The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict, fought between 1701 and 1714. The death of Charles II of Spain in November 1700 without children resulted in a succession struggle. Philip of Anjou was backed by his grandfather Louis XIV of France. His opponent, Archduke Charles of Austria, was supported by the Grand Alliance. Significant related conflicts include the Great Northern War (1700–1721) and Queen Anne's War (1702–1713).
Although no longer the predominant power in Europe, the Spanish Empire remained a vast global power, including the Spanish Netherlands, large parts of Italy, the Americas and the Spanish East Indies.