Neutrality, the Law of Nations, and the Natural Law Tradition: A Study of the Seven Years' War

Abstract

The Seven Years' War (1756-1763), known in North America as the French and Indian War, was the first truly global conflict ever waged. Fought in Europe and in the colonies, and spreading to the shores of five continents, the war ultimately confirmed the global dominance of the British Empire on land and at sea. The object of the struggle between France and Britain was initially a limited one aimed at the defense of their respective North American territories. The conflict's momentum grew with such speed and force, however, that by 1758 it had become a war with few limits. For Britain and France it was a struggle to demolish the enemy as a colonial and imperial power.