Editing Louis XIV (section)

==War of the Spanish Succession==
{{Main|War of the Spanish Succession}}

===Causes and build-up to the war===
[[File:Hyacinthe Rigaud - Philippe V, roi d'Espagne (1683-1746) - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|left|[[Philip&nbsp;V of Spain]]]]
By the time of the Peace of Ryswick, the Spanish succession had been a source of concern to European leaders for well over forty years. King [[Charles II of Spain|Charles&nbsp;II]] ruled a vast empire comprising Spain, [[Kingdom of Naples|Naples]], [[Kingdom of Sicily|Sicily]], Milan, the Spanish Netherlands, and numerous [[Spanish Empire|Spanish colonies]]. He produced no children, however, and consequently had no direct heirs.

The principal claimants to the throne of Spain belonged to the ruling families of France and Austria. The French claim derived from Louis{{Nbsp}}XIV's mother Anne of Austria (the older sister of [[Philip&nbsp;IV of Spain]]) and his wife Maria Theresa (Philip{{Nbsp}}IV's eldest daughter). Based on the laws of [[primogeniture]], France had the better claim as it originated from the eldest daughters in two generations. However, their renunciation of succession rights complicated matters. In the case of Maria Theresa, nonetheless, the renunciation was considered null and void owing to Spain's breach of her marriage contract with Louis. In contrast, no renunciations tainted the claims of Emperor Leopold{{Nbsp}}I's son [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles, Archduke of Austria]], who was a grandson of [[Philip III of Spain|Philip&nbsp;III]]'s youngest daughter [[Maria Anna of Spain|Maria Anna]]. The English and Dutch feared that a French or Austrian-born Spanish king would threaten the [[Balance of power (international relations)|balance of power]] and thus preferred the Bavarian Prince [[Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria (1692-1699)|Joseph Ferdinand]], a grandson of Leopold{{Nbsp}}I through his first wife [[Margaret Theresa of Spain]] (the younger daughter of Philip{{Nbsp}}IV).

In an attempt to avoid war, Louis signed the [[Treaty of The Hague (1698)|Treaty of the Hague]] with William{{Nbsp}}III of England in 1698. This agreement divided Spain's Italian territories between Louis's son ''le Grand Dauphin'' and Archduke Charles, with the rest of the empire awarded to Joseph Ferdinand. William{{Nbsp}}III consented to permitting the Dauphin's new territories to become part of France when the latter succeeded to his father's throne.{{Sfn|Lynn|1999|p=267}} The signatories, however, omitted to consult the ruler of these lands, and Charles{{Nbsp}}II was passionately opposed to the dismemberment of his empire. In 1699, he re-confirmed his 1693 will that named Joseph Ferdinand as his sole successor.{{Sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=353}}

Six months later, Joseph Ferdinand died. Therefore, in 1700, Louis and William{{Nbsp}}III concluded a fresh partitioning agreement, the [[Treaty of London (1700)|Treaty of London]]. This allocated Spain, the Low Countries, and the Spanish colonies to the Archduke. The Dauphin would receive all of Spain's Italian territories.{{Sfn|Lynn|1999|p=268}} Charles{{Nbsp}}II acknowledged that his empire could only remain undivided by bequeathing it entirely to a Frenchman or an Austrian. Under pressure from his German wife, [[Maria Anna of Neuburg]], Charles{{Nbsp}}II named Archduke Charles as his sole heir.

===Acceptance of the will of Charles II and consequences===
[[File:Louis le Grand; Rigaud Hyacinthe.jpg|thumb|Louis in 1701]]
On his deathbed in 1700, Charles{{Nbsp}}II of Spain unexpectedly changed his will. The clear demonstration of French military superiority for many decades before this time, the pro-French faction at the court of Spain, and even [[Pope Innocent&nbsp;XII]] convinced him that France was more likely to preserve his empire intact. He thus offered the entire empire to the Dauphin's second son Philip, Duke of Anjou, provided it remained undivided. Anjou was not in the direct line of French succession, thus his accession would not cause a Franco-Spanish union.{{Sfn|Lynn|1999|p=268}} If Anjou refused, the throne would be offered to his younger brother [[Charles, Duke of Berry (1686–1714)|Charles, Duke of Berry]]. If the Duke of Berry declined it, it would go to Archduke Charles, then to the distantly related [[House of Savoy]] if Charles declined it.{{Sfn|Kamen|2001|p=6}}

Louis was confronted with a difficult choice. He could agree to a partition of the Spanish possessions and avoid a general war, or accept Charles{{Nbsp}}II's will and alienate much of Europe. He may initially have been inclined to abide by the partition treaties, but the Dauphin's insistence persuaded him otherwise.{{Sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=358}} Moreover, Louis's foreign minister, [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert, marquis de Torcy]], pointed out that war with the Emperor would almost certainly ensue whether Louis accepted the partition treaties or Charles{{Nbsp}}II's will. He emphasised that, should it come to war, William{{Nbsp}}III was unlikely to stand by France since he "made a treaty to avoid war and did not intend to go to war to implement the treaty".{{Sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=353}} Indeed, in the event of war, it might be preferable to be already in control of the disputed lands. Eventually, therefore, Louis decided to accept Charles{{Nbsp}}II's will. Philip, Duke of Anjou, thus became Philip{{Nbsp}}V, King of Spain.

Most European rulers accepted Philip as king, some reluctantly. Depending on one's views of the war's inevitability, Louis acted reasonably or arrogantly.{{Sfn|Lynn|1999|p=269, see footnote 1}} He confirmed that Philip{{Nbsp}}V retained his French rights despite his new Spanish position. Admittedly, he may only have been hypothesising a theoretical eventuality and not attempting a Franco-Spanish union. But his actions were certainly not read as disinterested. Moreover, Louis sent troops to the Spanish Netherlands to evict Dutch garrisons and secure Dutch recognition of Philip{{Nbsp}}V. In 1701, Philip transferred the ''[[Asiento de Negros|asiento]]'' (the right to supply slaves to Spanish colonies) to France, as a sign of the two nations' growing connections. As tensions mounted, Louis decided to acknowledge [[James Francis Edward Stuart|James Stuart]], the son of James{{Nbsp}}II, as King of England, Scotland and Ireland on the latter's death, infuriating William{{Nbsp}}III. These actions enraged Britain and the Dutch Republic.{{Sfn|Lynn|1999|pp=269–270}} With the Holy Roman Emperor and the petty German states, they formed another Grand Alliance and declared war on France in 1702. French diplomacy secured Bavaria, Portugal, and Savoy as Franco-Spanish allies.{{Sfn|Merryman|2007|p=321}}

===Commencement of fighting===
[[File:Batalladealmansa.jpg|thumb|The Franco-Spanish army led by the [[James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick|Duke of Berwick]] defeated decisively the Alliance forces of Portugal, England, and the Dutch Republic at the [[Battle of Almansa]].]]
[[File:1706-05-23-Slag bij Ramillies.jpg|thumb|The [[Battle of Ramillies]] where the French fought the Dutch and British, 23 May 1706]]
Even before war was officially declared, hostilities began with Imperial aggression in Italy. Once finally declared, the [[War of the Spanish Succession]] lasted almost until Louis's death, at great cost to him and France.

The war began with French successes, but the talents of [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough]], and [[Eugene of Savoy]] checked these victories and broke the myth of French invincibility. The duo allowed the Palatinate and Austria to occupy Bavaria after their victory at the [[Battle of Blenheim]]. [[Maximilian&nbsp;II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria]], had to flee to the Spanish Netherlands. The impact of this victory won the support of Portugal and Savoy. Later, the [[Battle of Ramillies]] delivered the Low Countries to the Allies, and the [[Battle of Turin]] forced Louis to evacuate Italy, leaving it open to Allied forces. Marlborough and Eugene met again at the [[Battle of Oudenarde]], which enabled them to invade France.

France established contact with [[Francis&nbsp;II Rákóczi]] and promised support if he took up the cause of [[Rákóczi's War of Independence|Hungarian independence]].

Defeats, famine, and mounting debt greatly weakened France. Between 1693 and 1710, over two million people died in two famines, made worse as foraging armies seized food supplies from the villages.{{Sfn|Ó Gráda|Chevet|2002|pp=706–733}} In desperation, Louis ordered a disastrous invasion of the English island of [[Guernsey]] in the autumn of 1704 with the aim of raiding their successful harvest. By the winter of 1708–09, he was willing to accept peace at nearly any cost. He agreed that the entire Spanish empire should be surrendered to Archduke Charles, and also consented to return to the frontiers of the Peace of Westphalia, giving up all the territories he had acquired over 60 years. But he could not promise that Philip{{Nbsp}}V would accept these terms, so the Allies demanded that Louis single-handedly attack his grandson to force these terms on him. If he could not achieve this within the year, the war would resume. Louis would not accept these terms.{{Sfn|Lynn|1999|p=326}}

===Turning point===
{{CSS image crop|Image=France 1709-A One Louis d'Or.jpg |bSize=445|cWidth=220|cHeight=220|oTop=3|oLeft=3|Location=right|Description=Louis XIV depicted on a [[Louis d'or]] in 1709}}

The final phases of the War of the Spanish Succession demonstrated that the Allies could not maintain Archduke Charles in Spain just as surely as France could not retain the entire Spanish inheritance for Philip{{Nbsp}}V. The Allies were definitively expelled from central Spain by the Franco-Spanish victories at the [[Battle of Villaviciosa|Battles of Villaviciosa]] and [[Battle of Brihuega|Brihuega]] in 1710. French forces elsewhere remained obdurate despite their defeats. The Allies suffered a [[Pyrrhic victory]] at the [[Battle of Malplaquet]] with 21,000 casualties, twice that of the French.{{Sfn|Lynn|1999|p=334}} Eventually, France recovered its military pride with the decisive victory at [[Battle of Denain|Denain]] in 1712.

French military successes near the end of the war took place against the background of a changed political situation in Austria. In 1705, Emperor Leopold{{Nbsp}}I died. His elder son and successor, [[Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph&nbsp;I]], followed him in 1711. His heir was none other than Archduke Charles, who secured control of all of his brother's Austrian landholdings. If the Spanish empire then fell to him, it would have resurrected a domain as vast as Holy Roman Emperor [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles&nbsp;V]]'s in the 16th century. To the maritime powers of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic, this would have been as undesirable as a Franco-Spanish union.{{Sfn|Lynn|1999|p=342}}

===Conclusion of peace===
[[File:Philippe Buache Carte de France divisee suivant les quatre departements de Messieurs les secretaires dEtat 07710637.jpg|thumb|Map of France after the death of Louis{{Nbsp}}XIV]]
As a result of the fresh British perspective on the European balance of power, Anglo-French talks began, culminating in the 1713 [[Peace of Utrecht]] between Louis, [[Philip&nbsp;V of Spain]], [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Anne of Great Britain]], and the [[Dutch Republic]]. In 1714, after losing [[Landau]] and [[Freiburg]], the Holy Roman Emperor also made peace with France in the Treaties of [[Treaty of Rastatt|Rastatt]] and [[Treaty of Baden (1714)|Baden]].

In the general settlement, Philip{{Nbsp}}V retained Spain and its colonies, while Austria received the Spanish Netherlands and divided [[Kingdom of Sicily under Savoy|Spanish Italy]] with [[Savoy]]. Britain kept [[Gibraltar]] and [[Menorca]]. Louis agreed to withdraw his support for James Stuart, son of James{{Nbsp}}II and pretender to the thrones of Great Britain and Ireland, and ceded [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], [[Rupert's Land]], and [[Acadia]] in the Americas to Anne. Britain gained the most from the treaty, but the final terms were much more favourable to France than those being discussed in peace negotiations in 1709 and 1710.{{Citation needed|date=July 2016}} France retained [[Prince Edward Island|Île-Saint-Jean]] and [[Cape Breton Island|Île Royale]], and Louis acquired a few minor European territories, such as the [[Annexation of Orange|Principality of Orange]] and the [[Ubaye Valley]], which covered transalpine passes into Italy. Thanks to Louis, his allies the Electors of Bavaria and Cologne were restored to their prewar status and returned their lands.{{Sfn|Lynn|1999|pp=356–360}}