What was the War of the Spanish Succession?

Answer 1

The War of the Spanish Succession (1700-1714) began with the death of Charles II, the last Hapsburg king of Spain, in 1700. He named as his heir the Duke of Anjou (Philip V) the grandson of Louis XIV of France. England, fearing a larger France, objected, as did Austria, which sought to gain possession of Spanish claims in Italy. Part of the war is called Queen Anne's war, because William III died as the war was getting under way.

The war involved Austria, Prussia, and Great Britain fighting against Spain and France. But the Spanish regions of Aragon also opposed Philip in favor of the Archduke Charles, who would have gained the throne under an English and French agreement to partition Spain. England and Austria attacked France and Spain, and although they prevailed militarily, political changes in England finally brought an end to the conflict. When Archduke Charles acquired a different throne as Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII, England also felt it unwise to help gain territory for Austria.

The hostilities ceased in 1713 with the Treaty of Utrecht. Phillip V, grandson of the King of France, was allowed to remain the King of Spain. However, he had to renounce his claim to the French throne. This prevented any possibility of France and Spain uniting under one monarch. France's power was diminished in Europe. Significantly, the concept of the balance in power in Europe was cemented. Other effects included the loss of a few territories by Spain and France to England and Austria. The notable cession of French Acadia to England presaged the eventual takeover of Canada a half century later, in the French and Indian War.

Answer 2

England later on Britain and it's allies succeeded in crushing the French army, at Blenheim and other various battles, Louis was unable to unite the French and Spanish thrown, the treaty was humiliating to France which consisted of them only regaining lost land and giving back conquered land, the French treasury along with the Dutch and English/British treasuries we virtually emptied.

Answer 3

The War of the Spanish Succession was fought between many of the major European powers to determine who would be the next Spanish King after King Charles II died without children in 1700. Charles had left his Empire to his half-sister's grandson, Philip, who became King Philip V of Spain.

Philip was also the youngest son of the Dauphin of France, and this meant that he was high in the line of succession to the French Crown also. The prospect of the vast American possessions and wealth of the Spanish empire merging with the power of France was daunting and would have represented a major shift in the balance of power in Europe by creating a superpower state that no other could hope to match.

The Hapsburg's were the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and many other territories, and they also had a claimant for the Spanish throne in Archduke Charles. Spain was split between the two claimants and war developed slowly in Europe. France and Bavaria supported Philip V against the power of the Hapsburgs, Great Britain, Portugal and the Dutch Republic. The war was ended by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 and the Treaty of Rastatt in 1714.

In the end, Philip V was allowed to keep the Spanish throne as long as he renounced any claim to the French crown and divided the European parts of his empire, territories in Italy and the Low country. Most of these went to the Austrian Empire of the Hapsburgs, which had already seen Archduke Charles become the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII, as the heir to his brother Joseph, in 1711.

Answer 4

The War of Spanish succession was fought by the European powers. It lasted from 1701 to 1714 and Spain was divided on who would succeed Charles II.

Answer 5

Well this is kind of hard..