astrous retreat from Prague. Louis XV
remembered his disapproval of war, as soon as it became disastrous; and
the whole assault on the Empress Queen faded away as selfishly as it had
risen.

The only result was that Frederick had Silesia, and Maria Theresa
intended to have it back; and so they plotted and plotted, fought and
fought. War followed war, and battle, battle. Silesia became a desert at
last and of little value to either party. As to the Silesians who had
once existed there, a few of them escaped starvation and massacre, not
many, some hundred thousands, a mere matter of figures this in the
kingly game and not accurately kept count of.

THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR

The final upshot of this Silesian argument was the Seven Years' War.
Maria Theresa made friends with the mistress of Louis XV, and so secured
a French alliance. Frederick offended the Empress of Russia by his witty
tongue, and she also joined in the "ladies' war" against him. Saxony,
the nearest state to Prussia, was ever on the side of the strongest. So
here was the European coalition hurled against Frederick in his turn. He
proved the ablest general of his age, one of the master minds of
military skill. For seven years he withstood all his enemies, Austria
and Russia mainly, for Saxony he soon conquered, and France showed no
great military powers--disgraced herself if further disgrace were
possible to her condition.

Over the military details of the contest we need not pause.[15] Prussia
had always been regarded as one of the lesser European states, Austria
and France as the chief powers. Russia now proved herself of equal
weight with the greatest, so that even the genius of Frederick began to
fail against the enormous odds which crushed him down. His land was laid
waste, his capital seized by a sudden attack and held for ransom. He was
saved by the death of the Russian Empress; her son and successor, an
admirer of Frederick, promptly changed sides in the war. By degrees
everyone abandoned it but Maria Theresa; and she, finding her single
strength insufficient against Prussia, was compelled to yield at last.
Frederick kept his dear-bought desert of Silesia.

This Seven Years' War caused what that of the Austrian Succession had
attempted, a complete redistribution of the balance of European power,
England, Russia, and Prussia rising to at least equality with Austria
and France. Even before the opening of the formal war France and England
had been