Editing War of the Spanish Succession (section)

===Low Countries, Rhine, and Danube===
[[File:Low Countries 1700 and entrenched lines.png|thumb|left|upright=1.3|[[Low Countries]]; note the location of [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]] (in pink). Red lines show the {{lang|fr|[[pré carré]]}}, a double line of fortresses guarding the French border.]]

The first objective for the Grand Alliance in this theatre was to secure the Dutch frontiers, threatened by the alliance between France, Bavaria, and [[Joseph Clemens of Bavaria]], ruler of [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège|Liège]] and [[Electorate of Cologne|Cologne]]. During 1702, the Grand Alliance repelled an [[Assault on Nijmegen (1702)|assault on Nijmegen]], [[Siege of Kaiserswerth|captured Kaiserswerth]], a strong town on the eastern side of the Dutch Republic, and took [[Siege of Venlo (1702)|Venlo]], [[Roermond]], [[Stevensweert]] and Liège along the [[Meuse]].{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=275}} The 1703 campaign was marred by Allied conflicts over strategy. Despite capturing [[Siege of Bonn (1703)|Bonn]], they failed to take [[Antwerp]], while a Dutch contingent narrowly escaped disaster at [[Battle of Ekeren|Ekeren]] in June.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|pp=280–281}}

On the [[Upper Rhine]], Imperial forces under [[Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden]] remained on the defensive, although they took [[Siege of Landau (1702)|Landau]] in 1702. Supported by the Bavarians, during the 1703 campaign French forces retook Landau, won victories at [[Battle of Friedlingen|Friedlingen]], [[First Battle of Höchstädt|Höchstädt]] and [[Battle of Speyerbach|Speyerbach]], then captured [[Siege of Kehl (1703)|Kehl]] and [[Breisach]]. With Austrian resources absorbed by [[Rákóczi's War of Independence]] in Hungary, the Franco-Bavarian plan for 1704 was to march on Vienna.{{sfn|Ingrao|1979|p=123}} To relieve the pressure, Marlborough marched up the Rhine, joined forces with Louis of Baden and Prince Eugene, and crossed the Danube on 2 July. Allied victory at [[Battle of Blenheim|Blenheim]] on 13 August forced Bavaria out of the war and the [[Treaty of Ilbersheim]] placed it under Austrian rule.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|pp=286–294}}

Allied efforts to exploit [[Battle of Elixheim|their victory at Eliksem]] in 1705 floundered on poor coordination, tactical disputes, and command rivalries.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|pp=298–299}} A diplomatic crisis between the Dutch Republic and England was only averted by the dismissal of General [[Frederik Johan van Baer|Slangenburg]],{{Sfn|Nimwegen|2020|p=285}} while the imposition of Austrian rule in Bavaria caused a brief but vicious [[Bavarian uprising of 1705–1706|peasant revolt]].{{sfn|Lynn|1999|pp=298–299}} In May 1706, the French were comprehensively defeated at [[Battle of Ramillies|Ramillies]] by an Allied army under Marlborough, which then occupied much of the Spanish Netherlands in under two weeks.{{sfn|Holmes|2008|pp=347–349}} France assumed a largely defensive posture for the rest of the war.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|pp=320–323}}

The 1707 campaign was without any significant events, as both parties focussed on other fronts. The French, now under Marshal Vendôme, avoided battle and Marlborough did little to force one upon them. By 1708, the focus of both sides was again almost entirely on the fighting in the Low Countries. The allies once more set their sights on breaking French fortification belts, while the French themselves planned a [[counteroffensive]]. The French operation had early successful when the French surprised the Allied garrisons at [[Ghent]] and [[Bruges]], it failed after the Allies defeated them at the [[Battle of Oudenaarde]].{{efn|This was in part possible due to the help from Flemish citizens who were dissatisfied with their new Anglo-Dutch rulers.{{sfn|Veenendaal|1950|pp=34–41}}}} In its aftermath the Allies managed to [[Siege of Lille (1708)|capture Lille]], the strongest fortress of the French fortress belts, while a [[Assault on Brussels (1708)|French assault on Brussels]] was repelled and [[Siege of Ghent (1708)|Ghent]] and Bruges recaptured.{{sfn|Nimwegen|2020|p=354}}{{sfn|Veenendaal|1950|pp=34–41}} Despite losses like Lille and other strongpoints, the French prevented the Allies from making a irreperable breach in their frontiers.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|pp=320–323}}