Changes

The war was initially sparked by the death of Charles II, the last Habsburg monarch on the throne of Spain (Figure 1). Charles II had promised the throne to Philip, Duke of Anjou, who was the grandson of Louis XIV. With the death of Charles and Philip being proclaimed king in Spain, Louis XIV embarked on taking the rest of the Spanish territories, in particular in Spanish Netherlands. This was seen as an attempt by Louis to unify much of western Europe under his control. This triggered an alliance between the Dutch, England, Prussia, Hanover, other German states, and Portugal. On the other side, France's Louis was allied with Bavaria, Cologne and the dukes of Mantua and Savoy, although Savoy later switched sides. <ref>For more on the background leading up to the war, see: Falkner, J. (2015) <i>The War of the Spanish succession 1701-1714.</i> Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Pen & Sword Military.</ref>

England was ably led in the battlefield by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy. Due to a falling out, Prince Eugene had switched his alliance from France to the one led by England. With perhaps Europe's two most able generals, under Marlborough and Prince Eugene, decisive victories were achieved that reversed French gains, where they were forced to retreat from Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. The British, in particular, by now relied less on its monarchy and parliament played a more active role in the war. By 1708, France was ready to make terms. However, by 1711, things had changed, as the Duke of Marlborough fell out with his English backers and the rise of Archduke Charles, from the Habsburg's in Austria, changed the situation, where his rise threatened to bring Spain back under him. Additionally, the alliance against France found difficulty fighting in Spain. This led to an eventual series of treaties, starting in 1713 (Treaty of Utrecht) and then later the treaties of Rastatt and Baden. <ref>For more on the alliances and war leaders in the war, in particular Marlborough's role, see: Dorrell, N. (2015) <i>Marlborough’s other army: the British Army and the campaigns of the First Peninsula War, 1702-1712.</i> Century of the soldier 2. Solihull, Helion. </ref>

The treaties effectively kept Spain under Louis' grandson, where now the House of Bourbon ruled, although effectively it also meant it could not unit unite with Spain. Furthermore, France and Spain were forced to give up a series of territories, including Spanish Netherlands and Naples in Europe. Other smaller territories such as Gibraltar were lost. In the New World, Newfoundland was given to the British forces. Effectively, the war, according to the parties that accepted the treaties, kept the balance of power in Europe, where France and Spain retain retained their desire for a Bourbon king, but that power was not as strong as desired initially by Louis, as it had to give up territories.The war could have been more of a disaster for France, but by 1711-13 they were in a better position to negotiate.<ref>For more on the treaties related to the war, see: Linda Frey & Marsha Frey (eds.) (1995) <i>The treaties of the War of the Spanish Succession: an historical and critical dictionary.</i> Westport, Conn, Greenwood Press.</ref>