The Seven Years' War was better known in American history as the French and Indian War. In reality, the war had a much wider scope and devastation than the simple name it was given. The Seven Years' War, which lasted from 1756 to 1763, involved most of the imperial powers of the time: Prussia, England and Portugal on the one hand, France, Spain and Austria on the other. Driven by competition for lands and territories, the war embroiled the two world powers, Great Britain and France, in a fateful battle for dominance. The period also saw the rise of major figures such as George Washington and Benedict Arnold who would later be instrumental in the American Revolution. Yet the significance of this war was that it set the stage for events such as the French and American revolutions, and reorganized a new world order of imperialism. In the years preceding the Seven Years' War, there had already been many skirmishes in the thirteen colonies between the British and Native American tribes in the area.1 The first official year of fighting also led to many decisive defeats for the overextended British Empire. Many small battles for dominance between the English and French also occurred along the Indian coast. In response to the French's acts of expansion, the English decided to defend their territory in North America and India.2 There were many battles scattered throughout the world, with major naval battles in the Indian theater and the Mediterranean. Initially, the French won many decisive battles with the help of their allies against the British Empire. Both countries, however, were relatively equal in size and power at the time, but this would soon change. The British began to turn the tide by gaining a significant advantage... half of the paper... ersity of North Carolina Press, 1984.10. Fraser, Rebecca. "George III (1727-1760)." The history of Great Britain. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003.11. Ibid.12. Cobban, Alfred. "Historians and the causes of the French Revolution". Aspects of the French Revolution. New York: George Braziller, 13.1968. Hane, W. Scott. "Absolute monarchy". The history of France. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2000.14. Ibid.15. Fraser, Rebecca. "George III (1727-1760)." The history of Great Britain. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003.16. Ibid.17. Graham, Gerald S. "William Pitt and the Seven Years' War." A concise history of the British Empire. New York: Viking Press, 1970.18. Ibid.19. Marshal, Peter. "The British Presence in India in the Eighteenth Century". http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/east_india_01.shtml (accessed 8 June 2014).20. Ibid.21. Ibid.