The Wars of Louis XIV

Louis’s Desire• Louis’s desire—extend

France’s “natural frontiers” to the Rhine River

• With the decline of Spain (Habsburgs), France will try to exploit the vacuum of power in Western Europe

• Louis will face coalitions against him at every attempt of conquest

Louis’s Early Wars• The War of Devolution—France’s unsuccessful attempt to

seize the Spanish Netherlands (Belgium) due to a family claim—opposed by Triple Alliance (1667) of England, Holland, and Sweden

• The Dutch War (1667-1679)Louis took claim to the Spanish Netherlands based on his first wife’s claim to the area. William III of Orange will create an alliance with the HRE and Spain to neutralize Louis XIV minimal territorial adjustments

• Nine Years’ War (1689-1697) – Louis went to war with the League of Augsburg (England, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands and major German states) and ended up having his expansion into Germany thwarted

The War of Spanish Succession

• France • Grand Alliance– England– Holland– Holy Roman Empire

Causes

• Death of Charles II of Spain with no direct heir– Claims to the throne through Louis’ grandson, the

duke of Anjou and the grandson of Austrian emperor Leopold

War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714)

• King Charles II died and left Spanish possessions and throne to Philip of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa

• William III of England and Holland did not want to see the Spanish Netherlands fall to the French b/c he feared the closing of the Scheldt River Harbor for trade– Feared competition from a merger of Spanish and French

thrones in the New World• Grand Alliance in 1701 of England, Holland, HRE, and

Prussia

• The War (507)– French problems– Military results

• The Outcome of War (508)– Proposed terms of peace– Treaty of Utrecht (1713)• Terms of treaty

Treaty of Utrecht (1713)

• BIG WINNER: England which kept Gilbraltar and received the asiento, privilege to conduct slave trade with Spanish America

• England also took Newfoundland and Nova Scotia from France

• The Spanish Netherlands became the Austrian Netherlands

• Philip remained King of Spain with stipulation that the king of Spain could not hold the throne of France as well

Legacy of the Sun King

• Efficient, centralized gov’t• Weakened power of nobility• Tax collection was systemized (intendent)• Bourgeoisie received roles in administration• French economy=successful– Agriculture and trade were stimulated

• Expanded French empire in Asia and N. America• Seeds of revolution due to huge national debt to be

paid for by the Third Estate of France