alternatehistory.com

1760

By Early spring of 1760, all of the nations involved in the war were feeling very war weary and under financial strain.

Russia:

After a devastating defeat by Fredrick the prior year, Lopukhin had retreated back to Konigsberg to rest and rebuild his forces, where he stayed awaiting the arrival of a second army 30.000 planned reinforcements from Russia, to join his surviving 40,000 who wintered in Kongsburg before embarking on their principle objective for the campaign, the taking of Kolberg.

Back in St. Petersburg, Peter III was making several enemies at court with his pro-Prussian views, and was already drawing up plans to possibly redeploy the army to attack Schleswig and Holstein as soon as Empress Elizabeth left her mortal coil.

Russian Army:
Led by Vasily Lopukhin from Konigsberg (East Prussia)
Russian Troops: ~70000

France:

King Louis and Choiseul had been happy with their turn on the continent but increasingly worried over current losses and the potential for more losses among the colonies.

Good news though would arrive in spring as word of a successful privateer landing of 600 French soldiers on Ireland at Carrickfergus and holding the town for ransom for several days, before all fled at the sighting of a British Fleet. The realization of such a possibility led to Choiseul drawing up plans for a potential invasion of Ireland.

Likewise, Choiseul had met with Charles Edward Stuart III. Although he was not terribly impressed by the man, he was at least sober and hopeful for what aid he could gain in ‘restoring his throne’. Choiseul considered finding a way to make use him in stir up further Irish or Scottish rebellion.

Former French Indian diplomat, Joseph François Dupleix, was summoned from his obscure retirement to court for a new mission, along with selected younger promising members of the burgeoning French diplomatic corps. King Louis and Choiseul had recognized his efforts in India and provided a second chance.

Dupliex was sent to North Africa, to speak with Mohammed ben Abdallah, Sultan of Morocco and Baba Ali II the Dey of Algiers. The French currently had the run of the Mediterranean, and want to kept it that way, by redirecting Corsair piracy against the British shipping in the Atlantic, and securing safe portage for French ships while denying them to the British. Choiseul anticipated that should Spain entered the war on their behalf, a siege of Gibraltar would be inevitable and a significant coordinated effort would be required for such an undertaking.

Across the Rhine the objectives remained clear, to reconquer Hanover and use it as a bargaining chip in any ensuing peace after Prussia was finally sundered. The Duc de Broglie led the ~75,000 strong French western army along with numerous allies.

French-West German Army:
Led by Duc de Broglie, wintered near Kassel
French (German deployed): ~58000
Hessen-Darmstadt: ~7500
Wutternburg: ~9500
Total: ~75000

In North America, Montcalm still commanded all French forces there, and he feared for his continued ability to hold the territory. The winter had been harsh on the Quebecois, remaining Acadians, and French troops, and a few thousand souls starved due to a lack of French supplies making in past British blockades.

Sweden and Mecklenburg:

Dissatisfied with the lack of progress as the Swedish army most sat soaking up resources, Gustaf David Hamilton was replaced by Jakob Albrekt Lantingshausen. As soon as the winter had passed; Sweden sent over additional troops with the objective of pushing toward Berlin during the campaign season.

Mecklenburg-Swedish Army:
Led by Jakob Albrekt Lantingshausen, wintered near Stettin
Swedish troops: ~18000
Mecklenburg troops: ~6000
Total: ~24000

Mecklenburg North German Army:
Wintered near Putlitz
Mecklenburg troops: ~8000

Austria and Saxony:

Maria Teresa had briefly considered revoking the prior treaty of awarding the Austrian Netherlands to France, because of lack of progress in taking Silesia as quickly as desired. The turn around though in Saxony and French successes against Hesse-Kassel, (and increased French subsidies) convinced her to keep the most recent treaty in place.

Shipyards in Trieste and Fiume on the Adriatic coast were laying down new hulls at French request (and payment) since nearly every French shipyard in the Mediterranean and many in the Atlantic was fully booked for over a year out.

The Main Austrian Army, led by Leopold Von Daun remained in middle Silesia waiting for another chance at taking on Fredrick and conquering the last major cities in middle and lower Silesia. With the Russians waiting for their reinforcements, and the French still focused on Hanover, Daun would have to bring the Austrian and Saxon armies back together to pursue any new offensives.

Main Austrian Army:
Led by Leopold Von Daun, wintered near Jaur
Austrian Troops: ~65000

Austro-Saxon Army:
Led by Joseph von Siskovits, wintered near Halle
Saxon Troops: ~12000
Austrian Troops: ~10000
Total: ~22000

Great Britain:

Parliament was in a uproar, once side outraged at the cost of the war and seeing the doom of Prussia, the other seeing the need to continued letting them fight on in order to keep the French bogged down. A vote to continue subsidies to Prussia only narrowly passed. Plus, despite sending several thousand British regulars into the Germanies, it was clear a few thousand more would still be needed there. After much compromise, another 2,000 soldiers would be raised and sent to reinforce the Duck of Brunswick’s army.

Allied West German Army:
Led by Duke of Brunswick & John Manners, Marquees of Granby, near Hanover
British Troops (German stationed): ~9500
Hanover Troops: ~18000
Schamburg-Lippe: ~9000
Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel: ~1500
Total: ~38000

Overseas the British were fairing much better. Amherst had plans to take besiege Quebec and make other gains in North America. The French fleet had been chased away from India and North America, and Robert Clive and Admiral George Pocock planned on retaking the city of Madras that had been lost to the French previously in the war.

Prussia:

If British subsidies had not come through Prussia, would have been surely done for. Fredrick felt he was barely hanging on now, but was fighting hard to take on so may sides. Two critical brilliant victories the prior year had halting the Austrian advance and sent the Russian retreating back east. But manpower was in dire short supply as men of fighting age and ability were getting harder to come by. Fredrick was forced to send off 5000 of his veteran soldiers under Zietan and recruit 5000 more as a last desperate army to keep Berlin secure, and orders to put a stop to Mecklenburg and Swedish advances. While Fredricks main Prussian army would have to play cat and mouse with the Austrians or the Russian, depending on who moved first.

Eastern Prussian Army:
Led by Fredrick the Great and Wilhelm von Seyditz, wintered near Glogau, Silesia
Prussian Forces: ~50000

Western Prussian Army:
Led by Hans Joachim von Zieten and Heinrich von Manteuffel, wintered near Berlin, Brandenburg
Prussian Forces: ~10000

Spain and Portugal:

Queen Maria, after finally hearing enough of Prime Minister Melo’s due to his anti-Jesuit campaigns, sacks him in January 1760. She likely would have done so sooner, had she not continued to suffer fits of melancholia and other stresses.

In early spring on March 30th, Queen Maria I of Portugal marries her uncle Infanta Pedro of Braganza.

In Spain, to the alarm of Portugal and the British, Charles III continued to build up his fleets and armies. Spain had also been invited to France’s ventured in ‘paying off the Corsairs’ to redirect them to British shipping, but only contributed a token amount towards the Dey of Algiers and nothing to the Sultan of Morocco.