Starting in 1688, France vs. England

It was about absolutism vs. constitutionalism; Protestantism vs. Catholicism; religious uniformity vs. religious toleration; the balance of power, France vs. the rest of Europe.

It was also the first of a series of seven such wars between the French and the British with a changing roster of allies which would drag on for over a century, sometimes referred to as

The Second Hundred Years' War

• Nine Years' War 1688-1697
• War of the Spanish Succession 1702-1714
• War of the Austrian Succession 1740-1748
• Seven Years' War 1756-1763
• American Revolutionary War 1775-1783
• French Revolutionary War 1792-1801
• Napoleonic Wars 1803-1815

Nine Years' War 1688-1697

France vs. The Grand Alliance (three British kingdoms, The Dutch Republic, Spain, Portugal and the Holy Roman Empire)

In Sweden, military defeat led to constitutionalism;

In Russia, military victory would lead to absolutism and even autocracy.

The Ottoman Empire

Jacobites

Blue Water Strategy of English navy

Williams vs. James

Louis IV ran out of the money and asked for peace.

Treaty of Ryswick 1697

In October 1700, The King of Spain (Carlos Segundo) died heiress, leaving the kingdom to Philippe, Duke of Anjou 1683-1746.

Segundo's will was what Louis wanted, after all it was his grandson Phillip who would claim the throne. However, if Louis accepted the will, he would break the treaty with William III he just signed.

And he also faced the dilemma of fulfilling the will James III against William.

Then William died after he fell off his horse.

Queen Anne 1665-1714, delegated to John Churchill.