A History of England23 Touko 2021

38. Malbrough s’en va-t-en guerre

The War of the Spanish succession was really just the continuation of the Nine Years' War, but this time with the specific issue of the succession to the Spanish throne at stake. That, incidentally, meant that Spain swapped sides, fighting with France this time around, since the dying Spanish king had triggered the war by leaving his crown to a claimant from the French royal family.

It was a war where the Grand Alliance, again led by Austria, Britain and Holland, won a few battles. It was its turn, after all, following the French victories in the Nine Years' War. But just like those earlier wins, it didn't lead to an outcome from the war any more decisive than the previous time around.

What it did come up with was something rare in British history, an effective general in the Duke of Marlborough. A costly one, though, since many of his victorious battles, often fought with his friend and equally skilled Austrian counterpart, Eugene Prince of Savoy, were practically Pyrrhic in their losses for his own side.

It was also a war in which, though England went in, Great Britain came out. But why is the subject of episode 39.

Illustration: The Duke of Marlborough greeting Prince Eugene of Savoy after their victory at Blenheim, Robert Alexander Hillingford. Public domain. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Officer) before January 1, 1926

Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

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241. Supermac: you've never had it so good

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240. Suez: nail in the imperial coffin

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239. Winston back, Winston out

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238. Decline to defeat

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237. Citizen socialism at home, resisting the Soviets abroad

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236. Greyness at home, decline abroad

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235. Clem against the Evil Giants

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