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What were the main causes of the Seven Years’ War?

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Seven Years' War: Battle of Zorndorf — Seven Years’ War Frederick II leading his Prussian troops against Russians at the Battle of Zorndorf during the Seven Years' War, August 25, 1758.

The Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) was driven by two primary, overlapping conflicts:

Austrian-Prussian Rivalry: The war in Europe was largely sparked by the Austrian Habsburgs' desire to reclaim the province of Silesia, which had been seized by Frederick II of Prussia during the earlier War of the Austrian Succession.1
Anglo-French Colonial Competition: Simultaneously, Great Britain and France were engaged in a global struggle for colonial supremacy, specifically regarding control of North America (the French and Indian War) and India.12

The conflict was further complicated by the "Diplomatic Revolution," where shifting alliances—such as the Convention of Westminster between Britain and Prussia and the Treaty of Versailles between France and Austria—created a volatile environment. Fearing imminent aggression from Austria and Russia, Frederick the Great launched a preventive invasion of Saxony in 1756, which formally triggered the European phase of the war.31