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The University High School Band
The History and Theory of Music

The War of Spanish Succession

The Battle of Denain by Jean Alaux

In 1665, a 4-year-old boy became King Charles II of Spain. Charles was both a descendant of Ferdinand and Isabella and the Spanish monarchs, and through his mother also a member of the House of Habsburg. A far cry from his powerful forebears, Charles was plagued by both mental and physical health issues, and died in 1700 at the age of 38.

Despite having been married twice, Charles left no heirs, but wisely tried to avoid a succession crisis by naming his sister's son, Philip of Anjou, as his heir. Philip was a member of the House of Bourbon and a grandson of French King Louis XIV.

Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I refused to recognize Philip, claiming it would make the House of Bourbon too powerful. Instead, he proposed his second son, Archduke Karl for the Spanish throne, beginning the War of Spanish Succession in 1701.

Spain, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, and a handful of other countries lined up behind Philip of Anjou and the House of Bourbon. Austria, Prussia, Great Britain, and the Holy Roman Empire got behind the Habsburgs. Portugal initially sided with the Bourbons but switched sides after getting their butts kicked by Great Britain in 1703.

The war came to a deadlock, but Louis XIV refused to sign a peace treaty. Instead, he played the long game, waiting until Leopold I died in 1705 and then until Leopold's eldest son Joseph died in 1711, whereupon Archduke Karl became Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. Since pursuing his claim to the Spanish throne would have made Karl both King of Spain and Holy Roman Empire, and his father's whole point in starting the war was to prevent one royal house from becoming too powerful, Karl immediately lost his support and signed the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

A Bourbon king is still on the throne of Spain today.

Open-Ended Questions

Why did the different countries take sides the way they did?