Age of Louis XIV · 1701-1714

The War of the Spanish Succession

When the childless king of Spain dies in 1700, he leaves his empire to a grandson of Louis XIV. Much of Europe goes to war to stop France and Spain from joining. Students follow the war from Blenheim to Gibraltar and Barcelona, and see who gained what at Utrecht in 1713.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
45 minutes
Ages
13–16
On the map
3 steps, AD 1700 to AD 1715
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

When the childless king of Spain dies in 1700, he leaves his empire to a grandson of Louis XIV. Much of Europe goes to war to stop France and Spain from joining. Students follow the war from Blenheim to Gibraltar and Barcelona, and see who gained what at Utrecht in 1713.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain why the death of Charles II of Spain in 1700 led to a European war.
  • Locate Blenheim, Gibraltar, Barcelona and Utrecht and explain their role.
  • Describe what Britain, Austria and Philip V gained in the peace of 1713-1714.
2

Explore the map

12 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 1700

A huge inheritance

Open the map in 1700 and find Spain and its lands in Italy and the Americas. Then find France next door. Why did other powers fear one family ruling both?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1704

Blenheim on the Danube

Turn on Historical Events and choose Battles. Find the Battle of Blenheim (1704) on the Danube in Bavaria. Why were British and Dutch soldiers fighting so deep inside Germany?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1715

After Utrecht

Jump to 1715 and find the Austrian Netherlands, which had been Spanish. Then zoom in on the Rock of Gibraltar at the southern tip of Spain. Britain kept it in 1713 and holds it still. Why is this tiny place so valuable?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

14 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Charles II of Spain had no children. Why did his will matter to all of Europe?
  2. Britain, the Dutch Republic and Austria fought to keep France and Spain apart. Why did they fear a union?
  3. The war was fought in the Low Countries, Germany, Italy, Spain and North America. Why was a family quarrel fought so widely?
  4. Britain gained the asiento, the right to supply enslaved Africans to Spain's colonies. What does that show about what counted as a prize in 1713?
  5. Catalonia lost its own laws after Barcelona fell in 1714. Why is 11 September still a national day there?
4

Game round

9 min

Play a round of Rule History as Peter the Great, who was fighting his own war against Sweden in the very same years. Discuss: while western Europe fought over Spain, Russia rose in the east. Which war changed the map of Europe more?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

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