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War of the Spanish Succession

Definition

The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) was a major European conflict triggered by the death of the childless King Charles II of Spain. It involved several European powers who were trying to prevent the union of French and Spanish thrones under one monarch, which could disrupt the balance of power in Europe.

Analogy

Think about it like a high-stakes game of musical chairs. When King Charles II died without an heir, it left an empty "chair" (the throne). Several "players" (European powers) didn't want one person (in this case, a potential French king) to take both the French and Spanish "chairs", as that would give him too much control over the "game" (balance of power in Europe).

Related terms

King Charles II of Spain: King Charles II was the last Habsburg ruler from 1665 until his death in 1700. He had no direct heirs, leading to a succession crisis upon his death known as The War Of The Spanish Succession.

King Louis XIV of France: Known as 'The Sun King', Louis XIV ruled France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign is associated with absolute monarchy, territorial expansionism and centralization of power.

Balance Of Power: A concept in international relations that suggests national security is enhanced when military capability is distributed so that no one state is strong enough to dominate all others. This was what European powers were trying to maintain during the War Of The Spanish Succession.