<P> France began asserting control over the Ohio Country as early as 1749, issuing warnings and threats to British colonial traders active in the region . When the French began constructing a series of forts in the Ohio River watershed in 1753, the British responded with claims and demands of their own . In 1754, George Washington sparked the beginning of the war with an attack on a French scouting party near present - day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . When they learned that the British were planning to send regular army troops to the area for the 1755 campaign, the French sent a large body of troops to New France before the British could blockade their ports . These troops, combined with a strong alliances with native tribes and poor British military administration, gave France a string of victories from 1755 to 1757; its only significant loss was Acadia, whose remaining territories fell into British hands after the 1755 Battle of Fort Beauséjour, inaugurating the expulsion of the Acadians . France was able to maintain control of the Ohio Country as well as the strategically important Great Lakes . After their initial successes in North America, however, France began to starve the theatre of forces and supplies, preferring to concentrate on the war in Europe rather than risk large numbers of troops on expeditions across the British - dominated Atlantic Ocean . </P> <P> This contrasted sharply with the British, who put great emphasis on the war for control of North America . In 1758 the British launched several major offensives, capturing Louisbourg, Fort Duquesne, and Fort Frontenac, although they were stopped at Fort Carillon . The following year a large force under General Jeffery Amherst took Carillon and Fort Niagara, while a second large force under General Wolfe sailed up the St Lawrence River to besiege Quebec City . The French commander in Quebec, Louis - Joseph de Montcalm, had orders to try to hold out until the winter spell, with the promise that major reinforcements would arrive from Europe the following year . Montcalm almost achieved this, delaying British attempts to capture Quebec until the autumn, when the British finally won the Battle of Quebec and captured the city . In spite of this, a large force of French escaped westwards, intent on resuming the campaign the following year . </P> <P> In 1760 the French launched a surprise effort to re-capture Quebec, which succeeded in blunting one British advance on Montreal . Other British armies advanced on Montreal from the south and west, completing the Conquest of Canada . In the West Indies the French saw the valuable sugar islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique captured by British forces . A final attempt to capture Newfoundland from the British failed in late 1762 . </P> <P> The French position in India had been severely weakened following the Second Carnatic War, which had ended in 1754 with the Treaty of Pondicherry . In spite of this they held several strong trading posts, particularly that at Pondicherry and they maintained relations with several major Indian Princes who were also enemies of the British . </P>

France's debt after the seven years war