Prologue
As Charles II, King of Spain, began the slow descent into death, the issue of succession became a household (or castlehold) topic of the nobility of Europe. Kings and Queens with as so much as a tiny relation to Charles thought it was their time to be thrust into the spotlight. Spain was, even in it's current decline, a powerful Kingdom. The two most powerful claims to the throne came from the Bourbon family of France, and the Habsburg family of Austria (of which Charles was a part of). In the eyes of the world, no one else stood a chance in gaining the prize that was Spain, and instead the smaller dynasties aimed for smaller territories of the Spanish Crown.
One of the potential claimants was Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy. Charles supported the Italian and appointed him as his heir [1]; the Habsburgs and the Bourbons who sought to partition his lands before he even died. This did not stop the war that would come afterwards. Called the War of the Spanish Succession, the fight was waged across Europe. France and Bavaria fought against Austria, England, Savoy and the Holy Roman Empire for dominance of Spain [2], along with their vassals and smaller allies. The main battle grounds were Spain itself, the Rhineland, and the Italian peninsula; The war continued for years, until Robert Harley gained power in England, and decided to put the war to an end. In 1716 [3] a ceasefire is called, and peace talks begin. When the dust settled, everything had changed.
The War of Spanish Succession ended with Victor Amadeus II upon the throne in Madrid, as proposed by the British delegation in Turin. [4] London was pleased with an independent dynasty on the throne; the Hapsburg rule of Spain was always a thorn in her side, while a Bourbon ruler would strengthen their chief rival too much by far. Vienna and Paris were both furious - and vengeful. The two, while being forced to recognize that Spain was lost to them both, decided to snatch up anything they could take from the Spanish inheritance as well as all Savoyard lands they could fit into their hands. France annexed Alsace and Lorraine, and occupied Savoy and Nice. Austria took Milan, Sicily and Naples - as well as Bavaria, which they'd occupied during the war. In compensation, the Wittelsbach family was given the leftovers of the Spanish Netherlands, under the Duchy of Brabant. Savoy, in a twist of luck, managed to get the biggest prize: Spain, as well as Sardinia. Gibaltor was occupied by the British, giving them full access to the Mediterranean, further ensuring their naval supremacy. One war had done so much to change the landscape of Europe. The Savoys had lost their ancestral homeland, and instead, gained the world and royal status. The Bourbons no longer feared being surrounded by Habsburgs - but had lost so much to gain so little. The Habsburgs had to give up claims on a land that was rightfully theirs, and in the process, was set on a path to dominate all of Germany.