How did European rivalries affect the development of Canada?
Answers
The capture of Louisbourg was quite an accomplishment in Great Britain’s history. Many books have discussed France’s naval disaster and the capture of Louisbourg in great detail, along with the failure of France to regain their territory. However, what should be known is that Louisbourg was part of a much larger issue that stemmed from a massive war that affected almost every known continent. Louisbourg came as a result of the Austrian Succession, which was based on historic rivalries.
The Austrian War of Succession began in 1740 and ended in 1748. Fredrick II was not pleased that Maria Theresa of Hungary would be heir to the Habsburg throne. He believed that he had just as much of a right as she did. As a result, he set his sights on Silesia, a prominently Slavic country. He began this invasion to assert his dominance within the Habsburg provinces. With this taking place and many other countries taking notice, this war would eventually involve many other nations as well.
France was a nation that was no stranger to rivalries and war. The traditional Habsburg- Bourbon rivalry is a prime example of their history of competition with other countries. As a result, they would have a major role in this war as well. The French, themselves, did not want the Habsburgs to gain any more territory. Due to this conflict, France sided with Frederick II. France’s animosity towards the Habsburgs was followed by another significant rivalry, this one being with Great Britain. Much of this had already begun with issues over territory in North America, which influenced Britain’s decision in joining sides with Maria Theresa and her followers.
The navy and army in both Britain and France were both in transition at this point and governments began to put more effort and money into them. While the Habsburgs were developing their army, France and Britain began competing for superiority. France had a very competent army which was good for the control over the land, however, Britain had a better developed navy which led to more control over the sea. Through this process of modernization for the War, this led to competition in the North American Stage as well.
After Britain had entered the war, not only did the territory in Europe become a major focus but so did the competition for land in the West, specifically Acadia. There was a debate between the two colonies about who had the rights to this area, because it was never clearly defined. The area consisted of Acadians, British and Native peoples. Many of this British in this area were weary because many of the French had allied with these Natives, the Mikmaw in particular. These relationships were very important in this because the Natives became a resource to the French. Using these allies, the French attacked Annapolis Royal in attempt to take control over the area. The British fought back, and therefore, their focus seemed to shift somewhat from the actual war.
Back in Europe, the war continued. Britain had already been through an embarrassing naval loss to the French and Spanish ships. Therefore, they needed to re-establish their dominance both in Europe and in North America. Seeing as the French and their allies attacked them at Annapolis Royal, the British decided a takeover of Louisbourg would be a good retaliation point. In 1745, Britain succeeded. This was a huge positive for the Habsburgs’ side of the war because resources had become scarce in Europe and having this territory would help increase their economic and political power. With this, the British were able to send resources back to Europe to continue on with their participation in the war.
However, the French did not take this lightly. The government officials back in France put together an expedition that would, in their eyes, regain control of Louisbourg. Due to the fact that many of their men had been injured or had died as a result of the War of Austrian Succession, France did not have many sources to work with. Not only did they have a substantial reduction in men but their ships were also in poor condition. Despite being fully aware of this situation, Louis XV, the King of France, decided that they should set sail anyway.
Once the French ships had arrived, they sustained even more damaged from being under British fire during the expedition. Sickness spread to many members of the crew. Britain capitalized on these advantages and was able to successfully defeat France in North America, while still fighting for the Habsburgs back in Europe. Britain had the time and money to reinvent their army, France, on the other hand, was not as fortunate.
im bceky g and i love wiener please send rugs thanks bae