Spain's Succession Crisis (1700)

Spain’s Succession Crisis of 1700 arose after the death of King Charles II, the last Habsburg ruler, who named Philip of Anjou (grandson of Louis XIV of France) as his successor. This alarmed other European powers, fearing a union of France and Spain and a shift in balance of power. England, the Dutch Republic, Austria, and others opposed this. They supported alternatives to prevent Bourbon dominance. The dispute sparked the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714), involving multiple nations, ultimately leading to the Treaty of Utrecht, which confirmed Philip’s reign but divided territorial claims and maintained European stability.