Editing Nine Years' War

The '''Nine Years' War''' was a major war fought in Europe and Colonial America from 1688 until 1697 between [[France]] and the [[League of Augsburg]] (renamed the [[Grand Alliance]] in 1689 when [[England]] and other European powers joined). The War is also known as the War of the Palatine Succession, the War of the League of Augsburg, the War of the Grand Alliance, the War of the English Succession, King William's War, the Williamite War, and the Orléans War, depending on where the focus was on.

==Initial Campaign in Germany (1688 - 1689)==

== The War began in 1688 when King Louis XIV of France invaded the Rhineland in support of his sister-in-law, [[Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine|Elzabeth Charlotte]], to succeed her dead nephew, the Palatine Elector [[Charles, Elector Palatine|Charles]], instead of the [[Palatinate-Neuburg|Neuburg]] line. This is despite the Palatinate having whereby women were barred from inheritance. Immediately the [[League of Augsburg]], formed in 1686 between the most powerful princes of the empire to defend [[Germany]] from French aggression, declared war. ==
Although there had been devastations in previous wars to terrify the population of local princes, the devastation caused by the French in the Nine Years' War was purely a military tactic to delay the advance of the enemy. This destruction of both the Palatinate and neighboring states which had no interest of the quarrel succeeded in uniting almost the entirety of Germany behind the [[Holy Roman Empire|Holy Roman Emperor]], who was busy fighting a war against the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]] in [[Hungary]]. During April and May of 1689, [[England]], [[Portugal]], [[Savoy]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]], the [[The Netherlands|United Provinces]], and several [[Italy|Italian]] states also joined the alliance against France by the [[Treaty of Vienna]].

As a military measure, however, the move proved an unprofitable disaster. It was impossible for [[Jacques Henri de Durfort de Duras|Marshal Duras]] of the French to hold out on the eastern bank of the [[Middle Rhine]], so he ordered the destruction of southern German lands such as [[Baden]] and the [[Breisgau]]. These measures left the allied advance in the north practically unopposed. Duke [[Charles IV of Lorraine|Charles IV]] of [[Lorraine]] and Duke [[Maximilian II Emmanuel of Bavaria|Maximilian II]] of [[Bavaria]] besieged [[Mainz]], while the [[Brandenburg]] elector [[Frederick I, King of Prussia|Frederick III]] besieged [[Bonn]]. Mainz was forced to surrender on 9 September, but the governor of Bonn refused to surrender, leaving the Brandenburg elector to mercilessly shell the city until the armies from Mainz reinforced him. Of the French army of 6000 stationed in Bonn, only 850 were alive to surrender on the 16th, and the Duke of Lorraine escorted them to [[Thionville]]. [[Louis François, duc de Boufflers|Marshal Boufflers]], with another French army stationed in [[Luxembourg]], was unable to assist the French in Mainz or Bonn despite a minor victory at [[Cochem]].

==War in the Netherlands (1689 - 1697)==
Following the repel of the French from Germany in 1689, the theatre of the war moved to the Netherlands. After the [[Battle of Walcourt]] in August 1689 where the French were defeated by Prince [[George Frederick of Waldeck-Wildungen|George Frederick]] of [[Waldeck-Wildungen]], the French under [[François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg|Marshal Luxembourg]] won the [[Battle of Fleurus (1690)|Battle of Fleurus]] in July 1690 although King Louis prevented him from capitalising on his victory. The Turkish recapture of [[Belgrade]] in October 1690 prevented the emperor from sending his full forces to the Netherlands, providing another advantage to the French. The French also had success at sea, at the [[Battle of Beachy Head (1690)|Battle of Beachy Head]] they defeated the English, although they didn't attempt to control the English Channel or funnel support to the [[Jacobitism|Jacobites]] in [[Ireland]].

In 1691 Luxembourg captured [[Mons]] and [[Halle]] and defeated Prince Waldeck-Wildungen at the [[Battle of Leuze]]. The following year an army under the direct command of King Louis captured [[Namur]], and a Dutch counter-offensive lead by [[William III of Orange|William of Orange]] was defeated at the [[Battle of Steenkerque]]. Luxembourg defeated William in 1693 at the [[Battle of Landen]] and captured [[Charleroi]]. The death of Luxembourg in 1695 significantly handicapped the French. The summer of 1696 saw William of Orange capture [[Namur]] and repel further offensive efforts by the French who could bring more soldiers to the front once [[Savoy]] was defeated.

==War in Italy and Spain (1690 - 1696)==
Savoy had long held a policy of armed neutrality against France. The position of Savoy and the strength of its army had long disquieted the French. King Louis sent an ultimatum in 1690 to choose a side in the Nine Years' War and demanded access to the citadel in [[Turin]]. The result was that Duke [[Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia|Victor Amadeus]] threw his lot in with the allies. Savoy's part in the [[Grand Alliance]] allowed a second front to open in the war in Italy and the Alps, although Savoy was dependent on English and Dutch aid to maintain itself in the war. The French Marshal Capitat defeated the Savoyards at the [[Battle of Staffarda]] in 1690, but the arrival of Spanish and Austrian reinforcements prevented the French from taking Savoy out of the war.

The French were again successful against Savoy at the [[Battle of Marsaglia]] in 1693. The following year the French advanced across the Pyrenees and besieged [[Barcelona]], until the arrival of an English fleet forced their surrender. The [[Treaty of Turin]] in 1696 took Savoy out of the war, and the French sent the soldiers there north to the main front in the Netherlands.

==War in Ireland (1690 - 1691)==

To restore king [[James II of England|James II]] to the throne and take England out of the war, King Louis XVI sent soldiers, supplies and money to the Jacobites in [[Ireland]]. William of Orange was forced to travel to Ireland and fight the subsequent war. The Jacobite's were soundly defeated at the [[Battle of the Boyne]] in July 1690, although the war continued until the final defeat of the French and Jacobite's at the [[Battle of Aughrim]] in 1691.
[[Category:Colonialism]]
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	The '''Nine Years' War''' was a major war fought in Europe and Colonial America from 1688 until 1697 between [[France]] and the [[League of Augsburg]] (renamed the [[Grand Alliance]] in 1689 when [[England]] and other European powers joined). The War is also known as the War of the Palatine Succession, the War of the League of Augsburg, the War of the Grand Alliance, the War of the English Succession, King William's War, the Williamite War, and the Orléans War, depending on where the focus was on.		The '''Nine Years' War''' was a major war fought in Europe and Colonial America from 1688 until 1697 between [[France]] and the [[League of Augsburg]] (renamed the [[Grand Alliance]] in 1689 when [[England]] and other European powers joined). The War is also known as the War of the Palatine Succession, the War of the League of Augsburg, the War of the Grand Alliance, the War of the English Succession, King William's War, the Williamite War, and the Orléans War, depending on where the focus was on.