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War of the Grand Alliance (Continental European Theatre)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Continental European Theatre | |||||||
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| Part of the War of the Grand Alliance | |||||||
 The Battle of Barfleur, 29 May 1692. Oil by Richard Paton. |
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| Combatants | |||||||
 Dutch Republic
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France etc. |
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| Commanders | |||||||
| William III, Prince Waldeck, Menno van Coehoorn, Duke of Savoy |
Louis XIV, Duc de Luxembourg, Duc de Boufflers, Marquis de Vauban, Duc de Villeroi, Nicolas Catinat |
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| Strength | |||||||
| ~250,000 275 Ships[2] |
~440,000[3] 221 Ships[4] |
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| Continental Europe – Ireland – North America |
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| Bantry Bay – Walcourt – Fleurus – Beachy Head – Staffarda – Mons – Cuneo – Leuze – 1st Namur – Barfleur-La Hogue – Steenkirk – Lagos – Landen – Marsaglia – Charleroi – Brest – Torroella – 2nd Namur – Barcelona |
The Continental European theatre was the main theatre of action during the War of the Grand Alliance (1688–1697) – often called the Nine Years War or occasionally, the War of the League of Augsburg. The main action centred round the Spanish Netherlands and the Rhine, but smaller theatres - the Duchy of Savoy in northern Italy and Catalonia in eastern Spain - also saw conflict.
King Louis XIV’s attack across the Rhine in 1688 began the French king’s longest war to date. The Grand Alliance (which superseded the League of Augsburg) was formed to oppose Louis' territorial ambitions along his borders. Signatories of the Grand Alliance (the coalition formed in opposition to Louis in 1689) include Leopold I, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire; William, both as King of England and stadtholder of the Dutch Republic; Spain, Savoy and various German princes.
The war ended indecisively with the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick on 20 September 1697 by the main powers: France, the Dutch Republic, England and Spain, with Leopold signing later on 30 October. Although the French influence had increased militarily on land, and the English at sea, the conflict between the Habsburgs and Bourbon dynasties, and the question of the Spanish succession, had yet to be resolved.
- ^ Includes Scottish, Welsh and Irish troops. The term Great Britain was used only after the Act of Union 1707
- ^ Parker et al p.128. This number includes both the maritime powers of England and the Dutch republic. Of the figure England had 100 ships of the line, and the Dutch, 69 ships of the line.
- ^ Dupuy p.580. This figure is its peak in 1693. However, this was only a paper figure; the actual wartime strength was a bit over 350,000.
- ^ Parker et al p.128. This number includes 93 ships of the line.
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