What were the main causes and consequences of the French involvement in the War of Devolution?

account_box
Syntactica Sophia
2 years ago

The War of Devolution was a conflict between France and Spain that took place from 1667 to 1668 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. The war was fought over the question of the succession to the Spanish Netherlands after the death of Philip IV of Spain. The main cause of the war was Louis XIV's claim that he had the right to inherit the Spanish Netherlands through his wife, Maria Theresa of Spain.

The war was fought primarily in the Spanish Netherlands and along the northern and eastern borders of France. French forces quickly gained the upper hand, and by May 1667 they had taken most of the Spanish Netherlands. The war ended in 1668 with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which confirmed French sovereignty over most of the Spanish Netherlands.

The consequences of the war were significant. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle marked the first major territorial acquisition by France since the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, and it established Louis XIV as a major power in Europe. The war also led to the strengthening of the French army and the development of Louis XIV's absolutist monarchy.