ABSTRACT
Though 1762 was the last year of hostilities, dramatic new factors affected the denouement of the conflict. The first of these was the entry of Spain into the war. It was initially not at all clear whether the conclusion of the 'Family Compact,' and its secret convention obliging Spain to enter the war by May 1762 if no peace were achieved by then, made an Anglo-Spanish conflict inevitable. From the point of view of moderates in the Spanish government, such as foreign minister Wall, the mere threat of Franco-Spanish cooperation might force Britain to moderate its position towards both countries and thus accelerate the peace process, but at the same time a willingness to compromise on outstanding grievances was also signalled. There were also enough voices in the British Cabinet expressing concern that Britain was in no position to engage in a conflict with another major colonial power, which, as we have seen, was one of the reasons for the break with Pitt. Once the restructuring of Cabinet - made necessary by the resignation of Pitt and his brother-in-law and staunchest supporter, Richard Grenville, Earl of Temple - was completed with the appointment of Charles Wyndham, Second Earl of Egremont, to Pitt's old secretariat, initiatives to avoid a Spanish conflict were duly undertaken. On 28 October 1761 an offer to negotiate on the logwood and British settlements in Central America issues was dispatched to the British ambassador in Madrid, George William Hervey, Second Earl of Bristol. But at the same time the British also wanted to know more about Spain's new treaty commitments to France and to be assured of its peaceful intentions. The chance that this sign of slight moderation on Britain's part would prevent a conflict was slight, as the two sides were quite far apart on the various Spanish grievances, particularly on the Newfoundland fisheries issue, and the Cabinet began preparing for a war even while waiting for a Spanish response.
