Editing Maximilian II Emanuel (section)

==Governor of the Spanish Netherlands==
In the [[War of the Grand Alliance]] he again fought on the [[Habsburg]]s' side, protecting the Rhine frontier, and, being the Emperor's son-in-law and the husband of the King of Spain's niece, was appointed [[Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands|governor]] of the [[Spanish Netherlands]] in late 1691.{{sfn|Storrs|1999|p=8}}

His Netherlands adventure catalyzed Maximilian Emanuel's dynastic ambitions. One year after his appointment as governor, Maria Antonia died in Vienna, having given birth to a son, [[Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria|Joseph Ferdinand]], who was appointed heir to the Spanish monarchy but died in 1699 before acceding the throne. An alternative avenue for Maximilian Emanuel's ambition was offered by his marriage on 12 January 1694 to [[Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska]], the death of whose father, the elected King of Poland [[John III Sobieski]], two years later, offered a potential avenue of influence in Polish affairs.<ref name="Kruedener2020">{{cite book|author=Claudia von Kruedener|title=Kurfürstin Therese Kunigunde von Bayern (1676–1730): und ihre Friedenspolitik in europäischen Dimensionen Zwischen Papst und Kaiser|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyTYDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA401|date=23 March 2020|publisher=Verlag Friedrich Pustet|isbn=978-3-7917-7281-3|pages=61–}}</ref> Maximilian II was a candidate in the [[1697 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]], however, in view of the lack of strong support from other powers, the limited royal authority by the [[Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], and his greater interest in assuming the Spanish throne, he did not make a serious effort for the Polish crown.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Orszulik|first=Stanisław|year=1974|title=Kandydatura elektora bawarskiego Maksymiliana II Emanuela do korony polskiej po śmierci Jana III|journal=Śląski Kwartalnik Historyczny Sobótka|publisher=[[Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich]], Wydawnictwo [[Polish Academy of Sciences|Polskiej Akademii Nauk]]|location=Wrocław|language=pl|volume=XXIX|issue=2|pages=233–234}}</ref>

However, he concentrated his interests in [[Western Europe]], making his sons by Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska, [[Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles Albert]] and [[Clemens August of Bavaria|Clemens August]], the principal beneficiaries of his ambitions.

The unsuccessful siege and [[Bombardment of Brussels (1695)|bombardment of Brussels]] in 1695 during the [[Nine Years' War]] by French troops and the resulting fire during Max Emanuel's rule were together the most destructive event in the entire history of [[Brussels]].<ref name="MSc2014"/><ref name="Be2014"/>