Seven Years War (1754–62) - events

17 May 1756	Habsburg Monarchy, Holy Roman Empire, UK, France	Following the Diplomatic Revolution of 1 May, which created two opposing power blocs in Europe (Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, and Saxony opposed to Prussia, Great Britain, and Portugal), Britain formally declares war on France (the challenge is accepted on 9 June).
29 August 1756	Prussia, Saxony, Holy Roman Empire, Germany, United Netherlands, Sweden	King Frederick II the Great of Prussia invades the German electorate of Saxony, marking the outbreak of the Seven Years' War. Frederick uses the pretext of having learned of the Franco-Austrian alliance and subsequently takes Dresden, the capital of Saxony. The United Netherlands and Sweden decide to remain neutral.
1 May 1757	France, Holy Roman Empire, Prussia, Silesia, Germany, Austrian Netherlands, Spain, Parma, Italy, Habsburg Monarchy	The second Treaty of Versailles against Prussia is negotiated between France and the Holy Roman Empire, by which Prussia is to be partitioned, losing Silesia and Glatz to Austria. King Louis XV of France agrees to increase annual subsidies to Maria Theresa of Austria until she has recovered Silesia. In return, she promises Louis XV full sovereignty in some cities in the Austrian Netherlands; the remainder are to pass to Don Philip, Farnesan prince of Spain, in exchange for the Italian duchies of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla, when these are returned to Austria.
18 June 1757	Prussia, Bohemia, Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy	The forces of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I defeat King Frederick II the Great of Prussia at Kolin in Bohemia; Frederick loses 13,000 of his 33,000 troops.
25 August 1758	Prussia, Russia, Brandenburg, Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Poland	The Battle of Zorndorf (in the Prussian province of Neumark) is fought between the Prussians, led by King Frederick II the Great, and Russian troops under the Russian general Count William Fermor. Here Frederick defeats the Russians: it is one of the bloodiest encounters of the Seven Years' War and Fermor withdraws by stages into Poland; Brandenburg Prussia is saved.
14 October 1758	Austria, Habsburg Monarchy, Holy Roman Empire, Prussia, Saxony, Germany	The Austrians gain a victory at Hochkirch, Saxony, against Prussia, in thick fog. James Keith, King Frederick II the Great of Prussia's brother-in-law, Ferdinand, Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, five other generals, and more than a quarter of the Prussian army are killed.
8 April 1759	UK, India, France, Mogul Empire	An expedition dispatched by Robert Clive, governor of the British East India Company's Bengal possessions, and led by Colonel Francis Forde, second in command to Clive in Bengal, seizes Masulipatam, southeast India, with a small force and drives the French from the Deccan, South India.
1 August 1759	France, Prussia, UK	French forces are decisively defeated by a Prussian army under Ferdinand, Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, King Frederick II the Great of Prussia's most experienced general, and Lord George Sackville, commander of the British contingent, at Minden, Germany.
13 September 1759	France, England, North America	British forces under the English major-general James Wolfe bypass the French defences of the city of Quebec by scaling the Heights of Abraham from the St Lawrence River and defeating the French on the plains above the city. Both Wolfe and the French commander, Louis-Joseph, marquis de Montcalm, are killed, but French Canada falls into British hands with the capture of the city.
23 June 1760	Prussia, Silesia, Germany, Austria, Habsburg Monarchy, Holy Roman Empire	The Prussian army under General Fouqué at Landshut, Silesia, guarding the passes into Silesia, suffers a crushing defeat at the hands of the Austrians under Baron Gideon Ernst von Laudon.
9 September 1760	Russia, Sweden, Germany, Holy Roman Empire, Saxony	Russian and Swedish troops ravage the Prussian province of Pomerania while imperial troops occupy the German electorate of Saxony and town of Halle.
3 November 1760	Prussia, Austria, Habsburg Monarchy, Holy Roman Empire, Saxony, Germany	King Frederick II the Great of Prussia defeats the Austrian troops under their commander in chief Leopold, Graf von Daun, at Torgau, Saxony. The Austrians evacuate the electorate of Saxony except for the capital Dresden.
16 January 1761	India	The Irish-born British general Sir Eyre Coote takes the French base of Pondicherry after a three-month siege, ending French supremacy in southern India.