Philip V

Philip V (Felipe or Philippe) was king of Spain.


History

Philip was the second son of Louis, Grand Dauphin and grandson of Louis XIV. As third-in-line, he was duke of Anjou.

Per Louis' marriage to Maria Theresa, daughter of Philip IV, and because the Spanish crown was inheritable through the female line, Philip was the favored heir of the childless Charles II. When he died in 1700, in accordance with his will, the Spanish nobility offered the crown to Philip. Louis accepted on behalf of his ward.


Reign

Accepting the Spanish crown sparked the War of Spanish Succession, which would characterize much of Philip's reign. While his claim was reinforced by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, he was also forced to renounce his claim to the French crown. Spain was furthermore forced to cede it's territories in Italy to Austria and Savoy.

By 1717, Philip was positioning himself to renege on the treaty. Philip invaded and quickly captured Sardinia, then Sicily, then a significant portion of the Italian peninsula. Within a year, Austria made peace with the Ottomans and formed the Quadruple Alliance with the France, England, and the Netherlands. Losing the War of the Quadruple Alliance finally forced Philip to finally abandon these claims.

Probably due to mental illness, Philip abdicated in favor of his son Louis in 1724. His son died within the year, however, and Philip returned to the throne.


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Spain/PhilipV (last edited 2025-02-11 03:16:10 by DominicRicottone)