History
The War of Spanish Succession Explained
A guide to the early 18th-century conflict that reshaped Europe, prevented a Franco-Spanish superstate, and marked Britain's rise as a global power.
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What is it?
The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) was a major European conflict triggered by the death of the childless King Charles II of Spain. The dispute centered on who would inherit the vast Spanish Empire. The two main claimants were Philip of Anjou, a grandson of France's powerful King Louis XIV (from the House of Bourbon), and Archduke Charles of Austria (from the House of Habsburg). Fearing that a Bourbon on both the French and Spanish thrones would create a dominant superstate and upset the European balance of power, a "Grand Alliance" of England, the Dutch Republic, and the Holy Roman Empire was formed to oppose France and support the Habsburg claim.
Why is it trending?
This war is historically significant because it fundamentally reshaped European politics. The conflict concluded with the Treaties of Utrecht (1713) and Rastatt (1714), which enshrined the principle of the "balance of power" in international relations. While France's candidate, Philip V, became King of Spain, he had to renounce any claim to the French throne, preventing the union of the two kingdoms. The war effectively checked the expansionist ambitions of Louis XIV's France, marked the decline of Spain as a major power, and signaled the emergence of Great Britain as a leading global and maritime force.
How does it affect people?
The war's outcome had lasting global effects. In Europe, territories were redistributed; Britain gained strategic naval bases like Gibraltar and Menorca from Spain, while Austria acquired the Spanish Netherlands. In North America, where the conflict was known as Queen Anne's War, France ceded key territories such as Acadia and Newfoundland to Britain, altering the colonial landscape. Economically, the Treaty of Utrecht granted Britain the Asiento, a lucrative and brutal monopoly on the slave trade to the Spanish colonies, which had a devastating impact on millions of lives while immensely enriching the British Empire.