By strengthening the supreme power, mobilizing resources, creating a well-organized, large army (over 100 years it grew 25 times and reached 150 thousand people), the relatively small Prussia turns into a strong aggressive power. The Prussian army becomes one of the best in Europe. She was distinguished by iron discipline, high maneuverability on the battlefield, and precise execution of orders. In addition, the Prussian army was led by an outstanding commander of that era - King Frederick II the Great, who made a significant contribution to the theory and practice of military affairs. By the middle of the 18th century. Anglo-French contradictions related to the struggle for the redistribution of colonies are also sharply aggravated. All this led to changes in traditional ties. England enters into an alliance with Prussia. This forces former adversaries France and Austria to unite against the threat of the Anglo-Prussian alliance. The latter unleashes the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). Two coalitions took part in it. On the one hand, England (in union with Hanover), Prussia, Portugal and some German states. On the other are Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, Saxony and most of the German states. As for Russia, St. Petersburg was not satisfied with the further strengthening of Prussia, which was fraught with its claims to influence in Poland and the former possessions of the Livonian Order. This directly affected Russian interests. Russia joined the Austro-French coalition and, at the request of its ally, the Polish king Augustus III, entered the Seven Years' War in 1757. First of all, Russia was interested in the territory of East Prussia, which St. Petersburg intended to give to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, receiving from it in return the region of Courland bordering Russia. In the Seven Years' War, Russian troops acted both independently (in East Prussia, Pomerania, on the Oder) and in cooperation with their Austrian allies (on the Oder, in Silesia).

Campaign of 1757

In 1757, Russian troops operated mainly in East Prussia. In May, the army under the command of Field Marshal Stepan Apraksin (55 thousand people) crossed the border of East Prussia, which was defended by troops under the command of Field Marshal Lewald (30 thousand regular troops and 10 thousand armed residents). According to the recollections of contemporaries, they did not go on the campaign with a light heart. Since the time of Ivan the Terrible, the Russians had not actually fought with the Germans, so the enemy was known only by hearsay. The Russian army knew about the famous victories of the Prussian king Frederick II the Great and therefore were afraid of the Prussians. According to the memoirs of a participant in the campaign, the future writer Andrei Bolotov, after the first unsuccessful border skirmish for the Russians, the army was overcome by “great timidity, cowardice and fear.” Apraksin avoided clashes with Levald in every possible way. This happened at Velau, where the Prussians occupied strong fortified positions. The “Peaceful Field Marshal” did not dare to attack them, but decided to bypass them. To do this, he started crossing the Pregel River in the area of ​​​​the village of Gross-Jägersdorf, in order to then move to Allenburg, bypassing the Prussian positions. Having learned about this maneuver, Lewald with an army of 24 thousand hurried to meet the Russians.

Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf (1757). After the crossing, Russian troops found themselves in an unfamiliar wooded and swampy area and lost their battle formation. Lewald took advantage of this, and on August 19, 1757, he quickly attacked the Russian units scattered near the river. The main blow fell on the 2nd division of General Vasily Lopukhin, which did not have time to complete the formation. She suffered heavy losses, but showed resilience and did not retreat. Lopukhin himself, wounded by bayonets, fell to the Prussians, but was repulsed by his soldiers and died in their arms. The Russians were unable to hold back a repeated attack in the same direction and found themselves pressed against the forest. They were threatened with complete defeat, but then the brigade of General Pyotr Rumyantsev intervened, which decided the outcome of the battle. Seeing the death of his comrades, Rumyantsev hastened to their aid. Having made his way through the forest thickets, his brigade delivered an unexpected blow to the flank and rear of Lewald's infantry. The Prussians could not withstand the bayonet attack and began to retreat. This gave the Russian center the opportunity to recover, form up and launch a counterattack. On the left flank, meanwhile, the Don Cossacks distinguished themselves. With a false retreat, they brought the Prussian cavalry under infantry and artillery fire, and then also launched a counterattack. The Prussian army retreated everywhere. The damage to the Russians amounted to 5.4 thousand people, the Prussians - 5 thousand people.

This was the first Russian victory over the Prussian army. It greatly boosted their morale, dispelling past fears. According to the testimony of foreign volunteers who were in Apraksin’s army (in particular, the Austrian Baron Andre), such a brutal battle had never happened in Europe. The experience of Groß-Jägersdorf showed that the Prussian army does not like close bayonet combat, in which the Russian soldier shows high fighting qualities. However, Apraksin did not follow up his success and soon withdrew his troops back to the border. According to the widespread version, the reason for his departure was not military, but internal political in nature. Apraksin feared that after the death of the ill Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, her nephew Peter III, an opponent of the war with Prussia, would come to power. A more prosaic reason that stopped the Russian offensive was the smallpox epidemic, which caused enormous devastation in the ranks of the Russian army. Thus, in 1757, 8.5 times more soldiers died from disease than on the battlefields. As a result, the 1757 campaign ended in vain for the Russians in tactical terms.

Campaign of 1758

Elizaveta Petrovna, who soon recovered, removed Apraksin from command and placed General William Farmer at the head of the army, demanding that he energetically continue the campaign. In January 1758, a 30,000-strong Russian army again crossed the border of East Prussia. The second East Prussian campaign ended quickly and almost bloodlessly. Not expecting the Russians to undertake a winter campaign, Frederick II sent Lewald's corps to Stettin (now Szczecin) to defend against a Swedish attack. As a result, small garrisons remained in East Prussia, which offered almost no resistance to the Russians. On January 11, Königsberg surrendered, and the population of East Prussia was soon sworn in to the Russian Empress. Thus, the last stronghold remained from the previous conquests of the crusaders in the Baltic states fell, and Elizaveta Petrovna, as it were, completed the work begun by Alexander Nevsky. In fact, in the winter of 1758, Russia fulfilled its immediate goals in the Seven Years' War. After waiting out the spring thaw, the Farmer moved the army to the Oder, to the Küstrin (Küstrzyn) area, where he planned to interact with the Swedish army, which was located on the Baltic coast. The appearance of the Russians at Küstrin (75 km from Berlin) seriously alarmed Frederick II. In an effort to avert the threat from his capital, the Prussian king left a barrier against the Austrians in Silesia, and he himself moved against the Farmer. Frederick's 33,000-strong army approached the Oder, on the other bank of which stood Farmer's 42,000-strong army. In a night march, the Prussian king ascended the river to the north, crossed the Oder and went to the rear of the Farmer, cutting off his route of retreat. The Russian commander accidentally learned about this from the Cossacks, one of whose patrols had a skirmish with the Prussians. The farmer immediately lifted the siege of Küstrin and positioned his army in an advantageous position near the village of Zorndorf.

Battle of Zorndorf (1758). On August 14, 1758, at 9 o’clock in the morning, the Prussians attacked the right wing of the Russian army. The first blow was taken by the so-called. "Observation Corps", consisting entirely of recruits. But he did not flinch and held back the onslaught. Soon the Russian cavalry drove back the Prussians. In turn, it was overthrown by the Prussian cavalry under the command of the famous General Seydlitz. Clouds of dust from under the hooves and smoke from shots were carried by the wind to the Russian positions and made visibility difficult. The Russian cavalry, pursued by the Prussians, galloped towards its infantrymen, but they, without disassembling it, opened fire on it. The soldiers of both armies were mixed in dust and smoke, and the massacre began. Having fired the cartridges, the Russian infantry stood unshakably, fighting back with bayonets and cutlasses. True, while some fought heroically, others got to the barrels of wine. After getting drunk, they began to beat their officers and disobeyed orders. Meanwhile, the Prussians attacked the Russian left wing, but were repulsed and put to flight. The brutal massacre continued until late in the evening. On both sides, the soldiers ran out of gunpowder, and they fought hand-to-hand with cold steel. Andrei Bolotov describes the courage of his compatriots in the last moments of the Battle of Zorndorf: “In groups, small groups, having fired their last cartridges, they remained solid as a rock. Many, pierced through, continued to stand on their feet and fight, others, having lost a leg or arm, already lying on the ground, they tried to kill the enemy with their surviving hand." Here is evidence from the opposite side of the Prussian cavalryman Captain von Kate: “The Russians lay in rows, kissed their guns - while they themselves were cut down with sabers - and did not leave them.” Exhausted, both troops spent the night on the battlefield. The Prussians lost more than 11 thousand people in the Battle of Zorndorf. The damage to the Russians exceeded 16 thousand people. (“Observation Corps” lost 80% of its members). In terms of the ratio of the number of killed and wounded to the total number of troops participating in the battle (32%), the Battle of Zorndorf is one of the bloodiest battles of the 18th-19th centuries. The next day the Farmer was the first to retreat. This gave Frederick a reason to attribute the victory to himself. However, having suffered heavy losses, he did not dare to pursue the Russians and took his battered army to Küstrin. With the Battle of Zorndorf, Farmer actually ended the campaign of 1758. In the fall, he went to winter quarters in Poland. After this battle, Frederick uttered a phrase that went down in history: “It is easier to kill Russians than to defeat them.”

Campaign of 1759

In 1759, the Russians agreed on joint actions with the Austrians on the Oder, General Pyotr Saltykov was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Russian troops. Here is the impression of him from one of the eyewitnesses: “A gray-haired old man, small, simple... without any decorations or pomp... He seemed to us like a real chicken, and no one dared to think that he could do anything important.” Meanwhile, the most brilliant campaign of the Russian troops in the Seven Years' War is associated with Saltykov.

Battle of Palzig (1759). The path to Saltykov's troops (40 thousand people), marching to the Oder to join the Austrian corps of General Laudon, was blocked by the Prussian corps under the command of General Wedel (28 thousand people). In an effort to prevent the allies from meeting, Wedel attacked Russian positions at Palzig (a German village southeast of Frankfurt an der Oder) on July 12, 1759. Saltykov used defense in depth against Prussian linear tactics. Prussian infantry fiercely attacked Russian positions four times. Having lost over 4 thousand people in unsuccessful attacks, only over 4 thousand people were killed, Wedel was forced to retreat. “Thus,” Saltykov wrote in his report, “the proud enemy, after a five-hour fierce battle, was completely defeated, driven out and defeated. The jealousy, bravery and courage of the entire generals and the fearlessness of the army, especially their obedience, I cannot sufficiently describe, in one word, commendable and unparalleled The act of soldiering left all foreign volunteers in amazement.” Russian losses amounted to 894 killed and 3,897 wounded. Saltykov almost did not pursue the Prussians, which allowed them to avoid complete defeat. After the battle of Palzig, the Russians occupied Frankfurt-on-Oder and united with the Austrians. The victory at Palzig raised the morale of the Russian troops and strengthened their faith in the new commander-in-chief.

Battle of Kunersdorf (1759). After joining with Laudon's corps (18 thousand people), Saltykov occupied Frankfurt-on-Oder. Frederick feared the Russian movement towards Berlin. At the end of July, his army crossed to the right bank of the Oder and went to the rear of the Russian-Austrian army. The Prussian king planned with his famous oblique attack to break through the left flank, where the Russian units were stationed, to press the Allied army to the river and destroy it. On August 1, 1759, at 11 a.m., near the village of Kunersdorf, the Prussian army led by King Frederick the Great (48 thousand people) attacked a pre-fortified position of Russian-Austrian troops under the command of General Saltykov (41 thousand Russians and 18 thousand Austrians) . The hottest battles took place over the heights of Mühlberg (left flank) and B. Spitz (the center of Saltykov’s army). The Prussian infantry, having created numerical superiority in this direction, managed to push back the Russian left flank, where units were located under the command of General Alexander Golitsyn. Having occupied Mühlberg, the Prussians installed artillery at this height, which opened longitudinal fire on the Russian positions. Frederick, no longer doubting victory, sent a messenger to the capital with news of success. But while the good news was rushing to Berlin, Russian guns hit Mühlberg. With precise fire they disrupted the ranks of the Prussian infantry, which was about to launch an attack from this height on the center of the Russian positions. Finally, the Prussians struck the main blow in the center, in the area of ​​the B. Spitz heights, where the regiments were stationed under the command of General Pyotr Rumyantsev. At the cost of heavy losses, the Prussian infantry managed to reach the height at which a fierce battle broke out. Russian soldiers showed great resilience and repeatedly launched counterattacks. The Prussian king brought up more and more forces, but in the “game of reserves” he was outplayed by the Russian commander-in-chief. Tightly controlling the course of the battle, Saltykov promptly sent reinforcements to the most threatened areas. To support his tortured infantry, Frederick sent General Seydlitz's cavalry shock forces into battle. But she suffered heavy losses from rifle and artillery fire and retreated after a short battle. After this, Rumyantsev led his soldiers into a bayonet counterattack. They overthrew the Prussian infantry and threw them from a height into a ravine. The surviving remnants of the Prussian cavalry made their way to the aid of their own, but were driven back by a blow from the right flank by Russian-Austrian units. At this turning point in the battle, Saltykov gave the order to launch a general offensive. Despite exhaustion after many hours of battle, the Russian soldiers found the strength to carry out a powerful attack, which turned the Prussian army into a wholesale rout. By seven in the evening it was all over. The Prussian army suffered a crushing defeat. Most of her soldiers fled, and after the battle Frederick had only 3 thousand people left under arms. The king’s condition is evidenced by his letter to one of his friends the day after the battle: “Everything is running, and I no longer have power over the army... A cruel misfortune, I will not survive it. The consequences of the battle will be worse than the battle itself: I have more There are no means and, to tell the truth, I consider everything lost." The Prussian damage amounted to over 7.6 thousand killed and 4.5 thousand prisoners and deserters. The Russians lost 2.6 thousand killed, 10.8 thousand wounded. Austrians - 0.89 thousand killed, 1.4 thousand wounded. Heavy losses, as well as contradictions with the Austrian command, did not allow Saltykov to use his triumph to capture Berlin and defeat Prussia. At the request of the Austrian command, instead of attacking Berlin, Russian troops went to Silesia. This gave Frederick the opportunity to come to his senses and recruit a new army.

Kunersdorf is the largest battle of the Seven Years' War and one of the most striking victories of Russian weapons in the 18th century. She promoted Saltykov to the list of outstanding Russian commanders. In this battle, he used traditional Russian military tactics - the transition from defense to offense. This is how Alexander Nevsky won on Lake Peipus, Dmitry Donskoy - on the Kulikovo Field, Peter the Great - near Poltava, Minikh - at Stavuchany. For the victory at Kunersdorf, Saltykov received the rank of field marshal. The participants in the battle were awarded a special medal with the inscription “To the winner over the Prussians.”

1760 Campaign

As Prussia weakened and the end of the war approached, the contradictions within the Allied camp intensified. Each of them achieved his own goals, which did not coincide with the intentions of his partners. Thus, France did not want the complete defeat of Prussia and wanted to preserve it as a counterbalance to Austria. She, in turn, sought to weaken Prussian power as much as possible, but sought to do this through the hands of the Russians. On the other hand, both Austria and France were united in the fact that Russia should not be allowed to grow stronger, and persistently protested against East Prussia joining it. Austria now sought to use the Russians, who had generally completed their tasks in the war, to conquer Silesia. When discussing the plan for 1760, Saltykov proposed moving military operations to Pomerania (an area on the Baltic coast). According to the commander, this region remained unravaged by the war and it was easy to get food there. In Pomerania, the Russian army could interact with the Baltic Fleet and receive reinforcements by sea, which strengthened its position in this region. In addition, the Russian occupation of Prussia's Baltic coast sharply reduced its trade relations and increased Frederick's economic difficulties. However, the Austrian leadership managed to convince Empress Elizabeth Petrovna to transfer the Russian army to Silesia for joint action. As a result, Russian troops were fragmented. Minor forces were sent to Pomerania, to besiege Kolberg (now the Polish city of Kolobrzeg), and the main ones to Silesia. The campaign in Silesia was characterized by inconsistency in the actions of the allies and Saltykov’s reluctance to destroy his soldiers in order to protect the interests of Austria. At the end of August, Saltykov became seriously ill, and command soon passed to Field Marshal Alexander Buturlin. The only striking episode in this campaign was the capture of Berlin by the corps of General Zakhar Chernyshev (23 thousand people).

Capture of Berlin (1760). On September 22, a Russian cavalry detachment under the command of General Totleben approached Berlin. According to the testimony of prisoners, there were only three infantry battalions and several cavalry squadrons in the city. After a short artillery preparation, Totleben stormed the Prussian capital on the night of September 23. At midnight, the Russians burst into the Gallic Gate, but were repulsed. The next morning, a Prussian corps led by the Prince of Württemberg (14 thousand people) approached Berlin. But at the same time, Chernyshev’s corps arrived in time to Totleben. By September 27, a 13,000-strong Austrian corps also approached the Russians. Then the Prince of Württemberg and his troops left the city in the evening. At 3 o'clock in the morning on September 28, envoys arrived from the city to the Russians with a message of agreement to surrender. After staying in the capital of Prussia for four days, Chernyshev destroyed the mint, the arsenal, took possession of the royal treasury and took an indemnity of 1.5 million thalers from the city authorities. But soon the Russians left the city upon news of the approaching Prussian army led by King Frederick II. According to Saltykov, the abandonment of Berlin was due to the inactivity of the Austrian commander-in-chief Daun, who gave the Prussian king the opportunity to “beat us as much as he pleases.” The capture of Berlin had more financial than military significance for the Russians. The symbolic side of this operation was no less important. This was the first capture of Berlin by Russian troops in history. It is interesting that in April 1945, before the decisive assault on the German capital, Soviet soldiers received a symbolic gift - copies of the keys to Berlin, given by the Germans to Chernyshev’s soldiers in 1760.

Campaign of 1761

In 1761, the Allies again failed to achieve coordinated action. This allowed Frederick, by successfully maneuvering, to once again avoid defeat. The main Russian forces continued to operate ineffectively together with the Austrians in Silesia. But the main success fell to the Russian units in Pomerania. This success was the capture of Kohlberg.

Capture of Kohlberg (1761). The first Russian attempts to take Kolberg (1758 and 1760) ended in failure. In September 1761, a third attempt was made. This time, the 22,000-strong corps of General Pyotr Rumyantsev, the hero of Gross-Jägersdorf and Kunersdorf, was moved to Kolberg. In August 1761, Rumyantsev, using a new for those times tactics of scattered formation, defeated the Prussian army under the command of the Prince of Württemberg (12 thousand people) on the approaches to the fortress. In this battle and subsequently, Russian ground forces were supported by the Baltic Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Polyansky. On September 3, the Rumyantsev corps began the siege. It lasted four months and was accompanied by actions not only against the fortress, but also against the Prussian troops, who threatened the besiegers from the rear. The Military Council spoke out three times in favor of lifting the siege, and only the unyielding will of Rumyantsev allowed the matter to be brought to a successful conclusion. On December 5, 1761, the garrison of the fortress (4 thousand people), seeing that the Russians were not leaving and were going to continue the siege in the winter, capitulated. The capture of Kolberg allowed Russian troops to capture the Baltic coast of Prussia.

The battles for Kolberg made an important contribution to the development of Russian and world military art. Here the beginning of a new military tactic of scattered formation was laid. It was under the walls of Kolberg that the famous Russian light infantry - the rangers - were born, the experience of which was then used by other European armies. Near Kolberg, Rumyantsev was the first to use battalion columns in combination with loose formation. This experience was then effectively used by Suvorov. This method of combat appeared in the West only during the wars of the French Revolution.

Peace with Prussia (1762). The capture of Kolberg was the last victory of the Russian army in the Seven Years' War. The news of the surrender of the fortress found Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on her deathbed. The new Russian Emperor Peter III concluded a separate peace with Prussia, then an alliance and freely returned to it all its territories, which by that time had been captured by the Russian army. This saved Prussia from inevitable defeat. Moreover, in 1762, Frederick was able, with the help of Chernyshev’s corps, which was now temporarily operating as part of the Prussian army, to oust the Austrians from Silesia. Although Peter III was overthrown in June 1762 by Catherine II and the treaty of alliance was terminated, the war was not resumed. The number of deaths in the Russian army in the Seven Years' War was 120 thousand people. Of these, approximately 80% were deaths from diseases, including the smallpox epidemic. The excess of sanitary losses over combat losses was also typical for other countries participating in the war at that time. It should be noted that the end of the war with Prussia was not only the result of the sentiments of Peter III. It had more serious reasons. Russia achieved its main goal - weakening the Prussian state. However, its complete collapse was hardly part of the plans of Russian diplomacy, since it primarily strengthened Austria, Russia’s main competitor in the future division of the European part of the Ottoman Empire. And the war itself has long threatened the Russian economy with financial disaster. Another question is that the “knightly” gesture of Peter III towards Frederick II did not allow Russia to fully benefit from the fruits of its victories.

Results of the war. Fierce fighting also took place in other theaters of military operations of the Seven Years' War: in the colonies and at sea. In the Treaty of Hubertusburg in 1763 with Austria and Saxony, Prussia secured Silesia. According to the Paris Peace Treaty of 1763, Canada and the East were transferred to Great Britain from France. Louisiana, most of the French possessions in India. The main result of the Seven Years' War was the victory of Great Britain over France in the struggle for colonial and trade primacy.

For Russia, the consequences of the Seven Years' War turned out to be much more valuable than its results. She significantly increased the combat experience, military art and authority of the Russian army in Europe, which had previously been seriously shaken by Minich’s wanderings in the steppes. The battles of this campaign gave birth to a generation of outstanding commanders (Rumyantsev, Suvorov) and soldiers who achieved striking victories in the “age of Catherine.” It can be said that most of Catherine’s successes in foreign policy were prepared by the victories of Russian weapons in the Seven Years’ War. In particular, Prussia suffered huge losses in this war and could not actively interfere with Russian policy in the West in the second half of the 18th century. In addition, under the influence of impressions brought from the fields of Europe, ideas about agricultural innovations and rationalization of agriculture arose in Russian society after the Seven Years' War. Interest in foreign culture, in particular literature and art, is also growing. All these sentiments developed during the next reign.

"From Ancient Rus' to the Russian Empire." Shishkin Sergey Petrovich, Ufa.

04/24/1762 (05/07). - Peter III concluded an agreement between Russia and Prussia, Russia’s withdrawal from the Seven Years’ War of 1756–1763.

Seven Years' War 1756-1763

The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) is the largest military conflict of modern times, involving all European powers, as well as North America, the Caribbean, India, and the Philippines. In this war, Austria lost 400 thousand killed, Prussia - 262,500, France - 168 thousand, Russia - 138 thousand, England - 20 thousand, Spain - 3 thousand. In total, more than 600 thousand soldiers and 700 thousand civilians were killed. This war was later called by W. Churchill “the First World War.”

The main reason for the war was the clash of colonial interests of Great Britain, France and Spain; the escalation of military clashes in the overseas colonies led in May 1756 to Great Britain declaring war on France. But we will not consider overseas colonial rivalry here; we will limit ourselves to the European theater of military operations. In August of the same year, the Prussian king Frederick II invaded Saxony with an army of 60,000 and forced its army to capitulate in October. The main confrontation in Europe was between Austria and Prussia over the rich Silesia that Austria had lost in the previous Silesian Wars with the Prussians. From the end of 1756, Russia found itself drawn into a war in a coalition with Austria, France, Spain, Saxony, Sweden, which was opposed by a coalition of Prussia, Great Britain (in a union with Hanover) and Portugal. perceived the strengthening of Prussia as a threat to Russian western borders and interests in the Baltic states and northern Europe. Russia's close ties with Austria, a treaty of alliance with which was signed back in 1746, also influenced Russia's choice in this conflict. (Further in the text, to the dates according to the Julian calendar, we also add in parentheses the then dates according to the Gregorian calendar - since military operations took place in Europe.)

The 70,000-strong Russian army began hostilities in May 1757. However, due to the extraordinary restrictions on the actions of the commander-in-chief, Field Marshal S.F. Apraksin and his superior strategists did not take any drastic steps. Apraksin decided to cross the Prussian border only in June. Military operations developed successfully for Russia: Memmel was taken on June 24 (July 5), and the first serious clash with the Prussians at Gross-Jägersdorf on August 19 (30) brought victory to the Russians. Nevertheless, at the military council of the army, it was decided to retreat from East Prussia back to Lithuania due to the breakdown of the economic sector; in addition, according to rumors, Apraksin expected that Empress Elizabeth, who was seriously ill at that time, could be replaced on the throne any day now by a man known for his love for Prussia and its order - and therefore all the sacrifices would be in vain. The field marshal was not mistaken, although another five years had to pass before this, during which the Russian army achieved a number of successes that impressed Europe.

In October 1757, Apraksin was removed by the Empress from the post of commander-in-chief for his slowness, recalled to St. Petersburg and arrested (and a year later he died in prison from a stroke). Chief General Willim Fermor became the new commander-in-chief of the Russian forces. At the beginning of 1758, he occupied, without meeting resistance, all of East Prussia. The main goal of the war for Russia was achieved: East Prussia was converted into a Russian general government for the next 4 years. The Prussian population, sworn to Russian citizenship, did not oppose our troops, and the local authorities were favorably disposed towards Russia. (We must also not forget that these lands were not originally German; the local Slavic and Baltic peoples were assimilated during the German “Drang nach Osten” by the 13th century.)

In July 1758, the Russian army besieged Küstrin, a key fortress on the way to Berlin. Frederick stepped forward. A bloody battle took place on August 14 (25) near the village of Zorndorf and called into question the competence of the Russian commander-in-chief. At a critical moment in the battle, Fermor left the army and leadership of the battle, appearing only towards the end. But even in the chaotic battle, the Russian soldiers showed such amazing tenacity that Frederick uttered his famous words: “It was not enough to kill the Russians, it was also necessary to knock them down.” Both sides fought until exhaustion and suffered huge losses. The Russian army lost 16,000 people, the Prussians 11,000. The opponents spent the night on the battlefield, but the next day Fermor was the first to withdraw his troops, thereby giving Frederick a reason to attribute the victory to himself.

However, the Zorndorf massacre did not have strategic consequences: according to military historian A. Kersnovsky, both armies “broke against each other.” In moral terms, Zorndorf was a Russian victory and another blow for the “invincible” Friedrich.

In May 1759, Chief General P.S. was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army, concentrated at that time in Poznan, instead of Fermor. Saltykov. The 40,000-strong Russian army marched west to the Oder River, in the direction of the city of Krosen, intending to link up with the Austrian troops there. On July 12 (23), at the Battle of Palzig, Saltykov completely defeated the 28,000-strong corps of the Prussian General Wedel and occupied Frankfurt-on-Oder, where about a week later Russian troops met with the Austrian allies.

At this time, the Prussian king was moving towards them from the south. He crossed to the right bank of the Oder near the village of Kunersdorf. On August 1 (12), 1759, the famous battle of the Seven Years' War took place there. Frederick was completely defeated; out of an army of 48 thousand, by his own admission, he did not have even 3 thousand soldiers left. He wrote to his minister after the battle: “... everything is lost. I will not survive the death of my Fatherland. Goodbye forever".

After the victory at Kunersdorf, the Allies could only deliver the final blow, take Berlin, the road to which was clear, and thereby force Prussia to capitulate, but disagreements in their camp did not allow them to use the victory and end the war. Instead of attacking Berlin, they withdrew their troops away, accusing each other of violating allied obligations. Frederick himself called his unexpected salvation “the miracle of the House of Brandenburg.”

In 1760, Frederick had difficulty raising the size of his army to 120,000 soldiers. The Franco-Austro-Russian troops by this time numbered up to 220,000 soldiers. However, as in previous years, the numerical superiority of the Allies was negated by the lack of a unified plan and coordination in actions. The Prussian king tried to prevent the actions of the Austrians in Silesia, but was defeated in August. Having barely escaped encirclement, Frederick soon lost his own capital, which was attacked by Major General Totleben. At the military council in Berlin, due to the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Russians and Austrians, the Prussians decided to retreat. The garrison left in the city brought the capitulation of Totleben as the general who first besieged Berlin.

On the morning of September 28 (Oct 9), 1760, the Russian detachment of Totleben and the Austrians entered Berlin. In the city, guns and rifles were captured, gunpowder and weapons warehouses were blown up. An indemnity was imposed on the population. “The Prussian “newspapers” who wrote all sorts of libels and fables about Russia and the Russian army were duly flogged,” notes Kersnovsky. “This event hardly made them special Russophiles, but it is one of the most comforting episodes in our history.” Panin's corps and Krasnoshchekov's Cossacks took over the pursuit of the enemy; they managed to defeat the Prussian rearguard and capture more than a thousand prisoners. However, at the news of the approach of Frederick with the main forces of the Prussians, the allies, maintaining manpower, left the capital of Prussia.

On October 23 (November 3), 1760, the last major battle of the Seven Years' War between the Prussians and Austrians took place near Torgau. Frederick won a Pyrrhic victory, losing 40% of his army in one day. He was no longer able to make up for the losses and abandoned offensive actions. No one in Europe, not excluding Frederick himself, at this time no longer believed that Prussia would be able to avoid defeat: the resources of a small country were incommensurate with the power of its opponents. Frederick had already begun to propose peace negotiations through intermediaries.

But at this moment, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna dies, always determined to continue the war to a victorious end, “even if she had to sell half of her dresses to do this.” On December 25, 1761, according to Elizabeth’s manifesto, Peter III ascended to the Russian throne, who saved Prussia from defeat by concluding the Peace of St. Petersburg with Frederick, his longtime idol, on April 24 (May 5), 1762.

As a result, Russia voluntarily abandoned all its important acquisitions in this war (East Prussia) and even provided Frederick with a corps under the command of Count Z. G. Chernyshev for the war against the Austrians, its recent allies. This policy of Peter III, which insulted the sacrifices made in the war, caused outrage in Russian society, contributed to the decline of his popularity and, ultimately, his overthrow. She overthrew her spouse, terminated the alliance treaty with Prussia and recalled Chernyshev’s corps, but did not continue the war again, considering it unnecessary for Russia at this time.

As a result of this turn of events, at the beginning of 1763, the Seven Years' War ended with the victory of the Anglo-Prussian coalition, which significantly influenced the appearance of the subsequent world. The war ended the power of France in America: the French ceded to England Canada, East Louisiana, some islands of the Caribbean, as well as the bulk of their colonies in India. And Great Britain established itself as the dominant colonial power, spreading the English language across the planet.

Prussia confirmed its rights to Silesia and the County of Glatz, and also finally entered the circle of leading European powers. This led at the end of the 19th century to the unification of the German lands led by Prussia (and not with Austria, which previously seemed quite logical).

Russia gained nothing in this war except military experience and greater influence on European affairs. Although the St. Petersburg Conference of the Allies constantly sought to make the Russian army an auxiliary force for the Austrians, Europe was able to verify the fighting qualities of our army, the only army of the anti-Prussian coalition, which, based on the results of the battles with the “victorious” Prussians, had a positive result. Despite the territorial outcome that was inconclusive for us, the Seven Years' War glorified the power of Russian weapons in Europe.

Discussion: 11 comments

Please explain what kind of phenomenon this is in Russian history - Peter III?

Again I read a libel against Tsar Peter Fedorovich!!! YES, someday this disgusting will end, not only did his wife and her lovers kill the Lawful Emperor, but they have been mocking him for 250 years already... I could also understand this by reading on some stupid communist or liberal site, but reading the repetition of all sorts of nonsense on the monarchist website is simply unbearable...
I have another question for the author of the article: WHY THE HELL did we even get involved in this whole European squabble? What was the threat to us and where did it come from?? By the way, Poland separated us from Prussia at that time! This is the first thing, and secondly, it was not Frederick the Great, but we who declared war on Prussia! The question is - for what? She did not attack us, and there were no military threats...Frederick simply spoke unfavorably about Elizaveta Petrovna - so what, is this a reason for war? And the death of 120,000 Russian soldiers? So, which was the wiser Sovereign, “the feeble-minded Peter III” or the “wisest Daughter of Petrov”??

Awesome summary, I got 10 for it

ok everything is explained

Leonidov - Peter III was a fool according to all the reviews of his contemporaries, incl. foreign diplomats.
Why did we go to war with Frederick - the anti-Prussian direction of Russian foreign policy was determined in 1745, we began to prepare for war directly in 1753 in order to take advantage of any pretext, and even planned to involve the Austrians in it, not knowing that they were also planning at this time to involve us in the war. The nonsense that Frederick simply spoke badly about Elizabeth and therefore we fought with him is generally unworthy even of the 20th century, not to mention the 21st century. Prussian tales. In fact, since 1944, our diplomats, both Bestuzhev brothers, persuaded Elizabeth that Prussia was dangerous, that its strengthening was a threat to Russia, that it would oust Russia from its spheres of influence. in the first watered Frederick’s will in 1752, with the king’s general fear of fighting with Russia, he at the same time argues that Russia needs to create as many problems as possible, he needs a civil war in Russia and its division between two dynasties, it is advisable to push the Swedes into Russia , then you can either receive from the Swedes for helping Pomerania, or capture the approx. provinces of Russia. Frederick conducted systematic anti-Russian intrigues in Sweden, Poland, Turkey, Crimea, displacing Russian influence on affairs from there in order to exclude Russia from European affairs. They knew all this in St. Petersburg, and therefore they decided to turn Prussia into a second-rate state. It would take too long to write further, but by the beginning of 1762, Russia was actually the leading power in Europe, on which Austria depended, against which France could diplomatically do nothing, with which Britain wanted to be friends and which crushed Prussia. All that remained was to secure this position legally - at a peace congress, at which Russia would legally become the leading force in Europe. If this had happened, there would be no Crimean Wars, no divisions of unfortunate Poland and no long enmity under Catherine with Austria and France. the history of all of Europe was different. And all this was destroyed by the German prince on the throne, for whom Russia was only an appendage to Holstein.
Unfortunately, Elizabeth did not become Great, as six months in the life of one woman means a lot in history. And to this day, her great era, the era of the Russian national revival, has been forgotten, spat upon and slandered.

Peter III is a truly great sovereign, who managed to pass as many laws that were most useful for Russia and its people in six months as “great” Catherine did not accept during her 33 years of reign. It is enough to name the law on freedom of religion, incl. providing for the complete rehabilitation of the original Orthodox Old Believers... Etc. And Peter III did not return the conquered East Prussia to Frederick II, although he led Russia out of a meaningless war for it (Russian occupation troops continued to remain there). East Prussia was returned to Frederick II by Catherine - that’s right! Read the actual history, not the myths launched by the husband-killer and usurper of the throne, the depraved woman Catherine... Under Elizabeth Petrovna, during the Seven Years' War, Catherine's mother (former mistress of Frederick II) and she herself were caught red-handed in military espionage for Prussia . After that, the mother was expelled from Russia, and Elizaveta Petrovna pardoned Catherine, in order to avoid discrediting the Russian throne (the wife of the heir to the throne). Therefore, in the future, Catherine never fought with Frederick and, together with Prussia, divided Poland... Peter’s popularity was very great among the people, which was used by impostors with his name not only in Russia (Pugachev), but also abroad (Stephan Maly in Montenegro) .

Our troops fought heroically. We cleaned up East Prussia. We entered Berlin. We hit Friedrich from the first to the thirteenth.
But the damned question remains unanswered - WHY?

The Old Believer - Peter III and returned East Prussia to Frederick, he signed such an agreement with him.
The troops remained there to support the war between Rumyantsev’s corps and Denmark for Holstein, which Peter III planned to start in the summer of 1762, but was killed.
Peter III corresponded with Frederick during the war, and within a few years he promoted him to general of the Prussian army, claiming that this was only because of the military talents that he saw in his letters.
Catherine's mother, Johanna Elisabeth, was expelled from Russia long before the war with Prussia. No one caught Catherine in espionage, and there is still no evidence of their connections with Frederick during the Seven Years' War, but there is evidence of Peter III's connections with him during the same war. Catherine indeed confirmed the terms of peace with Prussia.
The fact that Catherine’s mother was Friedrich’s mistress is a fairy tale; Friedrich did not tolerate women, he had a weakness for men.
Peter III was not popular. He simply would not have had time to physically conquer it - his name was only a pretext for anti-Catherine actions, and in Montenegro it was simply a symbol of Russia.

For the amateur - this is how everything is written - why, it is written below. Then why did Peter fight with the Swedes? Only Peter won the war and crushed his enemy forever, Sweden was not dangerous for Russia from then on, and Elizabeth did not have time.

Very worthy and good essay. I really liked it.

Expert, you are wrong.
I categorically disagree with your nonsense, based on Romanov (or whatever it is - Holstein-Gottorp, interpreted differently) historiography.
That Catherine the 2nd. was not officially convicted of having connections with Frederick, this does not mean that she is not a spy.

The Union Treaty was drawn up in two copies; they have not been preserved (officially). But testimonies of people who saw this agreement have been preserved. These testimonies (from different parties) indicate a different text of the union agreement.

Nhjkkm, I'm right, but you're wrong. You don't even understand what we're talking about. It was about Catherine's mother, not about herself. Peter III was a spy, this is a well-known fact. Catherine was not caught - that means she is not a spy, but the opposite opinion is a delusional fantasy. I don’t know Romanov historiography, and it’s better for you to base yourself on it, and not invent who knows what. All alliance agreements with Prussia (I just don’t know which one you are writing about specifically, under Peter III or under Catherine) have been preserved with us. Both in the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in Martens’ publications before the revolution. There is no need to fantasize and rave.

In the 18th century, a serious military conflict called the Seven Years' War broke out. The largest European states, including Russia, were involved in it. You can learn about the causes and consequences of this war from our article.

Decisive reasons

The military conflict, which turned into the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763, was not unexpected. It has been brewing for a long time. On the one hand, it was strengthened by the constant clashes of interests between England and France, and on the other, by Austria, which did not want to come to terms with the victory of Prussia in the Silesian Wars. But the confrontations might not have become so large-scale if two new political unions had not formed in Europe - the Anglo-Prussian and the Franco-Austrian. England feared that Prussia would seize Hanover, which belonged to the English king, so it decided on an agreement. The second alliance was the result of the conclusion of the first. Other countries took part in the war under the influence of these states, also pursuing their own goals.

The following are the significant reasons for the Seven Years' War:

• Constant competition between England and France, especially for the possession of the Indian and American colonies, intensified in 1755;
• Prussia's desire to seize new territories and significantly influence European politics;
• Austria's desire to regain Silesia, lost in the last war;
• Russia's dissatisfaction with the increased influence of Prussia and plans to take over the eastern part of Prussian lands;
• Sweden's thirst to take Pomerania from Prussia.

Rice. 1. Map of the Seven Years' War.

Important events

England was the first to officially announce the start of hostilities against France in May 1756. In August of the same year, Prussia, without warning, attacked Saxony, which was bound by an alliance with Austria and belonged to Poland. The battles unfolded rapidly. Spain joined France, and Austria won over not only France itself, but also Russia, Poland, and Sweden. Thus, France fought on two fronts at once. Battles took place actively both on land and on water. The course of events is reflected in the chronological table on the history of the Seven Years' War:

date	Event that happened
	England declares war on France
	Naval battle of the English and French fleets near Minorca
	France captured Minorca
August 1756	Prussian attack on Saxony
	The Saxon army surrendered to Prussia
November 1756	France captured Corsica
January 1757	Union Treaty of Russia and Austria
	The defeat of Frederick II in Bohemia
	Treaty between France and Austria at Versailles
	Russia officially entered the war
	Victory of Russian troops at Groß-Jägersdorf
October 1757	French defeat at Rosbach
December 1757	Prussia completely occupied Silesia
beginning 1758	Russia occupied East Prussia, incl. Koenigsberg
August 1758	Bloody Battle of Zorndorf
	Victory of Russian troops at Palzig
August 1759	Battle of Kunersdorf, won by Russia
September 1760	England captured Montreal - France lost Canada completely
August 1761	Convention between France and Spain on the Second Entry into the War
early December 1761	Russian troops captured the Prussian fortress of Kolberg
	Empress of Russia Elizaveta Petrovna died
	England declared war on Spain
	The agreement between Peter ΙΙΙ, who ascended the Russian throne, and Frederick ΙΙ; Sweden signed an agreement with Prussia in Hamburg
	Overthrow of Peter II. Catherine ΙΙ began to rule, breaking the treaty with Prussia
February 1763	Signing of the Paris and Hubertusburg Peace Treaties

After the death of Empress Elizabeth, the new Emperor Peter ΙΙΙ, who supported the policy of the Prussian king, concluded the St. Petersburg Peace and Treaty of Alliance with Prussia in 1762. According to the first, Russia ceased hostilities and renounced all occupied lands, and according to the second, it was supposed to provide military support to the Prussian army.

Rice. 2. Russia's participation in the Seven Years' War.

Consequences of the war

The war was over due to the depletion of military resources in both allied armies, but the advantage was on the side of the Anglo-Prussian coalition. The result of this in 1763 was the signing of the Paris Peace Treaty of England and Portugal with France and Spain, as well as the Treaty of Hubertusburg - Austria and Saxony with Prussia. The concluded agreements summed up the results of military operations:

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• France lost a large number of colonies, giving England Canada, part of the Indian lands, East Louisiana, and islands in the Caribbean. Western Louisiana had to be given to Spain, in return for what was promised at the conclusion of the Union of Minorca;
• Spain returned Florida to England and ceded Minorca;
• England gave Havana to Spain and several important islands to France;
• Austria lost its rights to Silesia and neighboring lands. They became part of Prussia;
• Russia did not lose or gain any land, but showed Europe its military capabilities, increasing its influence there.

So Prussia became one of the leading European states. England, having supplanted France, became the largest colonial empire.

King Frederick II of Prussia proved himself to be a competent military leader. Unlike other rulers, he personally took charge of the army. In other states, commanders changed quite often and did not have the opportunity to make completely independent decisions.

Rice. 3. King of Prussia Frederick ΙΙ the Great.

What have we learned?

After reading a history article for grade 7, which briefly talks about the Seven Years' War, which lasted from 1756 to 1763, we learned the main facts. We met the main participants: England, Prussia, France, Austria, Russia, and examined important dates, causes and results of the war. We remember under which ruler Russia lost its position in the war.

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Theory of wars Kvasha Grigory Semenovich

Chapter 7 THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR (1756–1763)

SEVEN YEARS' WAR (1756–1763)

Analyzing this war, as indeed all other wars, through territorial claims or dynastic issues is counterproductive. Moreover, the war turned out to be serious and it brought together the Empire (Russia), its Double (Prussia), five minutes before the Empire (England), five minutes before its Double (France), the just defeated Double (Sweden) - etc. And the majority were in their Ideological period, which, in fact, determined the harsh nature of the war.

1756 - alliances are overturned. England, which has always focused on Austria, finds a new ally - Prussia; Austria, which has always argued with France, is forced to find a common language with it. And this unexpected ensemble is led by a “new kid” in the club of European superpowers – Russia. The systematic beating of Prussia begins. The monster will have to fight a coalition of the three strongest continental powers and their allies, which he dubbed the “union of three women” (Maria Theresa, Elizabeth and Madame Pompadour). However, behind the jokes of the Prussian king in relation to his opponents lies uncertainty in his capabilities: the forces in the war on the continent are too unequal, and England, which does not have a strong land army, except for subsidies, can do little to help him.

1756 - Prussia invades Saxony. This financially and economically prosperous power was militarily very weak. The invasion and plunder of a small and generally defenseless state certainly made a strong impression on everyone.

1757 - Prussia invades Bohemia and Silesia. Having taken Prague, Frederick moved on to Vienna. But the blitzkrieg failed; the Austrians inflicted a rather severe defeat on the Prussians. However, by the end of the year, Frederick again turned the situation around, winning a victory on December 5 in Silesia (at Leuthen). As a result of this victory, the situation that existed at the beginning of the year was restored. Thus, the result of the campaign was a “combat draw.” At the beginning of the same year, France pressed back the Prussian army, but on November 5, Frederick completely defeated them with a sudden blow. And again in the same year, Prussia is at war with Russia. The Russian army wins a number of victories in East Prussia, but is not going to take advantage of the results of the victories and retreats back.

1758 - having replaced the commander, the Russian army captures all of East Prussia, including Koenigsberg. On August 14, the decisive Battle of Zorndorf takes place. According to Carl Clausewitz, this was the strangest battle in the history of the Seven Years' War, referring to its chaotic, unpredictable course. Having begun “according to the rules,” it eventually resulted in a great massacre, breaking up into many separate battles in which Russian soldiers showed unsurpassed tenacity. According to Friedrich, it was not enough to kill them, it was also necessary to knock them down. Both sides fought until exhaustion and suffered huge losses. The Russian army lost 16 thousand people, the Prussians - 11 thousand. The next day, Frederick turned his army around and led it into Saxony.

1759 - fighting on three fronts is practically hopeless; on August 12, Prussia suffered a decisive defeat (Battle of Kunersdorf), Frederick was completely defeated. After the victory at Kunersdorf, the Allies could only deliver the final blow, take Berlin, the road to which was clear, and thereby force Prussia to capitulate, but disagreements in their camp did not allow them to use the victory and end the war. Instead of attacking Berlin, they withdrew their troops away, accusing each other of violating allied obligations. Frederick himself called his unexpected salvation “the miracle of the House of Brandenburg.”

1760 - October 9, Russians enter Berlin. But they immediately leave him. On November 3, Frederick wins his last victory (at Torgau), but this victory practically deprives him of his army; there is no one else to fight. All that remains is to finish off the dead Prussia, but then Elizaveta Petrovna dies and Russia, from Prussia’s enemy, becomes its ally. That same theoretical somersault (Two-Empire Truce). The second miracle of the Brandenburg House is a completely unique theoretical phenomenon.

Elizaveta Petrovna, who once declared her determination to continue the war to a victorious end, even if she had to sell half of her dresses, leaves the throne to Peter III, a fierce admirer of Frederick II. Russia voluntarily renounces all its acquisitions in this war, in particular East Prussia, whose inhabitants, including the philosopher Kant, have already sworn allegiance to the Russian crown. Moreover, Frederick was given a corps under the command of Count Chernyshev for the war against the Austrians, his recent allies.

But this is not some shabby state of the West, this is the Empire, a force that never makes historical mistakes (the principle of Imperial infallibility). The war with Prussia is frozen, the defeat is postponed 200 years into the future. This is the scenario of world history. Early, too early... they could have lost the main participant of the Central episode.

The fact that the freezing of Prussia was not a historical accident is proven by the behavior of Catherine II. Having overthrown her husband and recalled Chernyshev’s corps, she does not renew the war, giving Frederick the opportunity to recover and end the war quietly and without much loss. Some even credit Prussia with the victory. Well, if placing a half-corpse in the refrigerator can be considered a victory, then why not. In the near future, the half-corpse, after being re-frozen, will be taken out and sent to war again. But this time the Russians will not give up Koenigsberg.

By the way, about the solidarity of Monsters. Not only Hitler admired Frederick the Great, but also Napoleon. How they smell each other!

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Believing the oaths of a traitor is the same as believing the piety of the devil

Elizabeth 1

The fifties of the 18th century brought changes in the political situation in Europe. Austria has lost its position. England and France were in a state of conflict in the struggle for dominance on the American continent. The German army developed at a rapid pace and was considered invincible in Europe.

Causes of the war

By 1756, two coalitions had emerged in Europe. As mentioned above, England and France determined who would dominate the American continent. The British secured the support of the Germans. The French won over Austria, Saxony and Russia.

The course of the war - the basis of the event

The war was started by the German king Frederick II. He struck Saxony and in August 1756 completely destroyed its army. Russia, fulfilling its allied duty, sends an army led by General Apraksin to help. The Russians were given the task of capturing Koenigsberg, which was guarded by a forty thousand-strong German army. A major battle between the Russian and German armies took place near the village of Gross-Jägersdorf. On August 19, 1757, the Russians defeated the German troops, forcing them to flee. The myth of the invincibility of the German army was dispelled. A key role in this victory was played by P.A. Rumyantsev, who connected reserves in time and dealt a terrible blow to the Germans. The commander of the Russian army, Apraksin S.F., knowing that Empress Elizabeth was sick and her heir Peter sympathized with the Germans, ordered the Russian army not to pursue the Germans. This step allowed the Germans to calmly retreat and quickly gather their strength again.

Empress Elizabeth recovered and removed Apraksin from command of the army. Seven Years' War 1757-1762 continued. Fermor V.V. began to control the Russian army. Soon after his appointment, in 1757 Fermor took possession of Koenisberg. Empress Elizabeth was pleased with this conquest and in January 1578 signed a decree according to which the lands of East Prussia were transferred to Russia.

In 1758, a new major battle took place between the Russian and German armies. It happened near the village of Zorndorf. The Germans attacked fiercely, they had the advantage. Fermor shamefully fled from the battlefield, but the Russian army survived, again defeating the Germans.

In 1759, P.S. Saltykov was appointed commander of the Russian army, who in the first year inflicted a severe defeat on the Germans near Kunersdorf. After this, the Russian army continued its advance to the west and captured Berlin in September 1760. In 1761, the large German fortress of Kolberg fell.

End of hostilities

Allied troops did not help either Russia or Prussia. Drawn into this war by France on the one hand and England on the other, the Russians and Germans exterminated each other while the British and French decided on their world domination.

After the fall of Kohlberg, the Prussian king Frederick II was in despair. German history says that he tried to abdicate the throne several times. There are cases when at the same time Frederick II tried to commit suicide. When it seemed that the situation was hopeless, the unexpected happened. Elizabeth died in Russia. Her successor was Peter 3, married to a German princess and with a love for everything German. This emperor shamefully signed an alliance treaty with Prussia, as a result of which Russia received absolutely nothing. For seven years, Russians shed blood in Europe, but this did not produce any results for the country. The traitor emperor, as Peter 3 was called in the Russian army, saved Germany from destruction by signing an alliance. For this he paid with his life.

An alliance treaty with Prussia was signed in 1761. After Catherine 2 came to power in 1762, this agreement was terminated, however, the empress did not risk sending Russian troops to Europe again.

Key events:

• 1756 - Defeat of France by England. The beginning of Russia's war against Prussia.
• 1757 - Russian victory in the battle of Groß-Jägersdorf. Prussian victory in France and Austria at Rosbach.
• 1758 - Russian troops took Konigsberg
• 1759 - Victory of the Russian army in the battle of Kunersdorf
• 1760 - Capture of Berlin by the Russian army
• 1761 - Victory in the battle of Kolberg fortress
• 1762 - Peace Treaty between Prussia and Russia. Return to Frederick 2 of all lands lost during the war
• 1763 - The Seven Years' War ended