An additional battle with a number for a name
In the closing years of the 17 th century, Europe discovered itself locked in an expansive dispute that stretched from the fields of Flanders to the emerald hills of Ireland, from warm Mediterranean shores to storm-lashed Atlantic islands. The 9 Years’ Battle (1688– 1697, likewise known as the War of the Grand Alliance, was much more than a typical border conflict or dynastic quarrel– it was one of the first true world wars. It was here that European conflicts started to spiral out of control and spin external to more and additional territories, establishing the stage for future globe-spanning conflicts and corporation alliances.
At the heart of the problem was King Louis XIV of France, the so-called “Sunlight King,” whose aspirations to increase his territory and influence challenged the vulnerable European equilibrium of power. Arrayed versus him was an unprecedented union of old opponents and new allies, all joined by one objective: to halt French development and preserve the political balance of Europe.
What adhered to was almost a decade of hard-fought fights, moving commitments, and substantial economic stress. It additionally offers us yet another battle with a number for a name, joining the similarity the Thirty Years’ War, Hundred Years’ War, and Seven …