War of the Spanish Succession: Main Battles

Between the years 1700-1715 we will find a conflict that confronted the vast majority of Europe, due to a power vacuum in the throne of the Hispanic monarchy. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk about main battles that occurred inside and outside the Iberian Peninsula and how these were the ones that formed a new European map together with an oscillation in power within the old continent. In this way we can see how the Spanish monarchy went from being a power of the first order to a second place. Keep reading and you will discover the Main battles in the War of the Spanish Succession.

Map: antiquae history

Index

1. The main causes of the War of Succession
2. The great military of the conflict
3. The war in Europe
4. The spanish civil war

Before starting with the main battles in the war of the Spanish succession, we want to delve into the causes that led to the appearance of this confrontation. There were several causes that resulted in the confrontation of the powers of Europe, because the monarch Carlos II, when he died on November 1, 1700,

But from the Austrian Empire there was strong opposition to said candidate, because Louis XIV himself (grandfather of the French candidate) refused to his grandson will renounce the French throne, thus making possible a union between the two powers, being, therefore, very dangerous for the rest of the world. Europe. Thus it was proposed to an Austrian candidate, Archduke Charles.

On the other hand, when Philip V sat on the throne, France opened trade with the Indies, which is why which England and Holland were reluctant, because in that way they did not get any advantage. And finally, the taking of the squares of the Belgian barrier made Holland feel threatened by the French presence on its border.

In this way two sides were brewing that they would face later:

• France and Spain and two German principalities, made up one of the blocks (Aragon would change sides from 1705 on).
• England, Germany, Holland, Austria, Portugal and Savoy they would make up the other great block. All of them with aspirations of dividing the territories of the Spanish monarchy.

In this other lesson from a TEACHER we discover a brief summary of the war of the Spanish succession so that you understand everything that happened.

We are already beginning to talk about the main battles in the war of the Spanish succession and, for this, we will discover the military men who were the protagonists of that war. During the fifteen years of conflict, there were many military chiefs who fought over the European fields but only a few got a great reputation or fame:

• John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough (Mambrú, known vulgarly for Spanish songs).
• Jacobo Stuart Fitz-James, Duke of Berwick although of English origin because he was the son of King James II of England, he was French (since his father had lost the Crown and therefore had to flee from England). For France it achieved the triumph of the battle of Almansa.
• Eugene of Savoy-Carignano, although he was French, he would fight on the Austrian side.
• Luis José de Borbón, Duke of Vendome, fought for France and died in the battle of Vinaroz, he would be buried in the Escorial by order of Felipe V.

In 1701, the war between the Franco-Spanish and the Austrians began in northern Italy, in the Battle of Luzzara between August 14-15, 1702, in which Felipe V himself was injured.

In general we have to say that the Bourbon troops, that is, both French and Spanish, would suffer great setbacks in Europe, in this way we will see how the The English took Gibraltar on August 4, 1704 in the name of Archduke Charles and Marlborough seized Liege and together with Eugene of Savoy, crushed the French on the Battle of Höchtädt, August 13, 1704. Before this we will find a Franco-Spanish reaction that ended with the taking of the Duchy of Savoy.

Another of the great events occurred in 1706, after the battles of Turin and Ramillies, the Spanish monarchy stopped controlling Flanders and Milanesado and in 1707 both the English and the Dutch took Oran, Sardinia and Menorca.

In 1713 we will find one of the last battles, near Denain, in which Villars defeated Eugenio de Savoy, a victory that facilitated the following peace treaties to France, which was already very weakened by the conflict.

The last resistance was carried out by Austria, which remained at war until the French occupation of Friborg Square, at which point they agreed to sign peace.

Map: Playing and learning

Another of the Main battles in the War of the Spanish Succession it was the one that took place in Spain. At the same time that the battles were happening in the European fields, we will find a series of confrontations within the peninsula and not all were battles against other countries, but there would also be a real war civil.

After five years of government of the French monarch in Spain, we will find that in the summer of 1705 there is a uprising of some parts of the Crown of Aragon (We can practically place them in the Catalan counties and the kingdom of Mallorca) and this was given by a series of causes:

• A strong Austrian propaganda against the centralism promulgated by the Bourbon Crown.
• The withdrawal of some of the privileges that the Crown of Aragon had by the monarch.
• The presence of squadrons of the allies in the ports.

In April 1707 the Bourbon forces crushed in the Battle of Almansa to the army of Archduke Carlos, causing much of the kingdom of Valencia and Aragon to surrender. After the victory, we will find the return of Felipe V to Madrid, and throughout the year of 1708 we will find that the troops loyal to the monarch, were subjecting the kingdom of Valencia in addition to being cornered the counties Catalan.

In the year 1710 in the battle of Almenara, an offensive from Barcelona, ​​defeated the Felipe troops, making its way to Madrid. After this, two battles gave control of the kingdom to Felipe V again, these being the Battles of Brihuega and Villaviciosa de Tajuña.

Thus, only two outbreaks remained in rebellion within the Peninsula, taking Barcelona in 1714 and Palma de Mallorca in July 1715.

In this other lesson from a TEACHER we discover a brief summary of the Crown of Castile and Aragon.

If you want to read more articles similar to War of the Spanish Succession: Main Battles, we recommend that you enter our category of Story.