War of the Grand Alliance (Continental European Theatre)

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War of the Grand Alliance Continental European Theatre
The Battle of Barfleur, 29 May 1692. Oil by Richard Paton.
Date 27 September 1688 – 20 September 1697 Location Continental Europe Result Indecisive, leading to the Treaty of Ryswick
Combatants
Dutch Republic, England,[1] Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Duchy of Savoy others	France, others
Commanders
King William III, Prince Waldeck, Menno van Coehoorn, Duke of Savoy	King Louis XIV, Marshal Luxembourg, Marshal Boufflers, Marquis de Vauban, Marshal Villeroi, Marshal Catinat
Strength
~250,000 275 Ships[2]	~440,000[3] 221 Ships[4]

Theatres of the War of the Grand Alliance
Continental Europe – Ireland – North America

War of the Grand Alliance
Walcourt – Fleurus – Beachy Head – Staffarda – Cuneo – Leuze – Barfleur-La Hogue – 1st Namur – Steenkirk – Landen – Marsaglia – Charleroi – 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 The Grand Alliance (which superseded the League of Augsburg) was formed to oppose Louis' territorial ambitions along his borders.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.