= War of Spanish Succession = The '''War of Spanish Succession''' was an international war fought for the succession of the [[Spain/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_Spain|Spanish crown]] after the death of '''Charles II''', the last of the [[Spain/Monarchs#Habsburg|Spanish Habsburgs]]. The war was ended through the '''Treaty of Utrecht'''. <<TableOfContents>> ---- == Antecedents == The [[Spain/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_Spain|kingdom of Spain]] had been bound to that of [[France/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_France|France]] recently, through the marriage of '''Maria Theresa''', daughter of '''Philip IV''', to [[France/LouisXIV|Louis XIV]]. When Philip died a few years later, her younger brother '''Charles II''' succeeded the throne. This established a [[Spain/Monarchs#Bourbon|Bourbon dynasty]]. While Charles never had children, the Spanish crown was inheritable through a female line. When Charles died in 1700, in accordance with his will, the Spanish nobility offered the crown to Maria Theresa's grandson, [[Spain/PhilipV|Philip V]]. Louis XIV accepted on behalf of his ward. [[WorldHistory/HolyRomanEmpire/LeopoldI|Leopold]], [[UnitedKingdom/JohnChurchill|Churchill]] (as the ailing [[UnitedKingdom/WilliamIII|William's]] representative), and [[Netherlands/AnthonieHeinsius|Heinsius]] agreed to a support an independent claim to the Spanish crown in the '''Treaty of The Hague''' of 1701. This was a recreation of the '''Grand Alliance''' of the [[WorldHistory/NineYearsWar|Nine Years' War]]. The treaty was delayed in part because the [[UnitedKingdom/ToryParty|Tory]] majority in the [[UnitedKingdom/Parliament|British Parliament]] only objected to the threat of France annexing Sicily, not to the specific succession of Philip. Ultimately this alliance would support the alternate claim of Leopold's younger son, [[WorldHistory/HolyRomanEmpire/CharlesVI|Charles]]. ---- == History == The forces of the Grand Alliance were led by Churchill, Heinsius, and [[Austria/Eugene|Eugene]]. TODO: learn some history! ---- == Conclusion and Aftermath == The costs of fighting this war were burdensome on [[UnitedKingdom/Anne|Anne's]] reign. [[UnitedKingdom/ToryParty|Tories]] won a strong majority in the [[UnitedKingdom/Parliament|British Parliament]] in 1710 and implemented a strategy to force a peace treaty. [[UnitedKingdom/JohnChurchill|Churchill]] was relieved of his command, and English forces were directed to cease combat. Bilateral diplomacy with [[France/LouisXIV|Louis XIV]] was opened. Effectively, one of the Grand Alliance's war goals was to prop up the [[Austria/Monarchs#Habsburg|Habsburgs]] in the western part of their empire. But in the course of the decade-long war, the Austrian Habsburgs became scarce. [[WorldHistory/HolyRomanEmpire/LeopoldI|Leopold I]] died in 1705, leaving his eldest son [[WorldHistory/HolyRomanEmpire/JosephI|Joseph I]] to inherit. Joseph himself then died in 1711, leaving the claimant [[WorldHistory/HolyRomanEmpire/CharlesVI|Charles]] to now inherit the [[WorldHistory/HolyRomanEmpire|Austrian Habsburg empire]] as Charles VI. Within a few decades, Charles' own succession crisis would erupt into the [[WorldHistory/WarOfAustrianSuccession|War of Austrian Succession]]. The '''Treaty of Utrecht''' dealt with peace on the Spanish front. [[Spain/PhilipIV|Philip IV]] retained the [[Spain/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_Spain|Spanish crown]], but renounced the [[France/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_France|French crown]]. [[UnitedKingdom/LocalGovernment#Gibraltar|Gibraltar]] and [[WorldHistory/BalearicIslands|Minorca]] were ceded to England, and a slave trade monopoly was also granted to them. In England, ratification of the treaty was pushed through the Parliament over [[UnitedKingdom/WhigParty|Whig]] opposition by creating several new Tory peers. The '''Treaty of Rastatt''' and the '''Treaty of Baden''' were both signed in 1714 and dealt with peace on the Austrian front. The [[Netherlands/Democratization#Spanish_Netherlands|Spanish Netherlands]] became the '''Austrian Netherlands'''. France kept '''Alsace''' and '''Landau''', while returning the east bank of the '''Rhine''', '''Bavaria''', and '''Cologne'''. Austria also gained the [[Italy/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_Sardinia-Piedmont|kingdom of Sardinia]]. The [[WorldHistory/WarOfTheQuadrupleAlliance|War of the Quadruple Alliance]] is a postcursor to this war. ---- CategoryRicottone CategoryTodoLearnHistory