Why Did The French And British Establish Global Empires In The 1600s
The French and British constantly came into conflict as they began to establish global empires in the 1600s and 1700s. This was not the beginning of the two nations’ feud with each other. Not only was it not the beginning, but it was not the only thing the French and British fought over. The French and the British have had over hundreds of battles with each other. These deadly battles ranging from the year 1066 to the year 1815 and it is what the French and British are well known for. The disputes that took place over the land and the amount of power in Europe caused a lot of wars between the two countries. The French and the British fought each other continuously, but they had similar ambitions, thus creating more tension. They had been going against each other so long they had not realized how similar they were. Two nations that strive for the same thing can only go two ways, and that’s either through peace or through war. They
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obviously chose many decades of war, their hatred for each other was caused because they both wanted things for themselves. There are so many incidents that have happened that have caused the French and the British to rebel against each other for multiple centuries. The Battle of Hastings was part of the beginning of this long lasting rivalry between the French and British.
The night before October 13, 1066, William the Conquer had learned of his enemy’s approach, Harold Godwineson. The next morning, when his opponent did not attack, William went out to find them. On October 14, 1066, the day of the Battle of Hastings, William and his army surprised Harold’s men. A dispute over which cousin, Edward the confessor who would claim the British throne is what led up to the anger fused battle. However when Harold was crowned king, William became extremely upset and that’s when the war truly started. After the battle, William who was fighting for the French. They declared and crowned themselves the kings of England. The people of England did not seize with ease, and in 1069 they revolted, but it did not end well. This feud between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans began before Harold and William met. So the rivalry had been sparked before the Battle of Hastings, but that battle is what ignited the
fire. Ever since the invasion the British and the French have disliked each other to some extent. The years to come, after the Battle of Hastings, only ignited more battles of death. About a hundred years after the battle, in 1106, King Henry reunited England and the Norman’s, but this did not have much effect. In 1346, King Edward III invaded the coast of Normandy. This invasion took place during the period of the Hundred Years’ War, it went from 1337 to 1453. The war that took over a hundred years was started because of a dispute over the succession of the French land. England had ruled over half of France and the French wanted this territory back. Over twelve different battles had taken place over that time period. The victories between the French and the British went back and forth. In 1360, the British had won the Battle of Crecy. This victory caused the French to begin to gain back most of the land. The Hundred Years’ War ended with the Battle of Castillon. Henry VI sent an army to Southwestern France after being driven out of the Northern part of France. The French won again and a part of France. The War of the Austrian Succession, also known as King George’s War, was led by Maria Theresa of Austria. After her father’s death, France and their allies begin to invade Austria. Prussia captured Silesia and after seeing France invade Austria, Prussia invaded again also. Maria Theresa, the young queen, received help from Hungary. With the Hungarians by her , they were able to take back Silesia and get rid of any enemies who wanted to take Austrian territory. The British were Maria Theresa’s main support; they helped defeat the French in the Battle of Dettingen. The war ended in October 1748 with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle the treaty was greatly consulted by the French and British. However, the Treaty did not resolve any of the conflicts between the French and the British. The War of the Austrian Succession was from 1740 to 1748. It played a part in leading into the Seven Years’ War. The war began in 1756 and lasted until 1763. In Europe, the Prussians were fighting against Austrian and Russians. The Prussians were aided by the British and the French helped the Austrians. Britain and France both wanted to seize each other’s territories overseas, so the fighting between the two nations became a global war. In the United States, the war is called the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War was between British America and New France; both sides were guided by their countries Great Britain and France. The French Indian War began in 1754; it was the final stages of the war. The Seven Years’ War ended with the Treaty of Paris in the year 1763. The French was forced to give up New France, also known as Canada, to the British. Britain was now the world’s leading colonial empire. Between the years of 1789 and 1799 was the French Revolution. The French Revolution did not only affect France, but also other nations surrounding it. The revolution was a sudden change in social and political beliefs. Monarchies were overthrown and churches were not as upheld as they were before. They both began to lose their power over the people. With the monarchy in such critical conditions in France, Napoleon was able to become extremely powerful in just a little amount of time. With Napoleon in power, this quickly leads to the Napoleonic wars. In 1803, the start of the Napoleonic wars, Britain was once again back at war with their sworn enemies. Their time of peace had come to an end. Napoleon wanted to expand the French Empire; he actually tried to make the British surrender by cutting off their trade with the main lands of Europe. The war was continuous and there was unceasing anger between the French and several other nations fighting towards them. However, the British were the most angry considering their past history as rivalries. The war was gruesome until the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815 when the British and the Prussians defeated Napoleon and his army. After the defeat of the Napoleonic wars the French tried to go back to the lifestyle of 1789, but the outcome was not exactly what they had wanted and they were on their way back to monarchies. Other Rulers in Europe wanted to take precautions after the domination of Napoleon because they wanted to prevent something like the French Revolution in their own countries. With the results of the Napoleonic Wars, the British became the world power of the next century. The British and the French were continuously coming into conflict for over 700 years. In each battle they portrayed so much hatred for each other as they killed off millions of each other’s people. These two rivals rebelled against each other with so much passion, but in the majority of their wars they were fighting for the same thing. Instead of coming to a peaceful agreement they chose centuries of war. So many peoples’ lives were taken because these two nations could never see eye to eye. Still today, people are raised to hate each other because of what has happened in the French and British history. The world is just waiting for the next fuse to be lit and these two nations are at each other’s throats once an again. The two countries have been at peace for years now. That does not mean they cannot go back to war with each other because just like in the year 1803 they were attacking each other again after ten years of peace. So, the war between France and Britain did not start in the 1600s, but 500 years before that. Not only did this raging anger towards each other not start over the establishment of global empires, but over English land. The two nations have had multiple encounters with each other where all they can recall is blood splatter from the opposing nation and the blood of their people. The two nations have come into conflict many time, but they have also cooperated together to create beautiful things.
obviously chose many decades of war, their hatred for each other was caused because they both wanted things for themselves. There are so many incidents that have happened that have caused the French and the British to rebel against each other for multiple centuries. The Battle of Hastings was part of the beginning of this long lasting rivalry between the French and British.
The night before October 13, 1066, William the Conquer had learned of his enemy’s approach, Harold Godwineson. The next morning, when his opponent did not attack, William went out to find them. On October 14, 1066, the day of the Battle of Hastings, William and his army surprised Harold’s men. A dispute over which cousin, Edward the confessor who would claim the British throne is what led up to the anger fused battle. However when Harold was crowned king, William became extremely upset and that’s when the war truly started. After the battle, William who was fighting for the French. They declared and crowned themselves the kings of England. The people of England did not seize with ease, and in 1069 they revolted, but it did not end well. This feud between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans began before Harold and William met. So the rivalry had been sparked before the Battle of Hastings, but that battle is what ignited the
fire. Ever since the invasion the British and the French have disliked each other to some extent. The years to come, after the Battle of Hastings, only ignited more battles of death. About a hundred years after the battle, in 1106, King Henry reunited England and the Norman’s, but this did not have much effect. In 1346, King Edward III invaded the coast of Normandy. This invasion took place during the period of the Hundred Years’ War, it went from 1337 to 1453. The war that took over a hundred years was started because of a dispute over the succession of the French land. England had ruled over half of France and the French wanted this territory back. Over twelve different battles had taken place over that time period. The victories between the French and the British went back and forth. In 1360, the British had won the Battle of Crecy. This victory caused the French to begin to gain back most of the land. The Hundred Years’ War ended with the Battle of Castillon. Henry VI sent an army to Southwestern France after being driven out of the Northern part of France. The French won again and a part of France. The War of the Austrian Succession, also known as King George’s War, was led by Maria Theresa of Austria. After her father’s death, France and their allies begin to invade Austria. Prussia captured Silesia and after seeing France invade Austria, Prussia invaded again also. Maria Theresa, the young queen, received help from Hungary. With the Hungarians by her , they were able to take back Silesia and get rid of any enemies who wanted to take Austrian territory. The British were Maria Theresa’s main support; they helped defeat the French in the Battle of Dettingen. The war ended in October 1748 with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle the treaty was greatly consulted by the French and British. However, the Treaty did not resolve any of the conflicts between the French and the British. The War of the Austrian Succession was from 1740 to 1748. It played a part in leading into the Seven Years’ War. The war began in 1756 and lasted until 1763. In Europe, the Prussians were fighting against Austrian and Russians. The Prussians were aided by the British and the French helped the Austrians. Britain and France both wanted to seize each other’s territories overseas, so the fighting between the two nations became a global war. In the United States, the war is called the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War was between British America and New France; both sides were guided by their countries Great Britain and France. The French Indian War began in 1754; it was the final stages of the war. The Seven Years’ War ended with the Treaty of Paris in the year 1763. The French was forced to give up New France, also known as Canada, to the British. Britain was now the world’s leading colonial empire. Between the years of 1789 and 1799 was the French Revolution. The French Revolution did not only affect France, but also other nations surrounding it. The revolution was a sudden change in social and political beliefs. Monarchies were overthrown and churches were not as upheld as they were before. They both began to lose their power over the people. With the monarchy in such critical conditions in France, Napoleon was able to become extremely powerful in just a little amount of time. With Napoleon in power, this quickly leads to the Napoleonic wars. In 1803, the start of the Napoleonic wars, Britain was once again back at war with their sworn enemies. Their time of peace had come to an end. Napoleon wanted to expand the French Empire; he actually tried to make the British surrender by cutting off their trade with the main lands of Europe. The war was continuous and there was unceasing anger between the French and several other nations fighting towards them. However, the British were the most angry considering their past history as rivalries. The war was gruesome until the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815 when the British and the Prussians defeated Napoleon and his army. After the defeat of the Napoleonic wars the French tried to go back to the lifestyle of 1789, but the outcome was not exactly what they had wanted and they were on their way back to monarchies. Other Rulers in Europe wanted to take precautions after the domination of Napoleon because they wanted to prevent something like the French Revolution in their own countries. With the results of the Napoleonic Wars, the British became the world power of the next century. The British and the French were continuously coming into conflict for over 700 years. In each battle they portrayed so much hatred for each other as they killed off millions of each other’s people. These two rivals rebelled against each other with so much passion, but in the majority of their wars they were fighting for the same thing. Instead of coming to a peaceful agreement they chose centuries of war. So many peoples’ lives were taken because these two nations could never see eye to eye. Still today, people are raised to hate each other because of what has happened in the French and British history. The world is just waiting for the next fuse to be lit and these two nations are at each other’s throats once an again. The two countries have been at peace for years now. That does not mean they cannot go back to war with each other because just like in the year 1803 they were attacking each other again after ten years of peace. So, the war between France and Britain did not start in the 1600s, but 500 years before that. Not only did this raging anger towards each other not start over the establishment of global empires, but over English land. The two nations have had multiple encounters with each other where all they can recall is blood splatter from the opposing nation and the blood of their people. The two nations have come into conflict many time, but they have also cooperated together to create beautiful things.