As Britain began to spread its Empire around the globe, it was only a matter of time before the European power struggle would ignite another conflict. The War of Spanish Succession indirectly carried over to the War of Austrian Succession (1739-48), which was quickly followed by the Seven Years' War (1756-63) that extended as far as North America as the French and British battled for territory in the New World. As the standing army swelled to over 135,000 total soldiers worldwide by 1762, the army's status of second-rate (their importance blinded by the beloved navy) found a strange mix of competency and neglect. The British Army was the epitome of a highly disciplined force that would and could stand abreast and deliver impeccable volleys of controlled fires, advance across open battlefields and then hold their terrain. However, their 'enemy' now was not rebellious subjects back home, or even conventional armies of Europe they proved were unable to match the British platoon firing system during the early 1700s.…
