Treaty of Hubertusburg The Treaty of Hubertusburg ( ) was signed on 15 February 1763 at Hubertusburg by Prussia , Austria , and Saxony . Together with the Treaty of Paris , it marked the end of the French and Indian War and of the Seven Years ' War . The treaty ended the continental conflict with no significant changes in prewar borders . Silesia remained Prussian , and Prussia clearly stood among the ranks of the great powers . Austria ' s resolve to repossess the rich province of Silesia , which had been lost to Prussia in 1748 , was the major conflict leading to the Seven Years ' War . Maria Theresa , Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia , acquired the support of Russia , Sweden , Saxony , Spain , and France , with the specific aim of waging war against Prussia and its ally , Great Britain . It was King Frederick the Great of Prussia , however , who initiated the hostilities with his attack and capture of Saxony in 1756 . The Seven Years ' War started in 1756 , with Prussia facing the allied forces of Austria , Russia , France , and Sweden . Although in January 1757 the majority of the colleges of the Imperial Diet ( minus Hanover , Hesse - Kassel ( or Hesse - Cassel ) , Brunswick , and Saxe - Gotha ) voted against the move for war , Frederick succeeded in his quest for expanding Prussian influence , power and territory . Through the first half of the war , the Prussians continued victorious . In the Battle of Rossbach on November 5 , 1757 , the Prussian army not only defeated the French , but also Imperial troops who had fought on the side of the latter against Prussia . They defeated the Austrians at Leuthen in 1757 and the Russians at Zorndorf in 1758 . At this point , however , with Sweden entering the war and virtually all Europe opposing Frederick , the tide seemed to turn . By 1759 eastern Prussia was in the hands of the Russians , and Berlin had been captured . The Prussian situation was desperate . In 1758 the Anglo - Hanoverian army , an ally of Prussia , commanded by Ferdinand of Brunswick , defeated the French and occupied the town of Münster . In 1759 Imperial troops invaded Saxony , expelling the Prussians . Two significant factors , however , led to the eventual return of Prussian dominance in the war . One was the active support of the British and Hanoverians ; both , until this point ineffective combatants , now fought successfully against the French . The second , and more important , was the withdrawal in 1762 of Russia and Sweden from the war . This occurred as a result of the death of Empress Elizabeth of Russia ; her successor , Peter III , an admirer of Frederick , quickly signed a peace treaty with the Prussian leader . By the Treaty of St . Petersburg in 1762 Russia made peace and restored all conquests ; Sweden made peace in the same year . Now fighting alone in the east , the Austrians were soundly defeated in the Battle of Burkersdorf ( July , 1762 ) . The French , too , had suffered severe reverses . In America they had lost Louisbourg ( 1758 ) , Quebec ( 1759 ) , and some possessions in the West Indies ; in India , the British victories at Plassey ( 1757 ) and Pondichéry ( 1761 ) had destroyed French power ; on the sea , the French took Port Mahón from the British ( 1757 ) but were defeated by Hawke in Quiberon Bay ( 1759 ) . The entry of Spain into the war under the terms of the Family Compact of 1761 was of little help to France , where the war had never been popular . After protracted negotiations between the war - weary powers , peace was made among Prussia , Austria , and Saxony at Hubertusburg , and among Great Britain , France , and Spain at Paris . The Treaty of Hubertusburg , though it restored the prewar status quo , marked the ascendancy of Prussia as a leading European power . Through the Treaty of Paris , Great Britain emerged as the world ’ s chief colonial empire , which was its primary goal in the war , and France lost most of its overseas possessions . The phrase " Hubertsburg Peace " is sometimes used as a description for any Treaty which restores the situation existing before conflict broke out .