The Regency in France.—Alberoni in Spain.—Policies of Walpole and Fleuri.—War of the Polish Succession.—English Contraband Trade in Spanish America.—Great Britain declares War against Spain.—1715–1739.
Death of Queen Anne and Louis XIV.
232
Accession of George I.
232
Regency of Philip of Orleans
233
Administration of Alberoni in Spain
234
Spaniards invade Sardinia
235
Alliance of Austria, England, Holland, and France
235
Spaniards invade Sicily
236
Destruction of Spanish navy off Cape Passaro, 1718
237
Failure and dismissal of Alberoni
239
Spain accepts terms
239
Great Britain interferes in the Baltic
239
Death of Philip of Orleans
241
Administration of Fleuri in France
241
Growth of French commerce
242
France in the East Indies
243
Troubles between England and Spain
244
English contraband trade in Spanish America
245
Illegal search of English ships
246
Walpole's struggles to preserve peace
247
War of the Polish Succession
247
Creation of the Bourbon kingdom of the Two Sicilies
248
Bourbon family compact
248
France acquires Bar and Lorraine
249
England declares war against Spain
250
Morality of the English action toward Spain
250
Decay of the French navy
252
Death of Walpole and of Fleuri
253
CHAPTER VII.
War between Great Britain and Spain, 1739.—War of the Austrian Succession, 1740.—France joins Spain against Great Britain, 1744.—Sea Battles of Matthews, Anson, and Hawke.—Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1748.
Characteristics of the wars from 1739 to 1783
254
Neglect of the navy by French government
254
Colonial possessions of the French, English, and Spaniards
255
Dupleix and La Bourdonnais in India
258
Condition of the contending navies
259
Expeditions of Vernon and Anson
261
Outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession
262
England allies herself to Austria
262
Naval affairs in the Mediterranean
263
Influence of Sea Power on the war
264
Naval battle off Toulon, 1744
265
Causes of English failure
267
Courts-martial following the action
268
Inefficient action of English navy
269
Capture of Louisburg by New England colonists, 1745
269
Causes which concurred to neutralize England's Sea Power
269
France overruns Belgium and invades Holland
270
Naval actions of Anson and Hawke
271
Brilliant defence of Commodore l'Étenduère
272
Projects of Dupleix and La Bourdonnais in the East Indies
273
Influence of Sea Power in Indian affairs
275
La Bourdonnais reduces Madras
276
Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1748
277
Madras exchanged for Louisburg
277
Results of the war
278
Effect of Sea Power on the issue
279
CHAPTER VIII.
Seven Years' War, 1756–1763.—England's Overwhelming Power and Conquests on the Seas, in North America, Europe, and East and West Indies.—Sea Battles: Byng off Minorca; Hawke and Conflans; Pocock and D'Aché in East Indies.