1762

1762 (MDCCLXII) was a year of continued global conflict and political change. In Europe, Catherine II of Russia consolidated power after a coup that overthrew her husband, Peter III, and began a long reign that would reshape Russian policy and expansion. The upheaval in Russia contributed to a shifting balance of power in Eastern Europe.

In the broader world, the Seven Years' War between major colonial powers continued to unfold in multiple theaters. Britain carried out important offensives against Spanish and other holdings overseas. Havana, Cuba, was captured from Spain in mid-1762, adding a Caribbean stronghold to British control. Later in the year, British forces captured Manila in the Philippines during the war, giving Britain control over an important Pacific and Asian outpost for the war's duration.

The year set the stage for the war's conclusion in 1763, when the Treaty of Paris and related arrangements would largely determine colonial possession for years to come. The outcomes reinforced rising global anxieties about empire, trade, and balance of power among European states, while also affecting colonial economies and administration worldwide.