<P> France was one of the leading participants in the Seven Years' War which lasted between 1754 and 1763 . France entered the war with the hope of achieving a lasting victory against Prussia, Britain and their German allies and with the hope of expanding its colonial possessions. (1) </P> <P> While the first few years of war proved successful for the French, in 1759 the situation reversed and they suffered defeats on several continents . In an effort to reverse their losses, France concluded an alliance with their neighbor, Spain, in 1761 . In spite of this the French continued to suffer defeats throughout 1762 eventually forcing them to sue for peace . The 1763 Treaty of Paris confirmed the loss of French possessions in North America and Asia to the British . France also finished the war with very heavy debts, which they struggled to repay for the remainder of the 18th century . </P> <P> The previous major conflict in Europe, the War of the Austrian Succession, ended in 1748 with the Treaty of Aix - la - Chapelle . This peace agreement was very unpopular with the French populace who saw the terms as excessively lenient to France's enemies, specifically Britain and the Dutch Republic, and many regarded it as a breathing space before war resumed . </P>

Effects of the seven years war on france
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