| 1700 | |
| March | William III of England and Louis XIV of France independently broker a partition treaty by which, upon the death of the King of Spain, Spain’s empire will be split between the rival claimants to the throne. |
| 25 August | The Emperor Leopold of Austria revokes his agreement to the Partition Treaty and demands that the Habsburg claimant receive the Spanish Empire in toto. |
| 2 October | King Carlos II revises his will and, under pressure from both his Council of State and the Vatican, appoints Philippe of Anjou as his sole heir. |
| 1 November | King Carlos II of Spain dies aged 39. |
| 16 November | Philippe of Anjou acknowledged as king of Spain. |
| 1701 | |
| February | England and the United Dutch Provinces officially recognize the Due d’Anjou as King Philip V of Spain. |
| March | French troops march into the Spanish Netherlands and occupy the ‘barrier fortresses’, raising Anglo-Dutch concerns. |
| 28 May | Austrian forces under Prince Eugène enter Northern Italy. |
| 1 September | The French under Villeroi launch an unsuccessful attack on Eugène at Chiari. |
| 7 September | Formal ratification of the ‘Grand Alliance’ between England, Austria, Brandenburg-Prussia and the United Dutch Provinces. The treaty will eventually expand to include Hanover, Portugal, Savoy and many of the minor German states. |
| 16 September | Death of King James II of England. |
| 1702 | |
| 1 February | Eugène defeats and captures Villeroi at Cremona. |
| 15 May | England declares war on France. Marlborough sent to command the Anglo-Dutch army in Flanders. |
| July | Imperial forces under Ludwig of Baden march into the Palatinate. |
| September | Ludwig of Baden forced to raise the siege of Landau. Bavaria enters the war as an ally of France. |
| 12 October | Sir George Rooke captures the Spanish treasure fleet in Vigo Bay. |
| 14 October | Ludwig of Baden defeated at the battle of Friedlingen. |
| 1703 | |
| May | Marlborough captures Bonn, but is unable to exploit victory. French army under Villars joins Max II Emanuel of Bavaria. |
| 13 July | Villars defeats Ludwig of Baden at Munderkingen. |
| 19 September | Villars defeats Hermann von Limburg-Styrum at Höchstädt. |
| October | Max II Emanuel of Bavaria cancels Villars’s proposed attack on Vienna. Villars resigns his commission and is replaced by Marsin. |
| 25 October | Duke of Savoy repudiates alliance with France and joins the Allies. |
| 1704 | |
| February | Archduke Charles lands in Portugal to press his claim to the throne of Spain. |
| July | Marlborough marches to Bavaria to counter the threat to Vienna. Marlborough victorious at the Schellenberg and Donauwörth. |
| 23–24 July | British forces capture Gibraltar. |
| 13 August | Marlborough and Eugène victorious at Blenheim (2nd Höchstädt). Anglo-Dutch fleet victorious at the battle of Vélez-Malaga. Bourbon Spanish troops besiege Gibraltar. Max II Emanuel flees to the Spanish Netherlands where he is appointed governor by King Philip V. Bavaria occupied by Imperial forces. |
| 1705 | |
| March | Anglo-Dutch fleet victorious at the battle of Marbella. Bourbon forces abandon the siege of Gibraltar. |
| June | Allied forces land in Catalonia. |
| October | Allies capture Barcelona. |
| November | Bourbon forces besiege Barcelona. |
| 1706 | |
| April | Marshal Vendôme defeats an Imperialist army at Calcinato in Northern Italy. |
| 23 May | Marlborough decisively defeats Villeroi at Ramillies. |
| September | Eugène breaks Bourbon siege of Turin and relieves city. |