Monday, January 31, 2011

Global War Cometh



Colonialism begat Mercantilism. 

Mercantilism begat Colonial Economies

Competing Colonialism begat Global War


The Seven Year's War on 3 Continents
Prussia and England are "allies"

Prussia: fighting France, Austria, Poland on land in Europe
England: fighting Spain and France - mostly at sea and around world

The Death of Wolfe by Benjamin West
 Just 32 years of age, the courageous General John Wolfe died during his signal victory at Quebec City in 1759. His opposite, Louis-Joseph de Montcalm also died as a result of the battle.

The balance of power shift in the Americas

Blamed for losing the British outpost at Minorca to the British, Admiral John Byng was shot by a firing squad following a courts-martial accusing him of not acting to his utmost.  The satirist Voltaire commented on the execution of Byng in Candide, where the title character goes to Portsmouth to witness the execution and quips in this country, it is wise to kill an admiral from time to time to encourage the others."


A British squadron took Havana in 1762, and gave it back to Spain in exchange for Minorca and Florida after the 1763 Treaty of Paris.

About the same time, another British squadron took Manila in the Philippines from the Spanish. It, too, went back to Spain after the treaty, but not after Britain received an enormous ransom and further trade concessions from Spain.

At the end of the day, was this a war of ideas or money and power? Why?

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