Editing War of the Spanish Succession (section)

==Towards peace; 1709–1715==
By the end of 1708, the French had withdrawn from Northern Italy, while the maritime powers controlled the Spanish Netherlands, and secured the borders of the Dutch Republic; in the Mediterranean, the maritime powers had achieved naval supremacy, and Britain acquired permanent bases in Gibraltar and Menorca. However, as Marlborough himself pointed out, the French frontiers remained largely intact, their army showed no signs of being defeated, while Philip proved far more popular with the Spanish than his rival. Many of the objectives set out by the Grand Alliance in 1701 had been achieved, but success in 1708 made them overconfident.{{sfn|Nicholson|1955|pp=124–125}}

===Diplomacy and renewed war===
{{further|No Peace Without Spain}}

French diplomats focused on the Dutch, whom they considered more likely to favour peace, since victory at Ramillies had removed any direct military threat to the Republic, while highlighting differences with Britain on the Spanish Netherlands. Peace talks had broken down in late 1708 because the Allies could not agree joint terms.{{sfn|Bromley|1979|p=446}} The [[Great Frost of 1709]] caused widespread famine in France and Spain, forcing Louis to re-open negotiations, who now hinted at his willingness to cede French fortresses to the Dutch Republic.{{sfn|Ward|Leathes|2010|pp=422–423}}{{sfn|Nimwegen|2020|p=307}}
	
In May 1709 the Allies presented him with the preliminaries of the Hague. Britain and Austria still insisted on an undivided Spanish monarchy for Archduke Charles. The Allies demanded that Philip was given two months to cede his throne to Charles, while France was required to remove him by force if he did not comply, besides having to cede the strongholds, [[Thionville]], [[Cambrai]] and [[Valenciennes]] as collateral.{{sfn|Ward|Leathes|2010|pp=422–423}} Although Spain was of less importance to them, the Dutch negotiators, led by Heinsius, considered these strict conditions necessary to ensure that peace conditions were honoured, as they doubted Louis' sincerity. The Dutch considered these harsh terms necessary as they doubted Louis' sincerity, and were concerned the Allies might exhaust themselves in Spain, while allowing France to recover, and potentially back Phillip once again.{{sfn|Bromley|1979|pp=437}}{{sfn|Nimwegen|2020|pp=307–308 & 321}}

[[File:The Battle of Malplaquet, 1709.png|thumb|right|upright=1.0|[[Battle of Malplaquet]], 1709: an Allied victory, the losses shocked Europe and increased the desire for peace.]]

Many Allied statesmen, including Marlborough, felt the terms assumed Philip would abdicate on request, and seriously underestimated France's ability to continue the war. They also required the Spanish to accept Archduke Charles as king in his place, which they were certainly unwilling to do, as demonstrated by the failure of Allied campaigns to hold territory outside Catalonia.{{sfn|Kamen|2001|pp=70–72}} Although Louis seemed willing to abandon his ambitions in Spain, making war on his grandson was unacceptable, a stipulation so offensive that the French resolved to fight on when it was made public.{{sfn|Ward|Leathes|2010|p=424}}

Following the capture of [[Siege of Tournai (1709)|Tournai]], Marlborough's 1709 offensive in northern France culminated in the [[Battle of Malplaquet]] on 11 September, a hard fought Allied victory with heavy casualties on both sides.{{Sfn|Holmes|2008|p=433}} Although the battle did not improve the French strategic position, it showed their fighting abilities were intact and increased war-weariness in both Britain and the Dutch Republic. The impact was magnified by Franco-Spanish victories at [[Siege of Alicante|Alicante]] in April, and [[Battle of La Gudina|La Gudina]] in May 1709, which made prospects of an Allied victory in Spain increasingly remote.{{sfn|Gregg|2001|p=289}}

Shortly after, the Dutch discovered they had been excluded from a commercial agreement signed by Archduke Charles giving Britain exclusive trading rights in Spanish America. This deepened divisions between the Allies while increasing Spanish opposition to having the Archduke as their king.{{sfn|Gregg|2001|p=289}} The [[Godolphin–Marlborough ministry|Whig government]] in London was afraid to push the Dutch into the hands of the French and went back on their commercial agreement with Archduke Charles. In exchange for a Dutch guarantee to support the Hanoverian succession, Britain agreed to share trading rights in Spanish America and the Mediterranean. The Whigs promised the Dutch a significantly expanded barrier in the Spanish Netherlands, including fortress towns such as Lille, Valenciennes, [[Vieux-Condé|Condé]] and [[Maubeuge]]. The Dutch now seemed to obtain all they had ever wanted from the war, in the Low Countries, the Mediterranean and America.{{sfn|Veendendaal|1970|p=438–439}} This treaty sparked resentment from Emperor Joseph, who was offended by the heavy burden it imposed on his brother's sovereignty over the Southern Netherlands, while they were also opposed by the Tory opposition in Britain who saw them as detrimental to British commerce.{{sfn|Veendendaal|1970|p=439}}{{sfn|Gregg|2001|p=289}}

The Whigs had won the [[1708 British general election]] by arguing military victory was the quickest road to peace, but failure in France was mirrored in Spain. Archduke Charles re-entered Madrid in 1710 after victories at [[Battle of Almenar|Almenar]] and [[Battle of Saragossa|Saragossa]], but the Allies could not hold the interior and were forced to retreat. 3,500 British troops surrendered at [[Battle of Brihuega|Brihuega]] on 8 December, while the [[Battle of Villaviciosa]] on 10 December confirmed Bourbon control of Spain.{{sfn|Kamen|2001|p=101}} At the same time, costs continued to rise; the Dutch were close to bankruptcy while Austrian troops were almost entirely funded by Britain. In 1709, [[Parliament of Great Britain|Parliament]] approved expenditures of £6.4 million was up from £5.0 million in 1706; by the end of 1710, these had doubled to £12.9 million, despite minimal gains.{{Sfn|Hattendorf|1978|p=304}}

===Negotiations===
[[File:Villars a Denain1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|[[Battle of Denain]], July 1712; defeat ended Austrian and Dutch hopes of improving their negotiating position.]]

When talks resumed at [[Geertruidenberg]] in March 1710, Louis now even showed a willingness to assist the Allies in removing his grandson from Spain. The Dutch proposed compensating Philip with Sicily and Sardinia, but neither the Austrians or British would agree, and negotiations broke down again.{{sfn|Onnekink|Bruin|2013|p=65–66}} However, it was clear to the French the mood in Britain had changed. This was confirmed when the pro-peace Tories won a landslide victory in the October [[1710 British general election|1710 British election]], although they confirmed their commitment to the war to prevent a credit crisis. Despite the capture of [[Siege of Bouchain|Bouchain]] in September, a decisive victory in northern France continued to elude the Allies, while an [[Quebec expedition (1711)|attack on Quebec]] ended in disaster.{{sfn|Simms|2008|pp=60–64}}

When Emperor Joseph died in April 1711, his brother Archduke Charles was [[1711 imperial election|elected emperor]]. For the Dutch and British, his accession undermined a key reason for continuing the war, since a union of Spain with Austria was as unwelcome as one with France. The British secretly negotiated peace terms directly with France, leading to the signing of the Preliminary Articles of London on 8 October 1711.{{efn|Also known as the Mesnager Convention.}} These included French acceptance of the [[Act of Settlement 1701]] and a guarantee the French and Spanish crowns would remain separate. In addition, France undertook to ensure Spain ceded Gibraltar and Menorca, while giving Britain a thirty-year monopoly on the {{lang|es|[[Asiento de Negros]]}}, the right to import slaves into Spanish American colonies.{{sfn|Bromley|1979|pp=459–460}} Despite their resentment at being excluded from these talks, the Dutch were financially exhausted by the war, and could not continue without British support. Charles VI initially rejected the idea of a peace conference, only agreeing once the Dutch decided to support it, but continued to oppose the treaty.{{sfn|Elliott|2014|p=63}}

===Peace of Utrecht===
{{main|Peace of Utrecht}}
[[File:Europe 1714.png|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Western Europe in 1714, after the Treaties of [[Treaty of Utrecht|Utrecht]] and [[Treaty of Rastatt|Rastatt]]]]

Within weeks of the conference opening, events threatened the basis of the peace agreed between Britain and France. First, the French presented proposals awarding the Spanish Netherlands to Max Emmanuel of Bavaria and a minimal Barrier, leaving the Dutch with little to show for their huge investment of money and men. Second, a series of deaths left Louis XIV's two-year-old great-grandson, the future [[Louis XV]] as heir, making Philip next in line and his immediate renunciation imperative.{{sfn|Somerset|2012|p=470}}

The Dutch and Austrians fought on, hoping to improve their negotiating position but the new British government ordered Marlborough's replacement, [[James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde]], not to participate in offensive operations against the French.{{sfn|Gregg|2001|p=354}} These orders caused fury then and later, with Whigs urging Hanoverian military intervention. Those considered responsible, including Ormonde and the Tory statesman [[Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke]], were driven into exile when George I succeeded Queen Anne in 1714, and became prominent [[Jacobitism|Jacobites]].{{sfn|Somerset|2012|p=477}}

A combined Austro-Dutch army under Prince Eugene captured [[Le Quesnoy]] in June, before besieging [[Landrecies]], a key stronghold in France’s final defensive line. However, they were defeated at [[Battle of Denain|Denain]] on 24 July, then [[Rhine campaign of 1713|went on to recapture]] Le Quesnoy, Marchines, Douai, and Bouchain. This demonstrated the continued ability of the French army, while the Dutch had finally reached the end of their willingness and ability to continue the war.{{sfn|Holmes|2008|p=462}}

On 6 June, Philip confirmed his renunciation of the French throne, and the British offered the Dutch a revised [[Barrier Treaty]], replacing that of 1709 which they rejected as overly generous. Although subject to Austrian approval, it was still a significant improvement on that agreed in 1697, and was sufficient for the Dutch to agree.{{sfn|Myers|1917|pp=799–829}} Despite this, negotiations dragged on until 1715, as the Austrians were reluctant to pay for Dutch garrisons stationed in their territory, although British pressure meant the issue was ultimately concluded in favour of the Dutch.{{sfn|Nimwegen|2002|p=29}}

Emperor Charles withdrew from negotiations when France insisted he guarantee not to acquire Mantua or [[Duchy of Mirandola|Mirandola]]. He was supported in this by the future George I, who wanted France to withdraw backing for the Stuart heir [[James Francis Edward Stuart|James Francis]]. As a result, neither Austria nor the Emperor signed the [[Peace of Utrecht]] of 11 April 1713 between France and the other Allies; Spain made peace with the Dutch in June, then Savoy and Britain on 13 July 1713.{{sfn|Somerset|2012|pp=494–495}}

===Treaties of Rastatt and Baden===
Fighting continued on the Rhine, but Austria was financially exhausted and after the loss of [[Landau]] and [[Freiburg]] in November 1713, Charles finally made peace on 7 March 1714. In the [[Treaty of Rastatt]], the [[Habsburg monarchy]] acceded to the terms of Utrecht, which confirmed their gains in Southern Italy, returned [[Breisach]], [[Kehl]], and Freiburg, ended French support for the Hungarian revolt and agreed on terms for the Dutch Barrier fortresses. Charles abandoned his claim to Strasbourg and [[Upper Alsace|Alsace]] and agreed to the restoration of the Wittelsbach electors of Bavaria and Cologne, Max Emmanuel and Joseph Clemens, lifting the [[Imperial ban]] on them. Article XIX of the treaty transferred sovereignty over the Spanish Netherlands to Austria. On 7 September, the Holy Roman Empire joined the agreement by the [[Treaty of Baden (1714)|Treaty of Baden]]; although Catalonia and Majorca were not finally subdued by the Bourbons until June 1715, the war was over.{{sfn|Frey|Frey|1995|pp=374–375}}