Series of military conflicts between Great Britain and France that occurred from 1689 to 1815
A historiographical term grouping Anglo-French conflicts from 1689 to 1815 into a single era, highlighting the sustained rivalry between Britain and France.
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1689 to 1815
- Span (years)
- approximately 126 years
- Term coined by
- J. R. Seeley, 1883
- Source publication
- The Expansion of England (1883)
- Number of distinct wars
- At least 6 named conflicts
- Named after
- The Hundred Years' War (14th–15th centuries)
By the Numbers
Cause → Event → Consequence
Recurring geopolitical, colonial, and commercial rivalries between Great Britain and France generated repeated armed conflicts beginning with the Nine Years' War in 1689. Competition over European dominance, overseas trade, and colonial territories kept the two powers in frequent opposition across more than a century.
J. R. Seeley introduced the term 'Second Hundred Years' War' in The Expansion of England (1883) to group the series of Anglo-French military conflicts—including the Nine Years' War, War of the Spanish Succession, War of the Austrian Succession, Seven Years' War, American Revolutionary War, and French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars—into a single historical era spanning roughly 1689 to 1815.
The concept influenced how historians interpreted prolonged Anglo-French antagonism as a coherent strategic rivalry, though it has not achieved wide academic acceptance. Critics argue that the designation oversimplifies the distinct causes and characters of the individual conflicts it encompasses.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent