New European Troubles. --Intrigues at the Spanish Court. --Leopold I. declares War against France. --Frederick I. of Brandenburg becomes King of Prussia. --German States allied with France. --Prince Eugene in Italy. --Operations on the Rhine. --Marlborough enters Germany. --Battle of Blenheim. --Joseph I. Emperor. --Victory of Ramillies. --Battle of Turin. --Victories in Flanders. --Louis XIV. asks for Peace. --Battle of Malplaquet. --Renewed Offer of France. --Stupidity of Joseph I. --Recall of Marlborough. --Karl VI. Emperor. --Peace of Utrecht. --Karl VI.'s Obstinacy. --Prince Eugene's Appeal. --Final Peace. --Loss of Alsatia. --The Kingdom of Sardinia. [Sidenote: 1700. TROUBLES IN SWEDEN AND SPAIN.] The beginning of the new century brought with it new troubles for all Europe, and Germany--since it was settled that her Emperors must be Hapsburgs--was compelled to share in them. In the North, Charles XII. of Sweden and Peter the Great of Russia were fighting for "the balance of power"; in Spain king Charles II. was responsible for a new cause of war, simply because he was the last of the Hapsburgs in a direct line, and had no children! Louis XIV. had married his elder sister and Leopold I. his younger sister; and both claimed the right to succeed him. The former, it is true, had renounced all claim to the throne of Spain when he married, but he put forth his grandson, Duke Philip of Anjou, as the candidate. There were two parties at the Court of Madrid,--the French, at the head of which was Louis XIV.'s ambassador, and the Austrian, directed by Charles II.'s mother and wife. The other nations of Europe were opposed to any division of Spain between the rival claimants, since the possession of even half her territory (which still included Naples, Sicily, Milan and Flanders, besides her enormous colonies in America) would have made either France or Austria too powerful. Charles II., however, was persuaded to make a will appointing Philip of Anjou his successor, and when he died, in 1700, Louis XIV. immediately sent his grandson over the Pyrenees and had him proclaimed as king Philip V. of Spain. [Sidenote: 1701.]