The War of Spanish Succession: Causes, Conflict, and Utrecht Settlement

The War of Spanish Succession and the System of Utrecht

Causes and Candidates

This war (1701–1713) was initiated by the problem of succession following the death of **Charles II of Spain**. The king died without an heir, and his will (1700) bequeathed his entire kingdom to **Philip of Anjou**, grandson of Louis XIV, on the condition that the Spanish dominions remain unified. The other primary candidate, **Charles of Austria** (Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor), did not accept the will and initiated the war against Philip V.

The Dual Nature of the Conflict

The War of Succession was twofold:

• As a **European War**, it was fought for European hegemony. Louis XIV and Philip V had to face a coalition consisting of Austria, Savoy, Holland, and England.
• As a **Civil War**, it was fought between Castile (which favored Philip V) and the Crown of Aragon (which favored Charles of Habsburg).

The war was long and indecisive, but in 1711, Charles of Habsburg became Emperor of Austria. England, fearing any single European hegemony, subsequently forced peace negotiations.

In 1714, Philip V conquered Barcelona, forcing the Crown of Aragon to surrender.

The Treaty of Utrecht (1713)

The **Treaty of Utrecht** (1713) ended the war and established a new order of hegemonies and the early concept of the European Balance of Power.

Consequences for European Powers

• Philip V (1700–1746) was recognized as King of Spain, but Louis XIV had to renounce the possibility of uniting the crowns of Spain and France.
• Austria annexed most of the former Spanish territories in Italy and the Netherlands.
• England annexed **Gibraltar** and **Minorca**, and, crucially, gained significant commercial advantages: the *Asiento* (the right to sell slaves in Spanish America) and the *Navío de Permiso* (the annual ship permit).
• Spain was the major loser, having lost all its European domains.

Spanish Revisionism and the Family Pacts

Spain did not fully accept the territorial losses stipulated in the treaty. Furthermore, **Elizabeth Farnese**, Philip V's second wife, sought to recover the former Italian dominions for her children. This ambition led to Spanish *revisionism* in Italy between 1720 and 1730.

The inability to unilaterally recover the territories in Italy led Spain to establish the **Family Pacts**, treaties of alliance with France (between the two branches of the Bourbon family). It should be clear that these alliances were not unconditional; Spain guarded its own interests, just as France guarded theirs.

In the first two Family Pacts, Philip V fought alongside France against Austria and successfully **recovered the Italian dominions**. These territories were not rejoined with Spain but were instead given to the sons of Elizabeth Farnese.