Spanish Succession · War Crimes & Atrocities
The War of the Spanish Succession was in many respects a relatively 'civilized' war by the brutal standards of the preceding Thirty Years' War — professional armies operating under codified laws of war, prisoners generally exchanged, civilian populations in the main theaters of Flanders and Germany spared the worst excesses. But the war's peripheral theaters — Spain above all — saw brutal irregular warfare that gave no quarter, and deliberate French devastation of contested territories remained a tool of coercion. The treatment of prisoners after some engagements and the reprisals against civilian populations who changed sides were consistent violations of the era's evolving laws of war.
5,000+
deaths
Victims: Bavarian civilian population(Estimated civilian deaths from reprisal operations, forced contributions, and punitive burnings of villages; precise figures unavailable)
50,000+
deaths
Victims: Spanish civilian population — supporters of both claimants(Estimated civilian deaths from guerrilla warfare, reprisals, and famine across Spain; the true figure may be considerably higher)
15,000+
deaths
Victims: Civilian population of the Rhineland Palatinate and Alsace border regions(Estimated deaths from deliberate devastation, forced displacement, and resulting famine)
800+
deaths
Victims: Allied prisoners of war, primarily Dutch(Estimated deaths among Allied prisoners from violence during capture, inadequate provisions, and harsh confinement following the battle)