The war for the Spanish inheritance 1701-1715. de Saint-Leage A.

In 1701, a large -scale conflict broke out in Western Europe - the war for the Spanish inheritance. Its main reason was the fate of the Spanish Empire - a huge state whose possessions were located around the world. But by the beginning of the 18th century, Spain experienced a period of decline and was hardly defending from greedy neighbors. The last king from the dynasty of the Spanish Habsburgs, Charles II, did not leave behind the heir. Even during his lifetime, the most powerful states surrounding Spain dreamed of getting its lands. The main contender was France, which claimed to be political hegemony in Europe. It was the French king Louis XIV who managed to put his grandson on the Spanish throne. Fearing the unprecedented growth of the power of France, the rest of the powers - Germany, England and Holland, declared a war to the French kingdom, which lasted as long as thirteen years and greatly covered the political map of Europe.