Editing George II of Great Britain (section)

=== Seven Years' War ===
In 1754 Pelham died, to be succeeded by his elder brother, Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle.

Hostility between France and Britain, particularly over the [[colonization of North America]], continued.<ref>Thompson, pp. 233–238.</ref> Fearing a French invasion of Hanover, George aligned himself with Prussia (ruled by his nephew, [[Frederick the Great]]), Austria's enemy. Russia and France allied with Austria, their former enemy. A French [[Siege of Fort St Philip (1756)|invasion of the British-held island of Minorca]] led to the outbreak of the [[Seven Years' War]] in 1756. Public disquiet over British failures at the start of the conflict led to Newcastle's resignation and the appointment of [[William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire]], as prime minister and [[William Pitt the Elder]] as [[Secretary of State for the Southern Department]].<ref>Black, ''George II'', pp. 231–232; Thompson, p. 252; Trench, pp. 271–274.</ref> In April the following year George dismissed Pitt in an attempt to construct an administration more to his liking. Over the succeeding three months attempts to form another stable ministerial combination failed. In June [[James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave|Lord Waldegrave]] held the seals of office for only four days. By the start of July, Pitt was recalled and Newcastle returned as prime minister. As Secretary of State, Pitt guided policy relating to the war. Great Britain, Hanover, and Prussia and their allies [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel|Hesse-Kassel]] and [[Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] fought against other European powers, including France, Austria, Russia, Sweden and [[Saxony]]. The war involved multiple theatres from Europe to North America and India, where British dominance increased with the victories of [[Robert Clive]] over French forces and their allies at the [[Battle of Arcot]] and the [[Battle of Plassey]].<ref>Ashley, p. 677.</ref>

[[File:William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland by Sir Joshua Reynolds.jpg|thumb|George said his son Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (pictured), had "ruined me and disgraced himself" at the 1757 Convention of Klosterzeven.]]

George's son William commanded the King's troops in northern Germany. In 1757 [[Invasion of Hanover (1757)|Hanover was invaded]] and George gave his son full powers to conclude a separate peace,<ref>Thompson, pp. 265–266; Trench, p. 283.</ref> but by September George was furious at [[Convention of Klosterzeven|William's negotiated settlement]], which he felt greatly favoured the French.<ref>Thompson, p. 268; Trench, p. 284.</ref> George said his son had "ruined me and disgraced himself".<ref>Horace Walpole's memoirs, vol. III, p. 61, quoted in Trench, p. 286.</ref> William, by his own choice, resigned his military offices,<ref>Thompson, p. 276; Trench, p. 286.</ref> and George revoked the peace deal on the grounds that the French had infringed it by disarming Hessian troops after the ceasefire.<ref>Thompson, p. 270; Trench, p. 287.</ref>

In the ''[[Annus Mirabilis of 1759|Annus Mirabilis]]'' of 1759 British forces [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham|captured Quebec]] and [[Invasion of Guadeloupe (1759)|captured Guadeloupe]], defeated a French [[Planned French Invasion of Britain (1759)|plan to invade Britain]] following naval battles at [[Battle of Lagos|Lagos]] and [[Battle of Quiberon Bay|Quiberon Bay]],<ref>Trench, pp. 293–296.</ref> and halted a resumed French advance on Hanover at the [[Battle of Minden]].<ref>Thompson, pp. 282–283.</ref>