Stories from the Military Museum of Menorca (and 5). The War of Succession

War that was fought between Philip of Anjou of the Bourbon house of France, and Archduke Charles of Austria, for possession of the throne of Spain after the death of Charles II without heir.

Although Felipe was officially the designated heir in the last will of King Carlos II, the European powers, fearful of an excess of power in the hands of the Bourbons, formed an alliance in support of the Austrian candidate.

It was an international conflict that lasted from 1701 until the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Against the Bourbon house of France and Spain, the alliance between Austria, England, the Netherlands, the German States, Portugal and Savoy was formed. Internally, Spain is divided into a civil war between the supporters of both contendes.

In Menorca, the authorities officially took side with the Bourbon, but the people felt more sympathy for the Austrian candidate. After an attempted uprising, the official forces subdued the attempt sharply, leaving the island definitively on the Bourbon side.