Editing Prince Eugene of Savoy (section)

=== Quadruple Alliance ===
{{Main|War of the Quadruple Alliance}}
[[File:Charles VI (1685-1740), Holy Roman Emperor.jpg|170px|thumb|Charles VI (1685–1740), by [[Johann Gottfried Auerbach]]. Eugene served Emperor Charles VI for the last 25 years of his life.]]

While Eugene fought the Turks in the east, unresolved issues following the Utrecht/Rastatt settlements led to hostilities between the Emperor and Philip V of Spain in the west. Charles VI had refused to recognise Philip V as King of Spain, a title which he himself claimed; in return, Philip V had refused to renounce his claims to [[Kingdom of Naples|Naples]], [[Duchy of Milan|Milan]], and the [[Austrian Netherlands|Netherlands]], all of which had transferred to the House of Austria following the Spanish Succession war. Philip V was roused by his influential wife, [[Elisabeth Farnese]], daughter of the [[Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma|Hereditary Prince of Parma]], who personally held dynastic claims in the name of her son, [[Charles III of Spain|Charles]], to the duchies of [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany|Tuscany]], [[Duchy of Parma and Piacenza|Parma and Piacenza]].{{sfn | Coxe | 1820 | p=106}} Representatives from a newly formed [[Triple Alliance (1717)|Anglo-French alliance]]—who were desirous of European peace for their own dynastic securities and trade opportunities—called on both parties to recognise each other's sovereignty. Yet Philip V remained intractable, and on 22 August 1717 his chief minister, [[Giulio Alberoni|Alberoni]], effected the invasion of Austrian [[Kingdom of Sardinia|Sardinia]] in what seemed like the beginning of the reconquest of Spain's former Italian empire.{{sfn | McKay | Baker | von Savoyen | 1977 | p=170}}

Eugene returned to Vienna from his recent victory at Belgrade (before the conclusion of the Turkish war) determined to prevent an escalation of the conflict, complaining that, "two wars cannot be waged with one army";{{sfn | McKay | Baker | von Savoyen | 1977 | p=170}} only reluctantly did the Prince release some troops from the Balkans for the Italian campaign. Rejecting all diplomatic overtures Philip V unleashed another assault in June 1718, this time against [[Kingdom of Sicily under Savoy|Savoyard Sicily]] as a preliminary to attacking the Italian mainland. Realizing that only the [[Royal Navy|British fleet]] could prevent further Spanish landings, and that pro-Spanish groups in France might push the [[regent]], [[Philippe II, Duke of Orléans|Duke of Orléans]], into war against Austria, Charles VI had no option but to sign the [[War of the Quadruple Alliance|Quadruple Alliance]] on 2 August 1718, and formally renounce his claim to Spain.{{sfn | Coxe | 1820 | p=108}} Despite the Spanish fleet's destruction off [[Battle of Cape Passaro|Cape Passaro]], Philip V and Elisabeth remained resolute, and rejected the treaty.

Although Eugene could have gone south after the conclusion of the Turkish war, he chose instead to conduct operations from Vienna; but Austria's military effort in Sicily proved derisory, and Eugene's chosen commanders, Zum Jungen, and later [[Count Claude Florimond de Mercy|Count Mercy]], performed poorly.{{sfn | McKay | Baker | von Savoyen | 1977 | p=172|ps=: "Isolated Spanish troops held on around [[Palermo]] till the end of 1719, while no expedition could even be attempted on Sardinia.}} It was only from pressure exerted by the French army advancing into the [[Basque Country (historical territory)|Basque]] provinces of northern Spain in April 1719, and the British Navy's attacks on the Spanish fleet and shipping, that compelled Philip V and Elisabeth to dismiss Alberoni and join the Quadruple Alliance on 25 January 1720. Nevertheless, the Spanish attacks had strained Charles VI's government, causing tension between the Emperor and his Spanish Council<ref>The Spanish Council consisted of Spaniards and Italians who had followed Charles VI from Spain after the Spanish Succession war. The most senior member of the council and an implacable enemy of Eugene was the Archbishop of Valencia, [[Antonio Folch de Cardona]]; but the most important members were [[Count Rocco Stella|Count Stella]] and the [[Marquis Ramon de Rialp]]. The council controlled Charles VI's lands in Italy.</ref> on the one hand, and the conference, headed by Eugene, on the other. Despite Charles VI's own personal ambitions in the Mediterranean it was clear to the Emperor that Eugene had put the safeguarding of his conquests in Hungary before everything else, and that military failure in Sicily also had to rest on Eugene. Consequently, the Prince's influence over the Emperor declined considerably.{{sfn | McKay | Baker | von Savoyen | 1977 | p=177}}