The 1705 military campaign in the Netherlands. The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714)

Abstract

The research aims to identify the features characteristic of the Western European art of war of the early 18th century. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the following: drawing on material previously unrecorded in Russian historiography, this article analyzes Western European tactics and strategy of the early 18th century. Using a single military campaign as an example, the paper demonstrates such characteristics of military affairs as the limited nature of operational plans and the constraints of combat operations under the influence of administrative, managerial, and material logistical factors, an increased emphasis on defensive lines and dominant terrain, and a preoccupation with maneuvering. The author concludes that the 1705 military campaign in the Netherlands most clearly demonstrated the typical characteristics of the military art of that era: passivity and indecisiveness, a wait-and-see approach, and a preference for defensive forms of warfare. Both the French and Dutch commanders demonstrated a certain unanimity in this regard. Conversely, the Duke of Marlborough, who showed initiative and sought to win the campaign with a decisive blow, was obstructed by his political allies and outright sabotaged by generals.

Research materials

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About this article

Publication history

• Received: January 26, 2026.
• Published: February 16, 2026.

Keywords

• война за испанское наследство 1701-1714 гг
• Людовик XIV
• герцог Мальборо
• Брабантская укрепленная линия
• War of the Spanish Succession of 1701-1714
• Louis XIV
• Duke of Marlborough
• Brabant Line

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