Why Were The British Successful In The Wars With France 40-63

Question 1

Why was William Pitt important ?
Policy, war and colonial

Answer 1

• his leadership was a crucial element to Britians victory in 1763
• established a global strategy focusing on the French in the US and the Caribbean
• United Britian for the war and established local militias to protect Britian in 1757

War
- deployed 25k troops to America under Wolfe and Lord Amherst and developed a three pronged strategy’s
- this targeted Louis berg, Ticonderoga and Quebec or re-establish control of Ohio river
- deployed 45k troops compared to the French 6,800 by 1758
- removed Loudon and managed to solve mustering troops by agreeing to gather 20,000 provisional troops
- appointed aggressive junior officers such as George Howe and Jeffrey Amherst and James Wolfe who were prepared to launch offensives

Colonists
- supported the colonists and balanced power between colonial and British officers
- rearmed colonial militia paying for their equipment and provisions and reimbursed colonial assemblies generating euthneisuam for war

Question 2

Why were finances important ?

Answer 2

• Pitt paid Frederick the Great to Russia to attack France which meant it couldn’t concentrate its forces in the Americas as they now faced Europe
• lead to the taking of Fort Frontenac and Fort Pitt
• Pitt showed he was willing to win by whatever means and whatever finance

Question 3

Why was the navy so important ?

Answer 3

• important to both wars
• Austrian succession: Land forces committed to Europe however Brit navy stronger than French and Spanish to it prevents reinforcements

Seven years war
- Loudon couldn’t take Lousiberg in 1757 as France reinforce it with Navy so Pitt realised he had to block the French navy to stop support
- strategy of preventing French squadrons from resupplying so French would starve as they’d did not farm and relied on import

• Lord Anson carried out many of the reforms to make the policy possible

Question 4

Why was Lord Anson important (part of navy factor )

Answer 4

Reform
- increase size of navy allowing Lousiberg to be seized in 1758
- likewise 18,000 sailors manning 100 ships took Quebec
1760: French tried to retake Quebec but British prevented reinforcements

Question 5

Why were the native Americans important ?

Answer 5

• Start crucial role on French side helping to defeat General Braddock on his campaign to Fort Duquesne + attacked settlements
• Britain cultivated friendship and used them against France
• Their support was ways to gain once Britain secured naval superiority so the natives looked to them and not France
• Britian could supply them with goods

Question 6

Why was the role of the colonists important ?

Answer 6

• colonial enthusiasm for the war was lost by Braddock and Loudon
• issue of Britian officers taking precedence over colonial officers despite rank
• Pitt reversed the precedence and the financial commitments encouraged enthusiasm and patriotism amongst colonists
• colonial troops had a limited role but contributed to the success of road and fort building allowing for British troops to concentrate on fighting
• helped to created shared endeavour and gained support of colonial legislatures

Question 7

Why were French weakness important ?

Answer 7

French found it had to maintain field army
- French colonists small in number and depended on French import for supplies once their was a Briths blockade it was dire
- also meant that they could not maintain support of natives for trade