What is the Long Term Impact of the War of the Spanish Succession on Europe

The War of the Spanish Succession was a devastating war that occurred from 1702-1715. It embroiled all of the major powers of Europe, including Britain, France, Austria, Spain, Prussia and other German kingdoms, Italian kingdoms, Portugal, and Netherlands. The main result of the war is that it prevented France from unifying itself with Spain, after the death of Charles II from the Habsburg dynasty. However, more than resolving this possible unification, it created a new order of power that had global consequences.

Outcomes of the War

The war was initially sparked by the death of Charles II, the last Habsburg monarch on the throne of Spain. Charles II had promised the throne to Philip, Duke of Anjou, who was the grandson of Louis XIV. With the death of Charles and Philip being proclaimed king in Spain, Louis XIV embarked on taking the rest of the Spanish territories, in particular in Spanish Netherlands. This was seen as an attempt by Louis to unify much of western Europe under his control. This triggered an alliance between the Dutch, England, Prussia, Hanover, other German states, and Portugal. On the other side, France's Louis was allied with Bavaria, Cologne and the dukes of Mantua and Savoy, although Savoy later switched sides.

England was ably led in the battlefield by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy. Due to a falling out, Prince Eugene had switched his alliance from France to the one led by England. With perhaps Europe's two most able generals, under Marlborough and Prince Eugene, decisive victories were achieved that reversed French gains, where they were forced to retreat from Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. By 1708, France was ready to make terms. However, by 1711, things had changed, as the Duke of Marlborough fell out with his English backers and the rise of Archduke Charles, from the Habsburg's in Austria, changed the situation, where his rise threatened to bring Spain back under him. Additionally, the alliance against France found difficulty fighting in Spain. This led to an eventual series of treaties, starting in 1713 (Treaty of Utrecht) and then later the treaties of Rastatt and Baden.

The treaties effectively kept Spain under Louis' grandson, where now the House of Bourbon ruled, although effectively it could not unit with Spain. Furthermore, France and Spain were forced to give up a series of territories, including Spanish Netherlands and Naples in Europe. In the New World, Newfoundland was given to the British forces. Effectively, the war, according to the parties that accepted the treaties, kept the balance of power in Europe, where France and Spain retain their desire for a Bourbon king, but that power was not as strong as desired by Louis, as it had to give up territories.

Long-Term Impact

While in principal, the war maintained a balance in European politics among the power, the reality was different. First, the new United Kingdom that had formally united Scotland with England had emerged as a global power, in strong part thanks to the war and its aftermath. Britain gained a number of key territories, particularly in the New World such as Newfoundland and access to trade along areas where the French had once dominated. Additionally, they controlled Gibraltar, taking it from Spain (and which they still have to this day). However, rather than mainly weakening their main enemy, France, the war significantly weakened the Dutch, where they were straddled by large debts. This now allowed Britain to take over many trade opportunities, in Africa and North America, that they once controlled. The rise of Britain as a commercial and territorial empire had essentially accelerated due to the war's consequences.

For the Dutch, the war dragged for a long time and the population of three million could not cope with a large debt. In essence, the Dutch had been very influential in European affairs in the 17th century, but after this war that influence had declined sharply as their maritime empire and trading prowess declined due to the debts and cost of the war to them. In effect, despite being on the side that gained the most from the war's ending, the Dutch saw significant losses in their overall influence and economic prowess.

For France, the war seemed to go disastrous in the first few years, but by the end of the war they were in a stronger position and despite losses in North America, they did not lose the bulk of their colonies. What may have weakened France was more to do with the monarchy in France having become too centralized and strong. This created greater distance between the French government and French people, where over time this distance proved devastating and helped lead to the French Revolution. In fact, the later Seven Year War and American Revolution likely contributed more to the decline of France's royal family. The flexibility of the parliamentary system, however, which did not depend on a strong ruler, such as the system in Britain, may, however, had an effect through demonstrating its effectiveness in conducting campaigns by changing leadership and not not being prone to impulsive monarchs.

For Spain, the war brought a large territorial loss in Europe, although its overseas empire remained intact. Never again did Spain arise to be as influential as it was in the 16th and 17th centuries in European affairs. The main effect was the new ruling house, the Bourbons, brought new ideas in government and administration that had developed in France, allowing Spain to more rapidly modernize in the 18th century. This briefly restored Spanish power, although it never gained the dominance it held prior to the war in European affairs. Spain also became more centralized, where King Philip united the crowns of Aragon and Castile.

Effects on States Today

The effects of the war are evident today. In Gibraltar, Spain continues to want the territory back, where it is today still a British overseas territory. The rise of Britain after the war also enabled it to become the largest empire in history. In effect, by dominating sea trade, after the collapse of the Dutch, Britain had a way to finance its overseas empire. This meant that after this war no major global conflict did not involve Britain to some level, as they now became the dominant trade and territorial empire across much of the globe. Today, this has meant many countries have effectively taken up the legacies of British imperial rule. In India, for instance, legacies on education, government, and language are evident. This is also true in the United States, despite divergence in governance such as in the parliamentary and congressional systems that evolved.

The war helped to lead to the downfall of France's monarchy, as it increasingly became isolated from its population and more centralized. High financial costs also led to debt that made it difficult for France to recover from. In France, and elsewhere, the gradual move toward parliamentary systems began to hasten, as devastating wars showed the weakness of monarchy led states. In effect, the road to Western Europe's democracies hastened due to the costliness and changes brought about from wars such as the War of the Spanish Succession. Furthermore, the War of the Spanish Succession showed that devastating wars could be created by simply having a monarch die without heirs. Creating systems that can withstand changes to any individual family or households proved to be more attractive as the European Enlightenment continued. The states we see today in Western Europe reflect the evolutionary changes that were shaped by the war, as its financial and human costs began to lead to different forms of states.