The War of the Spanish Succession: 1701–1714

The War of the Spanish Succession centers on that conflict, recounting the great struggle from 1701 to 1714 between the interest group led by the French House of Bourbon and the one led by the Austrian House of Habsburg. Why was the War of the Spanish Succession the decisive battle in the Bourbons' and Habsburgs' contest for European supremacy? How did Louis XIV's strategic missteps contribute to the weakening of France's position as Europe's dominant power? During the war, how did the great powers, each with hidden motives and bent on maximizing their gains, cross moral lines and violate treaty obligations to profit from the chaos? Why did the irrational compromises among the great powers leave Europe's political order so fragile after the Treaty of Utrecht was signed? This book offers a detailed explanation.