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1758

The ripples of time had passed over the Iberian peninsula several times over by the arrival of New Year ’s Day of 1758 as small changes here and there beget large and larger ripples. Once again no specific agent was the cause of the next change at the Spanish court, only the indirect actions that would lead different persons to be at different places at different times. The Queen of Spain, the Infanta Barbara of Portugal, was one such occurrence. She took developed a chill in late December sometime after Christmas that produced a mighty cough. Her poor health and severe asthma exacerbated this as the combination of asthma and congestion in her chest did her in on the 1st of January. After his wife’s passing, King Ferdinand VI would fall into a fit of depression, withdraw from the court and public life, and let his ministers run the country as they would. Over the course of the year, this, along with directives from Versailles, and the souring of ties between Spain and Portugal (Britain’s frequent ally) due to the Queen’s death, would lead to gains by the French ambassadors in altering the Spanish policies away from neutrality back in favor toward France.

A Year for the Navies

Almost every state involved in the conflict would see action on the high seas at some point during the year. Both Great Britain and France would see several new ships being launched over the year, but they would also see several ships sunk and captured.

The French had already been undergoing a review of naval plans and financing planned ship construction and purchases began a few months after King Louis XVI was sworn in. During the year, the French would see (as per OTL) five new ships of the line were launched or purchased, the Fantasque (64), Solitaire (64), Robuste (64), Comte de Saint Florentine (60), and the purchase of the Brilliant (64) and four new frigates launched the Arethuse (36), Harmonie (34), Pelerine (32) and the Bellone (32). In addition the Marine Royale would also purchase the Comte d’Argenson (56) from the French East India Company prior to it even launching. Existing plans for French ships scheduled to be built in 1759 or 1760 were left largely intact, but a few new orders were made. The Duc d’Orleans (74), Saint Espirit (74), Phenix (74), Ferme (74) and the Caribou (50), prior to the war had been declared unfit and relegated to harbor service. They would were now slated for a rebuild. Additionally one new ship of the line was ordered and to be named after King Louis XVI’s wife and Queen, the Maria Josepha, Most of these new ship orders and rebuilds would take more than a year to complete.

The British had few changes to their planned orders during the year and would see (as per OTL) ten ships of the line come into service, the Lenox (74), Shrewsbury (74), Warspite (74), Resolution (74), Temple (70), Conqueror (68), Rippon (60), and Edgar (60). Additionally, five 32 gun frigates were launched, the Minerva, Thames, Stag, Alarm and Aeolus; and eight smaller 28 gun frigates were launched in 1758.