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OTL this was a Ltd engagement to which the Spanish eventually abandoned their attempts to regain Gibralter and Minorca.

The Empire was reluctant in its support of Spain due to British diplomacy. Assume instead that Charles VI stays the course and commits more fully to the Spanish cause.

Can the Imperials and Spain prevail against Britain in the med. I am thinking that marshalling imperial resources in Naples & Sicily and the rest of Italy and combining them with the Spanish should be sufficient to wear the British resolve down. I am not sure exactly what the Spanish expected of the Emperor in this endeavour. Townshend had been disposed to the retrocession to Spain, given lacklustre support its allies and a few reverses in the theatre that are sufficiently draining on British resources it probably could be done. It would be at tremendous cost though to both the Empire and Spain.

Russia, Bavaria and Saxony are the Imperial & Spanish prospective allies.

Britain under the treaty of Hannover can call on the French, Brandenburg-Prussians, Dutch, Danes and Swedes.. however there seems to more reasons for division here than common grounds for opposition.

Fleury was decidedly pacific during his tenure and this is in the immediate aftermath of the bursting of the South Seas bubble with its devastation in the immediate term of French finances. Any armies France raises if it acts, are going to be decidedly smaller than those that went before, and dependent on what the French coffers can afford to field. The elector of Brandenburg seems more intent in husbanding his military might than actually using them unless absolutely necessary, so its hard to see how he can see a military or strategic imperative to go against the Emperor on this.

Is this likely to spiral into an earlier continent wide war.....ala the WAS. or remain limited to Spain and the Mediterranean?

Any input...
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