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Louis XIV of France emerged from the Franco-Dutch War in 1678 as the most powerful monarch in Europe. Using a combination of aggression, annexation, and quasi-legal means, he then set about extending his gains to strengthen France's frontiers, culminating in the 1683 to 1684 War of the Reunions.
The wider war in Europe was triggered by King Louis XIV's invasion of the Rhineland in October 1688. His aim was to strengthen French influence in the German states at the expense of the Holy Roman Empire, which was then engaged in a bitter war with the Turks.
Also known as the War of the Grand Alliance, a conflict that resulted from French aggression in the Rhineland, and that subsequently became a power struggle between Louis XIV of France and William III of Britain.
- It was France against everyone else. King Louis XIV of France, known as the Sun King, ruled from 1643 to 1715. Louis believed in absolute rule and spent most of his reign continually pushing for greater French power and engaging the country in frequent wars.
- The throne of England was at stake. In June 1688, a group of powerful English protestants invited William of Orange (ruler of the Dutch Republic) and his wife, Mary (daughter of the English king James II), to come and take the throne from James II.
- There was fierce fighting in Ireland and Scotland. From late in 1688, William had to fight resistance to his rule from Jacobites in Scotland and Ireland.
- It was fought on five continents. The main theatre of the war was Europe, particularly the Low Countries. The mighty Battle of Landen, in modern-day Belgium, on 29th July 1693 was one of the costliest and largest engagements of the whole war.
Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great (Louis le Grand) or the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any sovereign.
So far as England was concerned, Louis supported the Stuart claim to the throne. James II, a Roman Catholic, had been deposed in 1688 and had fled to France. Thus William was also defending his own throne, and the Protestant line of succession.
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Louis XIV had emerged from the Franco-Dutch War in 1678 as the most powerful monarch in Europe, an absolute ruler who had won numerous military victories. Using a combination of aggression, annexation, and quasi-legal means, Louis set about extending his gains to stabilize and strengthen France's frontiers, culminating in the brief War of the ...
