I.

Introduction

William Pitt (1708-1778), prime minister of Great Britain (1766-1768), who led the country to victory over France in the Seven Years' War.

Pitt was born on November 15, 1708, in Westminster. The importance of the Pitt family had been established by Thomas Pitt, his grandfather, who gained a fortune in India. He was educated at Eton Public School and the University of Oxford and entered Parliament in 1735, representing a borough controlled by his family. He was an intense, forceful orator and became a prominent spokesman for the opposition during the ministry of Sir Robert Walpole. In 1739 the opposition pushed Walpole into war with Spain, and when Walpole failed to provide aggressive leadership, Pitt contributed to the political pressure that forced his resignation in 1742. King George II refused to give Pitt important political office, but in 1746 he was made paymaster of the army.