Editing War of Devolution (section)

==Background==
As part of the 1659 [[Treaty of the Pyrenees]] that ended the [[Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)|Franco-Spanish War]], [[Louis XIV]] of France married [[Maria Theresa of Spain|Maria Theresa]], eldest daughter of [[Philip IV of Spain]]. Despite being weakened by almost a century of continuous warfare, the [[Spanish Empire]] included possessions in [[Italy]], the [[Spanish Netherlands]], the [[History of the Philippines (1565–1898)|Philippines]] and the [[Americas]], and though no longer the dominant [[great power]], remained largely intact.{{Sfn|Storrs|2006|pp=6–7}} To prevent its acquisition by [[Kingdom of France|France]], Maria Theresa renounced her inheritance rights; in return, Louis was promised a dowry of 500,000 gold [[écu]]s, a huge sum that was never paid.{{Sfn|Wolf|1968|p=117}}

When [[Cardinal Mazarin]] died in 1661, Louis took control of the state and initiated an expansionist policy.{{Sfn|Lynn|1996|p=6}} His Finance Minister [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert]] argued control of the [[Spanish Netherlands]] was essential to French economic growth, which implied conflict with [[Habsburg Spain|Spain]], [[Emperor Leopold I]] and the [[Dutch Republic]], a long-term French ally. The 1648 [[Peace of Münster]] confirmed Dutch independence and gave [[Amsterdam]] control of trade through North-West Europe, by permanently closing the [[Scheldt]] estuary. Retaining this monopoly was a Dutch priority.{{Sfn|Israel|1990|pp=197–199}}

By 1663, Louis concluded that the [[States General of the Netherlands]] would never voluntarily agree to his demands and began plans to seize the Spanish Netherlands, although negotiations continued to avoid raising suspicions.{{Sfn|Rowen|1954|p=3}} As required by the 1662 Franco-Dutch Treaty of Paris, France entered the [[Second Anglo-Dutch War]] in July 1665, providing an excuse for its military build up; Louis also calculated that this would make it harder for the Dutch to oppose him.{{Sfn|De Périni|1896|p=298}} Philip's death in September left his four-year-old son [[Charles II of Spain|Charles]] as king, and his widow [[Mariana of Austria]] as regent. If Charles died, Leopold would inherit the Spanish Empire.{{Sfn|Geyl|1936|pp=311–312}}

[[File:Detail of Marie Thérèse d'Autriche by Nocret.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|[[Maria Theresa of Spain]], whose unpaid dowry was used to justify the war]]

French lawyers argued that as the dowry remained unpaid, Maria Theresa's renunciation was invalid, and her rights "devolved" to Louis under the ''Jus Devolutionis'', an obscure law restricting inheritance to children from a first marriage. On this basis, he claimed most of the Spanish Netherlands, including [[Duchy of Brabant|Brabant]] and [[Duchy of Limburg|Limburg]], the towns of [[Cambrai]], Antwerp and [[Mechelen]], [[Upper Guelders]], the counties of [[County of Namur|Namur]], [[County of Artois|Artois]] and [[County of Hainaut|Hainaut]], and related possessions.{{Sfn|Wolf|1962|p=316}} Leopold and Mariana dismissed this claim, as the law applied only in Brabant, Namur and Hainault and concerned private property, not feudal rights; however, this gave Louis a legal justification for his actions.{{Sfn|Macintosh|1973|pp=33–34}}

Aware of French intentions, Mariana's government sought to end the [[Portuguese Restoration War]], agree to an alliance with England, and break the Franco-Dutch relationship. Louis countered with the 1667 [[Treaty of Lisbon (1667)|Treaty of Lisbon]], a ten-year alliance with Portugal, and paid potential opponents like [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] to remain neutral.{{Sfn|Lynn|1996|p=36}} Leopold was occupied with the [[Great Turkish War]], while Foreign Minister [[Hugues de Lionne]] also extended the anti-Austrian [[League of the Rhine]] until 1668.{{Sfn|Macintosh|1973|pp=95–96}}

On 8 May, every French ambassador in Europe read out a declaration, claiming Louis was taking possession of lands that rightfully belonged to him. In mid-May, talks to end the Anglo-Dutch War opened in [[Breda]] between the Dutch Republic, [[Denmark–Norway]], France and England; shortly before, [[Grand Pensionary]] [[Johan de Witt]] of the Dutch Republic learned Louis and [[Charles II of England]] had secretly agreed to terms in advance, increasing the pressure on the Dutch not to oppose French aims.{{Sfn|Gooskens|2016|p=69}}

The impending war ended Spain's reluctance to accept Portuguese sovereignty; the Anglo-Spanish [[Treaty of Madrid (1667)|Treaty of Madrid]], signed on 23 May, granted England substantial commercial privileges, in return for help in ending the war with Portugal.{{Sfn|Fisher|Savelle|1967|pp=66–70}}