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1701Reputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented

The War of the Spanish Succession Ends the Habsburg Line in Spain

A childless king's will hands Spain's throne to a French Bourbon, and the rest of Europe goes to war for thirteen years to stop it

On the timeline · around 1701 · Decline and the Bourbon Succession (1605-1714)Decline and the Bourbon Succession (1605-1714)Bourbon Spain and the Loss of Empire (1714-1898)The War of the Spanish Succession Ends the Habsburg Line in Spain1670168016901700171017201740

Quick facts

Trigger
Death of Charles II of Spain, November 1700
New king
Philip V of Spain (House of Bourbon)
Opposing alliance
England, Dutch Republic, Holy Roman Empire
War ends
1714

What happened

King Charles II of Spain, the last Habsburg ruler of Spain, was childless and in poor health for most of his reign. When he died in November 1700, his will left the entire Spanish Empire to Philip of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV of France and a member of the Bourbon dynasty, rather than to the rival Habsburg claimant, Archduke Charles of Austria. Louis XIV supported his grandson's claim, and Philip was crowned King Philip V of Spain on 16 November 1700. England, the Dutch Republic, the Holy Roman Empire, and other powers formed a Grand Alliance in 1701, unwilling to let a Bourbon on the Spanish throne create a union of French and Spanish power under one family. Thirteen years of war followed across Europe, from the Spanish Netherlands to Italy, with major battles like Blenheim, Turin, and Malplaquet, before peace negotiations confirmed Philip as King of Spain in 1714 while stripping Spain of its European territories outside Iberia.

Why it matters

The war permanently replaced the Spanish Habsburg dynasty with the Bourbons, who would rule Spain for most of the following two centuries and eventually implement the sweeping Bourbon Reforms of the 18th century. It also confirmed that no single family could be allowed to control both France and Spain, a principle that shaped European diplomacy for the rest of the century.

How we know

World History Encyclopedia's dedicated article on the War of the Spanish Succession traces Charles II's death, Philip of Anjou's coronation on 16 November 1700, the Grand Alliance's formation in 1701, and the war's major campaigns through to Philip's confirmation as king in 1714.

Sources

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Part of a timelineThe Spanish Empire27 events · A marriage unites two Iberian kingdoms and builds an empire that spans the globe for four centuries, financed by silver and built on conquestView all →
The War of the Spanish Succession Ends the Habsburg Line in Spain · The Spanish Empire · SourcedStory