War of the Grand Alliance

The War of the Grand Alliance, also known as the Nine Years' War, was fought from 1688 to 1697 and pitted a broad European coalition against the France of King Louis XIV. The conflict grew out of fears of French expansionism, as Louis pursued aggressive territorial claims along his frontiers, including the seizure of strategic towns and his invasion of the Palatinate in the Rhineland.

The coalition originated in the League of Augsburg, formed in 1686, which brought together the Holy Roman Emperor, Spain, Sweden, Bavaria, Saxony, the Palatinate, and other powers alarmed by French ambitions. The alliance was greatly strengthened when the Glorious Revolution of 1688 placed William of Orange on the English throne, drawing England and the Dutch Republic firmly into the war against France.

The war was waged across the Low Countries, the Rhineland, Italy, Ireland, Spain, and the seas and colonies beyond Europe, becoming one of the first truly global conflicts. After years of grinding and costly warfare, it ended in 1697 with the Treaty of Ryswick, which checked French expansion and forced Louis XIV to recognize William III as king of England.