Carlos II (also called Charles II) was the king of Spain from 1665 to 1700. He was part of the Hapsburg family, and the last of them to rule Spain. The Hapsburgs were very powerful and were one of the longest lasting monarchical families, and therefore possessed a great ego. They chose to keep their family lines "pure," and continually married and inbred. This culminated with a sickly, grotesque, funky dude named Carlos II. This guy was so messed up that his deformed Hapsburg-inherited chin prevented him from being able to chew on his own. Very deserving of a breeding fail. He was ill nearly all his life, and his weakened state along with his country's steadily declining power made Spain an attractive opportunity for invasion for foreign rulers. The great powers of the time were, as described by AP Euro teacher extraordinaire Greg Kloes, "lickin' their chops." Louis XIV of France, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, and other powerful monarchs of the time patiently waited until Carlos' death (FINALLY) and began The War of Spanish Succession in 1701. Carlos II (like the smelly, old sickly guy that he was) left his empire to the French Philip, which caused the other powers of Europe to fear a unification of France and Spain, and a significant disruption of the balance of power. The war ended with the Treaties of Utrecht and Rastatt, as the balance of power was maintained when Philip became Philip V of Spain but couldn't claim the French throne and unite the empires.
