The French Navy and the Seven Years' War

Preface

BOB — University of Nebraska Press / Page xi / / French Navy and the Seven YearS’ War / Jonathan R. Dull 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 [First Page] [-11], (1) Lines: 0 to 15 ——— 0.0pt PgVar ——— Normal Page PgEnds: TEX [-11], (1) Preface The Seven Years’ War consisted of two great conflicts, each containing seven years of hostilities. The bloodshed in the first of these conflicts, which Americans often call the French and Indian War, began in Pennsylvania in 1754 and largely concluded in 1760. The bloodshed in the second began in Bohemia in 1756 and concluded at the end of 1762. The conflicts resulted in a set of treaties in 1763, whose impact was perhaps even greater on American history than on European. Few wars prior to the twentieth century were as complex as these two or involved as many combatants—Great Britain, France, Prussia, Russia, the Austrian Empire, Spain, Sweden, dozens of American Indian nations, and numerous principalities in Germany and on the subcontinent of India. What makes their history so challenging is that they were so closely interconnected that they must be studied as a single war. It has been eighty years since the great historians Richard Waddington and Sir Julian Corbett did so. (Intervening histories of the“French and IndianWar”by Lawrence Henry Gipson,Guy Frégault, Francis Jennings, Fred Anderson, and others largely have neglected Europe.) With the 250th anniversary of the war having arrived, another such attempt is overdue. The most important link between the wars in Europe and North America (and for that matter in Asia and Africa) was the conflict between Great Britain and France. Fighting between the two occurred on all these continents and interacted with the conflicts between the other combatants, although with strange gaps, France fighting but never declaring war on Britain’s ally Prussia and Britain carefully avoiding even the hint of hostilities against France’s allies Austria and Russia. The French navy played a critical part in the war between France and Britain, particularly in North America. Moreover, after 1760 the dominant issue in the Franco-British conflict became the question of whether France would continue to be a major naval power or for the indefinite future BOB — University of Nebraska Press / Page xii / / French Navy and the Seven YearS’ War / Jonathan R. Dull xii Preface 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 [-12], (2) Lines: 15 to 21 ——— 0.0pt PgVar ——— Normal Page PgEnds: TEX [-12], (2) would leave uncontested command of the seas to her rival. The present book is, as far as I know, the most complete treatment of the navy’s role in the war (as James Pritchard’s superb study of the navy during this period does not cover naval operations). To place that role in context it has been necessary to provide a complete survey of the war, chiefly from the French side, but also paying attention to Britain and the British colonies, as well as the other belligerents. Many French Canadian historians have tended to look at the war of 1754– 63 with anger, feeling France let herself become distracted by a European war and did too little to save Canada. Many French historians have looked at the war with disgust or embarrassment, blaming the French king, Louis XV, or the French army or navy for its dismal outcome. Many British and American historians have looked at the war in a celebratory mood, treating it as a victory for republican government. None of these emotions are warranted. France made great, perhaps excessive efforts to save Canada, including becoming involved in a European war. Louis XV’s role in the war ultimately was heroic, for he more than anyone else was the savior of the French navy. By his perseverance he was able to preserve France’s share in the Newfoundland fishery and give the French navy a chance for rebirth and revenge. Without the fishery to train French sailors, it is highly doubtful France could even have participated in the War for American Independence. The French army...