<P> The French presence in India was led by the French East India Company operating out of its base at Pondicherry . Its forces were under the command of Joseph François Dupleix and Lally, a Jacobite . The veteran Dupleix had been in India a long time, and had established a key rapport with France's Indian allies . Lally was more newly arrived, and was seeking a swift victory over the British--and was less concerned about diplomatic sensibilities . </P> <P> Following the Battle of Chandalore when Clive attacked a French trading post the French were driven completely out of Bengal . In spite of this they still had a major presence in central India, and hoped to regain the power they had lost to the British in southern India during the Second Carnatic War . </P> <P> Apart from a few isolated victories, the war had not gone well for Britain since 1754 . In all theatres except India and North America (where Pitt's strategy had led to important gains in 1758) they were on the retreat . British agents received information about a planned French invasion which would knock Britain out of the war completely . While France starved their colonial forces of troops and supplies to concentrate them on the goal of total strategic supremacy in Europe, the British government agreed to continue their policy of shipping their own troops to fight for total victory in the colonies--leaving Britain to be guarded by the large militia that had existed since 1757 . </P> <P> Following Clive's victory at Plassey and the subjugation of Bengal, Britain had not directed large resources to the Indian theatre . The French meanwhile had despatched a large force from Europe to seize the initiative on the subcontinent . The clear goal of this force was to capture Madras, which had previously fallen to the French in 1746 . </P>

Where did the british war effort finally collapse