This conflict resulted from Louis XIV’s ambitions to claim the Spanish Netherlands (Belgium, Luxembourg). The French Army defeated the Spanish Army with no problem, due to Spain’s economic problems, it's forces being stretched to accommodate its New World colonies, and poor management of its army. The war would be a victory for Louis XIV and gained lands in the Spanish Netherlands and the province of Franche-Comté (the strategy was suggested by a respected old general of the Thirty Years' War, the Prince de Comte) but the threat of intervention by the other powers of Europe forced him to give back most of the land in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle signed in 1688.

This war was sparked by Louis XIV’s anger at the Dutch Republic (who secured their independence from Spain in for not aiding the French in removing the Spanish forces from the Spanish Netherlands. Oddly enough, the HRE and Spain aided their former subjects (The Dutch) in order to fight the Spanish and the British (The British were enraged at the House of Orange’s involvement with religious divisions in the United Kingdom).

Sebastian Vauban, an engineer for the French Army, made advances in technology, notably in siege tactics. He showed advances that were yet unheard of by military tacticians then. He advocated for using artillery to wear down a city's walls and to create a series of parallel trenches (usually going off in angles, like a zig-zag), working towards the city and planting charges on the wall to make a breach. This tactic of attacking fortresses would be used well into the late 1800s, and was first demonstrated on a large scale by Vauban in Maastricht in 1673. Vauban would also fortify the fortress he captured to better withstand sieges, such as his in Besançon (Franche-Comté) which he captured in 1674 and set out to improve its capabilities.



While the other powers did not want the Dutch to be conquered by the France, they did not object for the military to take the lands of Franche-Comté and portions of the Spanish Netherlands they won, which was laid out in the Treaty of Nijmegen which ended the war. This was probably in an attempt to appease the French and prevent future scuffles.

Louis XIV once again makes an attempt at the Southern Netherlands once again. This time, it was once again only between Spain and France over land promised to France in the Treaty of Westphalia and from the previous two wars listed. France was able to sweep through most of the Southern Netherlands (bypassing Belgium in the process) with no problem, claiming Strasbourg and moving on to Luxembourg, which ended up withstand French assaults.

Louis was forced to back off in 1684 when the powers of Europe sent aid to help the Austrian Empire against the most massive assault by the Ottoman Empire in years. This war would be known as the “War of the Holy League”. Louis signed the Truce of Ratisbon promising 20 years of peace in order not to make him seem like an enemy of Christianity, which would justify a large alliance of European powers against him. Louis refused to send aid to the Austrians though, probably secretly hoping the Ottomans would obliterate his Habsburg enemies.

A few years before, Louis XIV chooses to revoke the Edict of Nantes, signed into power by his predecessor Henry IV in 1598 to end the divisions brought on by the French Wars of Religion promising French Protestants, Huguenots, rights in France. This caused the French to lose many skilled Huguenots for French service and trade issues with the Dutch who were operating in the country.

The French hoped to put pressure on the HRE to cave in and give up territorial claims that the French shared, as well as to give the Ottoman Empire a greater possiblity of defeating the Holy Roman Empire Imperial and Austrian armies. As such, the British intervened to try and prevent an unfavorable balance of power.

The English fought the French both in Europe as well as North America. In Europe, the British secured the aid of the Dutch and the promise of the Austrian Emperor (this was largely pointless though, they were still dealing with the Ottoman assault I mentioned earlier) in the event of war with the French.

In the opening years, the French successfully invaded the Palatine lands of the HRE, laying waste to the region. This showed the German princes that Louis XIV was committed to another war, and the large kingdoms of the HRE agreed to commit more forces to fight both the French and the Ottomans who were still coming from the East. Ultimately, the French pulled back once the Generals believed battle conditions were no longer in their favor.

Louis XIV also watched with interest as the throne of England sifted to William II of Orange’s rule during the “Glorious Revolution" in 1688. This event saw the English Parliament inviting William of Orange from the Netherlands to take the throne of England and dispose of the power-hungry James II. Louis XIV sought to undermine the new rule by sending back the overthrown James II to lead Irish revolutionaries and a Jacobite uprising in Scotland to divert English forces from the Low Countries and in North America. It did not go to plan for Louis XIV though as the uprisings were quickly squashed as other powers sent aid to get it under control,

Unfortunately for Louis XIV, his plan of the HRE being split on a two front war failed with the Imperial victory at Vienna. Poland (another nation which is unfortunately made fun of for military problems), led by King John Sobieski, saves Vienna from falling to a Turkish siege, and very well probably saved all of Europe in a pivotal battle in September 12, 1683, which lifted the Siege in Vienna.

The war would shift once again to the Spanish Netherlands, where the French would meet stiff resistance and neither side would make any significant gains. Marshal Luxembourg, an associate of the legendary Prince de Comte, makes attempts at the Spanish Netherlands. His first major conflict would be at the Battle of Fleurus (1690), where he would attack a large and well supplied Allied army, dealing them a defeat. He was unable to pursue the victory though, as King Louis XIV recalled Luxembourg to back up his son and heir to the throne, Dauphin Louis.

Regardless, attempts were made to deal a double blow to the Allies. One plan called for the capture of Mons (Belgium), while the other called for a separate attack at Nice, Italy. The attempt at Mons (1690) was successful, and allied attempts at relieving the siege failed. The French were able to keep the initiative, notably a victory against a superior Calvary force by Marshal Luxembourg in the Battle of Leuze (1691).


On the other hand, the attempt at Italy was unsuccessful for the French. While they were able to defeat the Duke of Savoy and seize Nice, they were not able to advance to the more rich Piedmont Province. Meanwhile, William III of England was able to put down the French-backed Irish uprising in 1691 at Limerick, ending the last spurt of rebellion that Louis was secretly backing.

The French were assaulted from all sides- the Spanish Netherlands, the Dutch Republic, the United Kingdom, and the German princes of the HRE. The French Army performed quite well considering the circumstances, but was unable to secure any significant ground, only defending the fronts from any incursions into France. Vauban once again recommended different tactics to Loius XIV, one of which required that Louis pull back to defend areas that were better suited to fending off assaults rather than worrying about borders on the map. Obviously, this would not fly with Louis XIV, or any other monarch for that matter.

The French would make another move deep into the Spanish Netherlands, capturing Namur after a lengthy siege (1692) orchestrated by Vauban. Vauban attempted to improve the citadel, but he saw that it was designed poorly to begin with and the locale wasn't suitable for an effective defense. While a sudden rush of English forces bolstered the Allied forces, they were not able to push back the French advance and the situation bogged down to a stalemate.


On the the diplomatic front, Louis XIV sought to undermine the alliance between England, the Austrian Emperor (and the German Princes by extension), and the Dutch Republic. His cabinet members attempted to negotiate a treaty with the Austrian Emperor, but Louis XIV was set on refusing to give up land he has gained as well as still not recognizing William III as the King of the England, which prevented any meaningful treaty from being signed.

The French Navy would attempt to invade England in 1692, only to be humiliated by a British naval force in the Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue, losing a number of ships in the process. This would mark the end of any significant French naval presence to contest British waters.

The French army had reached a size of 400,000 by 1693, impressive considering limits in those days. While they were still being trained and equipped, France was already beginning to feel the effects of the severe economic issues resulting from all the wars.

In 1694, attempts at Spain would begin successfully, with the capture of a number of border cities. The French fleet would back the ground forces as they penetrated into Catalonia. Meanwhile, the English navy would attempt to destroy the important French port of Brest (North-western corner of France), but would be thwarted as the French anticipated the assault and Vauban prepared a stiff defense to welcome the landing in June of that year.

While the attack of Spain was no issue, the French navy would pull back to their Mediterranean ports after news of of a joint English-Dutch fleet arriving in the Mediterranean. As a result, the French army would be pushed back to the original borders.

In 1695, the situation would turn for the French. Marshal Luxembourg, their most skilled general, died of old age. The City of Namur would be recaptured by the Allied forces, and the French lost their dominance in the Spanish Netherlands.

Due to the lack of superiority by the French navy and the financial issues facing France, naval warfare reverted to that of privateer warfare, where French privateers would successfully be able to raid numerous Allied convoys.

In Italy, Louis XIV successfully negotiated a peace with the Italian city-states, playing off their fears over Austrian forces attempting to seize more territory, and pulled out of the area. The Emperor of the HRE and Austria protested, but other powers encouraged the peace and Italy would become neutral in the conflict, placing the Alps as the border with France rather than the Po river, and bringing out the Duke of Savoy as a powerful force.

In Spain, Barcelona was successfully seized in 1697 and removed Spain as a viable ally in the war. The situation in the Spanish Netherlands stalemated for both sides, and eventually leading to the sides ending the war.

The war would be noted for the large number of fortifications used. Rather than the traditional method of fighting on the field for devise battles, the war revolved around assaulting and defending strongholds (think turtling). When an assault failed, the losers would go back to their fortress and restock.

New weaponry, such as flintlock rifles, would begin to be used over the traditional cumbersome and impractical matchlock rifles. Rifles also began using a more efficient way of attaching bayonets-before attachments were jammed down the barrel, but now there was room to attach pike-like blades on the bottom of the rifle.

Running parallel to this would be the first of the French and Indian Wars, where the British and French would fight over the Ohio River Valley. Both used Native Americans, with the French utilizing those in Canada and the Ohio River Valley, with the British hired Indians from the Iroquois Confederation. The French would secure a victory after a failed British assault on Quebec City, but the war ultimately more damaging to the French than it was for the British. There would be no change in colonial holdings for either side until the last French and Indian War in the 1750s, where the French would lose Canada and other holdings east of the Mississippi.

The tide of battle would bounce back and forth between the Allied Forces led by the United Kingdom and the French. Ultimately nothing would be gained and the Treaty of Ryswick was signed and ended the war with no clear victor. France would give up claims in the Spanish Netherlands but keep the regions of Alsace and Strasbourg while having military rights in the province of Lorraine. Any territory on the other side of the Rhine was returned to the proper owners. Louis XIV also agreed to recognize William as the King of England and back off his support for the Pretender James II (though he allowed James II and his family to continue living in France).

Spain’s Habsburg branch weakened considerably during these years, losing the power in Europe they had between the Reconquista and Phillip II’s rule in the late 1500s. King Charles II would be the last of these kings, an inbred, sterile, and deformed man who couldn’t rule the country effectively.

Towards the end of the Nine Years' War, Charles II had allowed the Bavarian Prince Joseph Ferdinand to take control of Spain (As Charles' father, Philip IV, had laid out in his will). The European powers didn't object, but also demanded that the Spanish Netherlands and Italian holdings by the Spanish be split up among the Austrians and French, which the Spanish advisers vehemently objected to.

The issue would become a firestorm when Joseph Ferdinand passed away, leading the Austrian Emperor Leopold I to present his son, Archduke Charles, as the heir to Spain, while Louis XIV would present one of his sons, Philip of Anjou, as the heir.

Louis XIV claimed that Charles II had made provisions to allow his son, Prince Louis to become the King of Spain due to his marriage to the Spanish Princess Maria Theresa, since Charles II knew he would have no heirs due to his sterility.

The prospect of Spain falling under Bourbon domination and the entirety of the Spanish Netherlands falling under French influence was undesirable to the European community, as it would tilt the economic and political scene in France's favor. Rather, it was suggested that Spain continue as a separate country with Philip as the king, and the Spanish Netherlands switch to the possession of the Austrian Habsburgs.

Louis XIV advisers warned him that it would not be wise to reject the request of the European community, but Louis’s felt otherwise and pursued his ambitions, blowing off England by recognizing the son of James II as the true heir of England's throne. No longer willing to take Louis XIV's demands and actions, the Grand Alliance once again came together, and one of the costliest wars in European history was about to begin.

France was now faced by England, the Dutch Republic, the Holy Roman Empire, a number of Italian city states, and even Catalonia within Spain (driven by the prospect of independence from Spain); The Allies sought to end France’s warmongering as well as to place Archduke Charles, (son of the Austrian Emperor Leopold I), on the throne and thus restoring Habsburg rule in Spain.

France was aided by Spain’s resources. They were also given allegiance by Maximillian II of Bavaria and the Hungarians, who wanted independence from Habsburg dominance from Austria (though the Hungarians would not contribute greatly to the war due to political friction between Magyar nobles).

The French hoped that with the Stuart Queen Anne on the throne of England after William III's death, the English would not join the war, but Queen Anne would continue William's resolve against the French.

The French suffered defeats during an incursion into Northern Italy by the Duke of Savoy and was unable to advance into Italy. The Duke of Marlborough, the English’s main military general for continental operations, was able to plan successful offenses against the French in the Dutch Republic. Despite this, France was able to advance into the Spanish Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the French distracted Marlborough with attacks on the remaining Spanish Netherlands and the Dutch Republic. The French Army joined with the Bavarian Army and penetrated deep into Germany, defeating Imperial HRE armies along the way, ultimately focusing on capturing Vienna and forcing the Habsburgs to surrender.

Marlborough went away from orders and struck back at the French advance into the HRE, pushing them out of the Spanish Netherlands in the process and reclaiming Dunkirk and Antwerp for the Alliance. A notable victory was at Blenheim in 1704, where Marlborough defeated a numerically superior French-Bavarian force with minimal casualties of his own. Again in 1706, Marlborough would repeat a similar success at the Battle of Ramillies.


In 1705, The Austrian and Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I died, leaving the throne to his son Joseph I (the brother of the Archduke Charles, who the allies wanted on the Spanish throne). The French hoped the new Emperor would be weaker in resolve in continuing the war, but Joseph I was just as determined as his father was.

The French were staying together through the leadership of skilled commanders, such as Marshall Villars, who would be the most successful of any of the French soldiers, showing his skill in battles along the Rhine river and keeping back the advances of the allied army into France.

On a side note, in 1707, Scotland and England would merge their crowns and parliaments, creating the Kingdom of Great Britain. This would signal to Louis XIV that the English were beginning to bring the Scots completely under their control.

Both sides attempted to appeal to Charles XII of Sweden, who had set up camp in Saxony to rest after fighting a battle in the Great Northern War (1700-1721: A separate conflict involving central and eastern powers, chiefly between Russian and Swedish ambitions in Eastern Europe). Charles XII respected the French’s military psyche and tactics, but refused to aid them due to Louis XIV revoking of the Edict of Nantes and subsequent harassment of Protestants in France.

The Duke of Marlborough and the Duke of Savoy joined forces to penetrate into France with the goal of capturing Paris after the success at Blenhiem. They had successes pushing the French out of the Spanish Netherlands, most notably at Oudenaarde (Belgium-1708), causing 15,000 casualties and humiliating the French's psyche. The drive together at the Battle of Malplaquet (In France near Mons, Belgium) in 1709, where the French were defeated by the Allied forces. This was largely Pyrrhic though- the French were outnumbered (75,000 French to an ~85,000 Alliance army) but managed to deal over 20,000 casualties while losing 11,000 of their own. The Allied forces would go on to Mons (Belgium) shortly afterward, but had suffered too much attrition to continue onto Paris (Such a Pyrrhic victory would grace the French as well, but over a 100 years later at Borodino when Napoleon defeated the Russian forces at the cost of a considerable chunk of his own men and supplies).

The Battle of Malplaquet would be one of the bloodiest battles in modern Europe to date, as a staggering cumulative casualty rate over 30,000 was unheard of then (of course, casualty rates for the campaigns Roman Empire were not considered, such as Arausio and Cannae, but then again many ancient records were glorified). It would also be a morale loss for the English, as many of the Duke Marlborough's soldiers began to suspect he was more concerned with his personal advancement in British service rather than the lives of the soldiers.


The situation was getting bad for the French on the homefront. The economy began to sink deeper into problems, and there was now a lot of infighting between French commanders over tactics and advancement. There were issues with desertion, and it seemed to Europe that the French were close to collapse.

The British and Dutch were also raiding away at Spanish shipments of bullion and other loot from the New World which Louis XIV was using to fund the war. The capture of much of this treasure by the British and Dutch navies and privateers would be detrimental to the French and devastating to future Spanish monarchs.

Despite this, the Allied forces were still not able to make any ground in invading Spain, notably being defeated at Almansa in 1707 (the French were led by the British Duke of Berwick, who had a personal grudge against the British throne).

Fortunately for the French, there were similar issues on the Allied side. The Duke of Marlborough, who orchestrated the greatest of the Allies' successes, was losing influence and support in Great Britain. His wife, who was a close friend of Queen Anne, had a falling out with the Queen, and was banished from the royal court. The Whigs who supported the war lost parliamentary elections to the Tories, who wanted peace.

In Spain, a British force attempted to push the French out of Spain and install Charles of Austria as the King of Spain. On the way to besiege Madrid, a battle took place at Brihuega outside of Madrid in December of 1710. Habsburg efforts in Spain subsequently collapsed.

The Austrian Emperor Joseph suddenly died in 1711, leaving Archduke Charles as the Emperor of both Austria and the HRE. The British and other allies were now worried that if Austria claimed a victory and Charles got the Spanish throne as promised, it would be another large Habsburg Empire like Charles I of Spain in the 1500s, spanning Central Europe, Spain, and the New World.

Marlborough was able to deal one more defeat to the French by successfully capturing the city of Bouchain (bordering Belgium) after a siege before being recalled by the British and replaced by a significantly less effective Duke of Ormonde, who proceeded to arrange a treaty with the French on behest of the Tory government. At the Battle of Denain in 1712, Marshall Villars would halt a joint Dutch-HRE force numbering over a 100,000 soldiers with over a 100,000 French soldiers of his own, dealing 18,000 casualties before the joint army retreated.


The French also laid siege to Barcelona (in Catalonia, Spain) in 1714, and was successfully able to defeat them and punish them for supporting the Allied forces.

Regardless, the war had clearly taken its toll on the nations and turned into minor skirmishes while the powers began to arrange for peace treaties.

The war was ended with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1714, which also consisted of a number of smaller treaties between individual nations (such as Rastadt). Louis’s son would become Philip V of Spain, but would have to renounce any claim to the French throne. He was also required to give up the Spanish claims in Italy, but was allowed to retain holdings in the New World as long as he allowed the British to exclusive trading rights. The Spanish Netherlands and some holdings in Italy would switch possession from the Spanish throne to the Austrians.

Technologically, nothing new was introduced. Flintlock muskets which were introduced in the Nine Years' War saw greater and more widespread use, and the traditional method of assaulting strongholds pioneered by Vauban was still encouraged and used. It wasn't as "turtle" oriented as the Nine Years' War was though, and involved more offensive assaults.

While all nations lost a lot of men, there was no clear victor or loser. The war had simply gone on too long and became costly for everyone involved. While the French lost some of their attempted claims, they still retained their country and France-Comté. The province of Alsace passed into their possession and kept there, while Lorraine was withheld. These two provinces would cause a lot of issues later on between the German nations and France due to their border location.

The British had removed the Spanish as a viable economic force in Europe and the New World, and the French would be weakened for the last French and Indian War.

In the end, the true loser would be Spain, which had gone from the most powerful nation in Europe to an unimportant minor power.