The Spanish War of Succession

The Spanish War of Succession (1701-1714) was a conflict triggered by the death of the childless Spanish king Charles II. He willed the throne to Philip of Anjou, a French prince. This united Spanish and French crowns worried other European powers about a dominant Franco-Spanish empire. Britain, Austria, and the Dutch Republic formed a coalition against France and Spain. The war involved battles across Europe and ended with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, which allowed Philip to remain king but required both crowns to be separate, reshaping the balance of power in Europe.