Continued from Part I: [ Ссылка ]

The War of the Spanish Succession was the last, longest, and largest of the wars of Louis XIV. When Charles II, the Habsburg ruler of Spain, died without an heir (thanks to generations of inbreeding), he left the throne to Louis XIV's grandson. The nations of the Grand Alliance found this arrangement unacceptable, as it would tilt the European balance of power to far toward Louis and make it possible for the French and Spanish monarchies to combine into a single united monarchy.

It is a testimony to Louis XIV's awesomeness that he was able to fight the Grand Alliance to a draw and negotiate favorable peace terms in the Treaty of Utrecht. According to the terms of the treaty, a Bourbon monarch could rule Spain as long as the monarchies of France and Spain were never combined. Louis was restricted to his pre-war boundaries and the British gained Gibraltar from Spain. Britain was now set up to cement its place as the world's pre-eminent naval power. While there is no king in France, the Bourbon dynasty still reigns in Spain today.

This lecture will be helpful to students in AP European History, Western Civilization, and similar courses.

Music Credits:

Vadodora Chill Mix Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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Clash Defiant Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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Suonatore di Liuto Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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