The Nine Years War
"1688–97, war between France and a coalition of European powers, known
as the League of Augsburg (and, after 1689, as the Grand Alliance).
Louis XIV of France took advantage of the absence of Emperor Leopold I
on a campaign against the Turks and of the promised support of James II
of England to invade the empire and devastate (1689) the Palatinate.
The revolution in England overthrew James, and William, prince of
Orange, became William III of England (1688–89). In an attempt to keep
William from leading troops to the Continent, Louis supported a
counterrevolution in Ireland but was frustrated at the battle of the
Boyne (1690). The naval war, of which the first major battle was the
French victory at Beachy Head (1690), was practically ended by the
English victory of La Hogue (1692). On land, however, Louis and Vauban
took Namur (1692); Marshal Luxembourg was victorious at Fleurus (1690)
over the Dutch and at Steenkerke (1692) and Neerwinden (1693) over
William III; and the duke of Savoy was defeated at Marsaglia by Catinat
(1693), while another French army entered Catalonia. The exhaustion of
the belligerents and the defection of Savoy from the Grand Alliance
(1696) finally led to the Treaty of Ryswick. This war was known on the
American continent as King William's War."(Steingrad)