AHC: Largest 7 Years' War

What would it take for more powers, like Persia, China, the Ottoman Empire, and the minor kingdoms in Afghanistan, India, Southeast Asia, etc... to get involved in the 7 Years' War?
 
I wonder if the Netherlands can be persuaded to join Britain and Prussia against Austria and France in return for a slice of Belgium.
They can't. They didn't care enough about the southern Netherlands to join this war. Also they considered themselves a bit cheated by Britain in former peace treaties. The only way for the Netherlands to join this war is to be actualy attacked by France (in a more threatening way than just an Indian colony). You could combine it though. Britain and Prussia offer the Netherlands part of the Austrian Netherlands and France, who fears they will accept, preemptively attacks the Netherlands, before the Netherlands can refuse.
 
They can't. They didn't care enough about the southern Netherlands to join this war. Also they considered themselves a bit cheated by Britain in former peace treaties. The only way for the Netherlands to join this war is to be actualy attacked by France (in a more threatening way than just an Indian colony). You could combine it though. Britain and Prussia offer the Netherlands part of the Austrian Netherlands and France, who fears they will accept, preemptively attacks the Netherlands, before the Netherlands can refuse.

I agree, in many of the peace treaties in the previous decades, when Britain and the Dutch Republic were allies, the Dutch Republic often ended up with short end of the stick, certainly when compared to the gains of their British ally.
Furthermore instead of parts of the Southern Netherlands, the Republic might actually have preferred Colonies and trade posts.
 
I agree, in many of the peace treaties in the previous decades, when Britain and the Dutch Republic were allies, the Dutch Republic often ended up with short end of the stick, certainly when compared to the gains of their British ally.
Furthermore instead of parts of the Southern Netherlands, the Republic might actually have preferred Colonies and trade posts.

Well call this a lesson learned for the Dutch. If they are get involved, on the site of the Prussians and British, then they know, this time what they need to demand, and this time they should be allert not to be back stabed by their allies.
Besides trade post in Asia and the Carabien I think at the "Yser Waas" as a late 18th century equivalent of barrier cities ( which did not work) would be a nice teriritorial add.
(Yser Wass is the land around the river Yser, wich is roughly the coutnry around the cities Yper, Dunquerque and Gravelines. The last would be nice naval ports and a an early warning post for the Republic agains France)
And is there nothing to pick at the expense of a German Principality who sided with Austria/France or a trade between Prusia and the Dutch in advance befor joining the war is a posibility as well. Think of Cleve and former Spanish Gelre and Limbourg.

I like the idea of the Ottoman Empire getting involved by attacking Austria or Russia, the latter sound plausible.
 
Furthermore instead of parts of the Southern Netherlands, the Republic might actually have preferred Colonies and trade posts.
Correct, but that would have been interesting in the peace treaty too. Would Britain want to give the Netherlands (former) Indian colonies? Would Britain want to give the Netherlands French Carribean colonies? The last one is interesting. OTL the French were offered either to keep Canada or to keep the Carribean colonies (roughly). The French took the Caribean colonies, which were worth far more than Canada. With the Dutch wanting some of those colonies, that offer is suddenly a lot different.
 
I like the idea of the Ottoman Empire getting involved by attacking Austria or Russia, the latter sound plausible.

And if Turkey's in, it's certainly not impossible that Persia could see a chance and attack - though I doubt Europeans would actually consider this theater to be part of the Seven Year's War.
 
And if Turkey's in, it's certainly not impossible that Persia could see a chance and attack - though I doubt Europeans would actually consider this theater to be part of the Seven Year's War.

You might be right. History is still very Europena focussed, althought it is changing
 
Well call this a lesson learned for the Dutch. If they are get involved, on the site of the Prussians and British, then they know, this time what they need to demand, and this time they should be allert not to be back stabed by their allies.
Besides trade post in Asia and the Carabien I think at the "Yser Waas" as a late 18th century equivalent of barrier cities ( which did not work) would be a nice teriritorial add.
(Yser Wass is the land around the river Yser, wich is roughly the coutnry around the cities Yper, Dunquerque and Gravelines. The last would be nice naval ports and a an early warning post for the Republic agains France)
And is there nothing to pick at the expense of a German Principality who sided with Austria/France or a trade between Prusia and the Dutch in advance befor joining the war is a posibility as well. Think of Cleve and former Spanish Gelre and Limbourg.

I doubt that prussia is giving up their Cleves and their parts of Gelre. I doubt the Netherlands would get anything as far into France as Dunkirk, or actualy want it. it would be next door to France and the first thing to fall in the next war with France. I doubt the Netherlands would gain anything big in the Austrian Netherlands (like Antwerp, Bruges or Ostend). I personally think that the best the Netherlands can hope for in Europe would be Austrian Gelre (Roermond and Weert), Austrian Overmaas (maybe a small part of northern Limburg) and possibly some border corrections in Brabant and near Zeelandic Flanders. I doubt the Netherlands would get anything in India, I don't think they would want anything in Africa, so the only thing that is left is some Carribean colonies. French Guyana maybe, French st Martin. Nothing much.
 
I doubt that prussia is giving up their Cleves and their parts of Gelre. I doubt the Netherlands would get anything as far into France as Dunkirk, or actualy want it. it would be next door to France and the first thing to fall in the next war with France. I doubt the Netherlands would gain anything big in the Austrian Netherlands (like Antwerp, Bruges or Ostend). I personally think that the best the Netherlands can hope for in Europe would be Austrian Gelre (Roermond and Weert), Austrian Overmaas (maybe a small part of northern Limburg) and possibly some border corrections in Brabant and near Zeelandic Flanders. I doubt the Netherlands would get anything in India, I don't think they would want anything in Africa, so the only thing that is left is some Carribean colonies. French Guyana maybe, French st Martin. Nothing much.

Regarding Dunkrik, you probably correct. But Cleves and the aquisistions Prusia made after the war of the Spanish Sucession, fromer Spanish Gelre, I think this is possible. It is only the time when the Dutch offered their support to Prussia. Prussia was at a certain point of the Seven year war in serouis problems. Regarding any trade post or sugar flint colonies, it is entirely up to the Dutch if they are willing to size some of this colonies
 
I wonder if the Netherlands can be persuaded to join Britain and Prussia against Austria and France
Certainly not at the onset of the war: for geographical reasons (re the Schlieffen Plan ) the Austrian Netherlands are the natural battlefield with France. During the WAS after brilliant campaigns there the French army took 'impregnable' Dutch Bergen op Zoom. Very uncomfortable memories, so much the more as the Republic gained nothing from the WAS and France enters the SYW with the aura of a winner (specially in the area) of the previous war. This time, the United Provinces would not enter the war before France was more severely crushed than in OTL SYW.

The SYW can be 'enlarged' by having Portugal hotly involved oversea.

Btw I wonder why the SYW rather than the WAS is often quoted as 'the 1st World War'? The belligerents were basically the same (with the Dutch in addition), there were operations in India, various parts of America... I suspect it's a matter of Anglo-Saxon prejudice: the (still united, then) Anglo-Saxons were on the winning side of the SYW but on the losing side of the WAS; bad for their pride to be among the losers of the 1st WW:D
 
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Certainly not at the onset of the war: for geographical reasons (re the Schlieffen Plan ) the Austrian Netherlands are the natural battlefield with France. During the WAS after brilliant campaigns there the French army took 'impregnable' Dutch Bergen op Zoom. Very uncomfortable memories, so much the more as the Republic gained nothing from the WAS and France enters the SYW with the aura of a winner (specially in the area) of the previous war. This time, the United Provinces would not enter the war before France was more severely crushed than in OTL SYW.

The SYW can be 'enlarged' by having Portugal hotly involved oversea.

Btw I wonder why the SYW rather than the WAS is often quoted as 'the 1st World War'? The belligerents were basically the same (with the Dutch in addition), there were operations in India, various parts of America... I suspect it's a matter of Anglo-Saxon prejudice: the (still united, then) Anglo-Saxons were on the winning side of the SYW but on the losing side of the WAS; bad for their pride to be among the losers of the 1st WW:D

Agree with this. Good that the War of the Austrian Succession is mentioned since the Seven Years war was more or less a continuation of that war. Agree that the ASW was the real 1st world wide war.

The Dutch, and Austrian Netherlands were involved in the Austrain Succession war due to their Barrier Cities in the Austrian Netherlands. I never understand that concept. Beiing responsible for the defence of some ones other property. specilly when it is the property of one of the Austrians who were at constant rivalry with France.
In that light I was coining the indea of the Dunkirk city and area as a war trophy for the Netherlands if they will get involved with the SYW . It will be in direct control the Republic ( barrier cities were not) and in case of war between France and Austria the Republic can declare it self neutral and let al the fighting in the Austrian Netherlands between the beligrents without involvement.

I think the Seven Years war was already world wide enough, especcialy with the limited resources and communication tools of thst time.
 
Correct, but that would have been interesting in the peace treaty too. Would Britain want to give the Netherlands (former) Indian colonies? Would Britain want to give the Netherlands French Carribean colonies? The last one is interesting. OTL the French were offered either to keep Canada or to keep the Carribean colonies (roughly). The French took the Caribean colonies, which were worth far more than Canada. With the Dutch wanting some of those colonies, that offer is suddenly a lot different.

The dutch probably want Ile Bourbon instead in the Indian Ocean. They still have Mauritius at this point or no.... It gives them victualling enroute from the Cape to Batavia
 
The dutch probably want Ile Bourbon instead in the Indian Ocean. They still have Mauritius at this point or no.... It gives them victualling enroute from the Cape to Batavia
Interestingly no, it wouldn't give the Dutch a route from the Cape to Batavia. That is the reason the Dutch abandoned Mauritius. A far superior route using trade winds and sea currents is to go from the Cape near the coast of SW Australia to Batavia, skipping Mauritius or Ile Bourbon. That is the route the VOC used.
 
Interestingly no, it wouldn't give the Dutch a route from the Cape to Batavia. That is the reason the Dutch abandoned Mauritius. A far superior route using trade winds and sea currents is to go from the Cape near the coast of SW Australia to Batavia, skipping Mauritius or Ile Bourbon. That is the route the VOC used.

That would make one wonder why the VOC never bothered to establish a post in SW Australia like it did at the Cape.
 
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