy of Bob Pavlik
In a bid to save some of her other more lucrative colonies, France ceded New France
(Canada) to Great Britain in a treaty signed in 1763, in exchange for keeping the
West Indies. But, French troops still posted in America continued to encourage their
former Native allies to resist English authority and expansion, and in 1763 some of
the Ohio and Great Lake tribes rebelled under the nominal leadership of the Ottawa
war chief Pontiac. This conflict became known as Pontiac's Rebellion, and would last
until 1764 when the English eventually mounted invasions of the Indian territories
forcing them to return their white captives, sign peace treaties and give even more
land away.
The Seven Years War was fought on land and sea in nearly all parts of the world. Huge
amounts of treasure, material and men took part in this conflict. France and Great
Britain, the two main protagonists in the conflict, both emerged exhausted and nearly
bankrupt from the war, but the balance of power had been irretrievably tipped in
Britain's favor while Prussia emerged as a powerful force on the European continent.
For historical miniature gaming purposes, the Seven Years' and French & Indian
Wars offer battles – both on land and sea – that includes skirmishes,
sieges and even 'what-if' actions across a wide assortment of terrain, from the
fields of Europe to the backwoods of America, down to the Caribbean Islands. This
period of warfare, known as the 'Age of Reason', The Seven Years War, and the
French & Indian War (1754-63) convention theme for 2008 might be just for you!
Photo courtesy Duncan MacFarland, Wargames Illustrated
Naturally there will be many games representing the Seven Years' and French &
Indian Wars, however, final details will not appear until the Preliminary Event List
(PEL) in mid-May.
Important – Game Master Event Submission for HISTORICON: Event registration
opens March 10, 2008; PEL deadline is
April 11, 2008; Program deadline is June 1,
2008. Start planning now!
There will be a number of a number of Guests of Honor at the convention. These will
be announced in upcoming months. One of our Featured Guests has been confirmed:
-
René Chartrand, military historian and author of over 30 books dealing on a broad
range of military subject pertaining to the Americas and Western Europe will be
one of the featured Guests of Honor. Mr. Chartrand is a lecturer to military,
academic and specialized audiences in North America and Europe, and consultant
for the development of military historic sites and museum, as well as historical
advisor for documentaries. His SYW/F&I theme-related talks as part of the
Military Seminar Series should not be missed!
Figures/Terrain by Jim Purky; Photo courtesy of Bob Pavlik
General:
Seven Years' War Timeline:
Tactics During The SYW:
Battle Tour (3 SYW battles):
Battle of Minden:
Seven Years' War Association (in USA and UK):
Figures/Terrain by Jim Purky; Photo courtesy of Bob Pavlik
Eighteenth Century Wargame Resources Online:
Seven Years' War Website:
Seven Years' War Yahoogroup:
German Uniforms (in German!):
Havana 1762:
French & Indian War MSN Group:
Figures/Terrain by Jim Purky; Photo courtesy of Bob Pavlik
Fort Necessity:
Forts Carillon and Ticonderoga:
Canadian Iroquois:
Fort Pitt Museum and Bushy Run Battlefield:
Old Fort Niagara:
Fort Ligonier:
