Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict, fought between 1701 and 1714. The death of Charles II of Spain in November 1700 without children resulted in a struggle for the Spanish Empire between rival claimants. Charles named as his heir the French prince Philip of Anjou, who was backed by his grandfather Louis XIV. His opponent, Archduke Charles of Austria, was supported by the Grand Alliance. Significant related conflicts include the Great Northern War (1700–1721) and Queen Anne's War (1702–1713).
Although by 1701 Spain was no longer the predominant power in Europe, the Spanish Empire remained a global power, whose territory included the Spanish Netherlands, large parts of Italy, and the Americas. Its union with either France or Austria threatened the European balance of power, and the proclamation of Philip as king of Spain on 16 November 1700 led to war. Although by 1709 the Allies had forced France onto the defensive, Philip had confirmed his position in Spain, the ostensible cause of the war.
When Emperor Joseph I died in 1711, Archduke Charles succeeded him as Holy Roman Emperor. Union with Austria was as unwelcome as that with France, while mounting costs led the new British government to withdraw from the war. The remaining Allies fought on, but were forced to make peace due to the loss of British military and financial support. This led to the 1713 Peace of Utrecht, followed by the treaties of Rastatt and Baden in 1714.
Philip was confirmed as King of Spain, but in compensation he renounced his place in the French line of succession and ceded much of Spain's Italian territories to Savoy and Austria, which also acquired the Austrian Netherlands. Britain received Gibraltar and Menorca, along with trade concessions in the Americas, and was established as the leading European commercial entity. For the Dutch, despite securing and expanding their barrier fortresses and gaining part of Upper Guelders, the war marked the beginning of their decline as a major European power, while France was left financially exhausted but had succeeded in the long envisioned goal of breaking the encirclement of its borders by the Habsburg monarchy.
Charles II of Spain succeeded his father Philip IV at the age of four in 1665. Subject to extended periods of ill-health for much of his life, the issue of his successor was a matter of diplomatic debate for decades. For example, in 1670 Charles II of England agreed to support the rights of Louis XIV of France, while the 1689 Grand Alliance committed England and the Dutch Republic to back those of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.
When Charles died in 1700, the Spanish Empire was no longer the dominant great power, but still included much of Italy and the Americas, the Spanish Netherlands, and colonies such as the Philippines. Negotiations between Louis and Emperor Leopold centered on dividing these territories, which the Spanish refused to allow. Since the acquisition of an undivided empire by either Austria or France would make them too powerful, its inheritance led to a war that involved most of Europe. The 1700–1721 Great Northern War is considered a connected conflict since it affected the involvement of states such as Sweden, Saxony, Denmark–Norway and Russia.
Armies in the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War frequently numbered over 100,000, requiring expenditure unsustainable for pre-industrial economies. The 1690s also marked the low point of the Little Ice Age, a period of cold and wet weather that drastically reduced crop yields across Europe. The Great Famine of 1695–1697 killed an estimated 15–25% of the population in present-day Scotland, Scandinavia and the Baltic states, plus another two million in France and Northern Italy.
This combination of financial exhaustion and famine led to the October 1697 Treaty of Ryswick, a compromise that left the succession unresolved. Since it now seemed clear Charles would die without children, Leopold signed only with extreme reluctance, and all sides viewed Ryswick as only a temporary suspension of hostilities.
Hub AI
War of the Spanish Succession AI simulator
(@War of the Spanish Succession_simulator)
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict, fought between 1701 and 1714. The death of Charles II of Spain in November 1700 without children resulted in a struggle for the Spanish Empire between rival claimants. Charles named as his heir the French prince Philip of Anjou, who was backed by his grandfather Louis XIV. His opponent, Archduke Charles of Austria, was supported by the Grand Alliance. Significant related conflicts include the Great Northern War (1700–1721) and Queen Anne's War (1702–1713).
Although by 1701 Spain was no longer the predominant power in Europe, the Spanish Empire remained a global power, whose territory included the Spanish Netherlands, large parts of Italy, and the Americas. Its union with either France or Austria threatened the European balance of power, and the proclamation of Philip as king of Spain on 16 November 1700 led to war. Although by 1709 the Allies had forced France onto the defensive, Philip had confirmed his position in Spain, the ostensible cause of the war.
When Emperor Joseph I died in 1711, Archduke Charles succeeded him as Holy Roman Emperor. Union with Austria was as unwelcome as that with France, while mounting costs led the new British government to withdraw from the war. The remaining Allies fought on, but were forced to make peace due to the loss of British military and financial support. This led to the 1713 Peace of Utrecht, followed by the treaties of Rastatt and Baden in 1714.
Philip was confirmed as King of Spain, but in compensation he renounced his place in the French line of succession and ceded much of Spain's Italian territories to Savoy and Austria, which also acquired the Austrian Netherlands. Britain received Gibraltar and Menorca, along with trade concessions in the Americas, and was established as the leading European commercial entity. For the Dutch, despite securing and expanding their barrier fortresses and gaining part of Upper Guelders, the war marked the beginning of their decline as a major European power, while France was left financially exhausted but had succeeded in the long envisioned goal of breaking the encirclement of its borders by the Habsburg monarchy.
Charles II of Spain succeeded his father Philip IV at the age of four in 1665. Subject to extended periods of ill-health for much of his life, the issue of his successor was a matter of diplomatic debate for decades. For example, in 1670 Charles II of England agreed to support the rights of Louis XIV of France, while the 1689 Grand Alliance committed England and the Dutch Republic to back those of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.
When Charles died in 1700, the Spanish Empire was no longer the dominant great power, but still included much of Italy and the Americas, the Spanish Netherlands, and colonies such as the Philippines. Negotiations between Louis and Emperor Leopold centered on dividing these territories, which the Spanish refused to allow. Since the acquisition of an undivided empire by either Austria or France would make them too powerful, its inheritance led to a war that involved most of Europe. The 1700–1721 Great Northern War is considered a connected conflict since it affected the involvement of states such as Sweden, Saxony, Denmark–Norway and Russia.
Armies in the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War frequently numbered over 100,000, requiring expenditure unsustainable for pre-industrial economies. The 1690s also marked the low point of the Little Ice Age, a period of cold and wet weather that drastically reduced crop yields across Europe. The Great Famine of 1695–1697 killed an estimated 15–25% of the population in present-day Scotland, Scandinavia and the Baltic states, plus another two million in France and Northern Italy.
This combination of financial exhaustion and famine led to the October 1697 Treaty of Ryswick, a compromise that left the succession unresolved. Since it now seemed clear Charles would die without children, Leopold signed only with extreme reluctance, and all sides viewed Ryswick as only a temporary suspension of hostilities.