Changes

While in principal, the war maintained a balance in European politics among the power, the reality was different. First, the new United Kingdom that had formally united Scotland with England had emerged as a global power, in strong part thanks to the war and its aftermath. Britain gained a number of key territories, particularly in the New World such as Newfoundland and access to trade along areas where the French had once dominated. Additionally, they controlled Gibraltar, taking it from Spain (and which they still have to this day). However, rather than mainly weakening their main enemy, France, the war significantly weakened the Dutch, where they were straddled by large debts. This now allowed Britain to take over many trade opportunities, in Africa and North America, that they once controlled. The rise of Britain as a commercial and territorial empire had essentially accelerated due to the war's consequences. In fact, the rise of the British India East Company, for instance, greatly hastened after this time, particularly as the Dutch East India Company's fortunes began to wane soon after the war (Figure 2). <ref>For more on the long-term impact on Britain, see: Hattendorf, J.B. (1987) <i>England in the War of the Spanish Succession: a study of the English view and conduct of grand strategy, 1702-1712.</i> Modern European history. New York, Garland Pub.</ref>

For the Dutch, the war dragged for a long time and the population of three million could not cope with a large debt. In essence, the Dutch had been very influential in European affairs in the 17th century, but after this war that influence had declined sharply as their maritime empire and trading prowess declined due to the debts and cost of the war to them. In effect, despite being on the side that gained the most from the war's ending, the Dutch saw significant losses in their overall influence and economic prowess.<ref>For more on the war's effect on Holland, see: Satsuma, S. (2013) <i>Britain and colonial maritime war in the early eighteenth century: silver, seapower and the Atlantic.</i> Woodbridge, Suffolk ; Rochester, NY, The Boydell Press. </ref>

For France, the war seemed to go disastrous in the first few years, but by the end of the war they were in a stronger position and despite losses in North America, they did not lose the bulk of their colonies. What may have weakened France was more to do with the monarchy in France having become too centralized and strong. Additionally, the costs of the war had a long-term consequence, as France after this war began to find it more difficult to pay for its conflicts, incurring more debt. This created greater distance between the French government and French people, where over time this distance proved devastating and helped lead to the French Revolution. In fact, the later Seven Year War and American Revolution likely contributed more to the decline of France's royal family. The flexibility of the parliamentary system, however, which did not depend on a strong ruler, such as the system in Britain, may, however, had an effect through demonstrating its effectiveness in conducting campaigns by changing leadership and not not being prone to impulsive monarchs. <ref>For more on France in the 18th century, see: Dhondt, F. (2015) <i>Balance of power and norm hierarchy: Franco-British diplomacy after the Peace of Utrecht.</i> Legal history library volume 17. Leiden, The Netherlands ; Boston, Brill Nijhoff.</ref>

For Spain, the war brought a large territorial loss in Europe, although its overseas empire remained intact. Never again did Spain arise to be as influential as it was in the 16th and 17th centuries in European affairs. The main effect was the new ruling house, the Bourbons, brought new ideas in government and administration that had developed in France, allowing Spain to more rapidly modernize its political infrastructure in the 18th century. This briefly restored Spanish power, although it never gained the dominance it held prior to the war in European affairs. Spain also became more centralized, where King Philip united the crowns of Aragon and Castile.<ref>For more on Spain after the war, see: Roberts, J.M. (1997) <i>The Penguin history of Europe.</i> London, England ; New York, N.Y., USA, Penguin Books, pg. 17. </ref>