Charles II of Spain

See also: Charles

Charles II of Spain (born with Madrid, the November 6th 1661 - died with Madrid, on November 1st 1700) was the last Spanish king of the house of the Habsbourgs. Wire of Philippe IV and Marie-Anne of Austria, it inherited the throne to dead of his/her father in 1665, constantly under the regency of his/her mother until her majority in 1675.

The successive marriages between blood relations of the family had produced such a degeneration that Charles was rachitic, morbid and weak, in addition to its impotence, it had to face a conflict on its succession. He died without descent, extinguishing with him the Spanish branch of the house of Habsbourgs. He was of a Complexion so weak that he could go and speak only at 5 years.

Charles, indeed, had been proclaimed king in 1665, under the supervision of his mother Marie-Anne of Austria, it accepted the throne in full fight between Marie-Anne, Juan Jose of Austria (wire bastard of Philippe IV), Valenzuela and the cardinal Nidhard. The destiny of this weak prince was to be unceasingly controlled: it was it initially by his mother, then by gift Juan of Austria, his natural brother; by its wife, Marie Louise of Orleans, and finally by its ministers.

Supported by the nobility, gift Juan Jose went on Madrid and seized the power in 1677, but only died two years later. As Charles was unable to only control, it was helped by the duke of Medinaceli (1680-85), the Conde of Oropesa (1685-91 and 1695-99) and the cardinal Fernández de Portocarrero (1699-1700).

For this period the king had two marriages, with Marie Louise of Orleans (dead in 1689) and Marie-Anne de Neubourg; the despair of the court not to have of heir went as far as making exorcize the king. Indicator which the king would die without descent, powerful kings d' Europe started to give an opinion to occupy the throne when it would be vacant: the Austria defended the death taxes of the archduke Charles (the future emperor Charles VI) to try to recover the heritage of Habsbourgs and to avoid hegemonic temptations of France. But Louis XIV operated skilfully to prevent the republication of the empire of Charles I and to convert Spain into a satellite territory; with the Peace of Ryswick, of 1697, it made concessions in Spain and with the support of the court of Madrid, Charles designated Philippe of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV, as heir (two former wills in favor of Jose Fernando of Bavaria remained without effect since dead in 1699).

With the death of Charles large a War of succession began (1701-14) which saw to clash the partisans of the archduke (supported by the Austria, the England, the Portugal, the Plain Provinces of the Netherlands, the Prussia, the Savoy and Hanover) against those of Philippe of Anjou which, supported by the France, was essential finally as king d' Espagne under the name of Philippe V, founding on the throne a branch of the Maison of the Bourbons and posing the problem of the Succession to the throne of France.

The weakness of the real capacity under the reign of Charles II and its incapacity were at the same time the cause and the expression of the decline of the Maison of Habsbourg in Spain. The wars supported against France showed successive routs: transfer of the Franche-Comté with the Peace of Nimègue (1678), loss of the Luxembourg with the Truce of Ratisbon (1684), French invasion of the Catalonia (1691)… The Treated of Utrecht (1713), which put an end to the War of succession, can be regarded as the apogee of the decline then, with the installation of a Bourbon on the throne of Spain, the Austrians and the English required territorial compensations with the detriment of Spain which lost its possessions in the Netherlands and in Italy (which passed to the Austria), Gibraltar and Minorque (with the England).

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