Too many enemies

The Seven Years' War was a vast conflict, fought at sea off the coast of France, but also in the Caribbean; great land battles scarred the European landscape from the Netherlands, through the Czech lands, to the Baltics; and fighting significantly impacted the American continent and the lands of the Orient. Although more than two and a half centuries separate us from this struggle, which Winston Churchill described as the first truly world war, its consequences are still alive today—it led to a new division of influence in the world, the birth of the United States of America, the French Revolution, the development of civil society, and the persistent effort of the Russian Empire to assert its influence in Eastern and Central Europe.

For the Czech lands, the battles of the Seven Years' War had drastic consequences; indeed, the first clashes took place on Czech territory. While the Battle of Prague became the bloodiest engagement of this war, the one near Kolín brought the first defeat for the Prussian King, Frederick the Great. However, the battles represent only one facet of this contest for seas, colonies, and influence in Europe; the other is its diplomatic aspect. Both are combined in the comprehensive publication, 'Too Many Enemies: The Seven Years' War in Europe 1756–1763', which aims to clarify the motivations of the individual great powers, present a complex account of the fighting, and vividly map the political and military history of this extensive conflict.

This full-colour publication is complemented by hundreds of illustrations, dozens of battle plans, and overview maps.

The e-book is available in PDF format.