The War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) began in 1701 after the death of the Spanish King Charles II. The main reason was the attempt of the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I to protect the right of his dynasty to Spanish possessions. The war lasted more than a decade and featured the talents of such famous commanders as the Duke of Villars and the Duke of Berwick, the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy. The war ended with the signing of the Utrecht (1713) and Rastatt (1714) agreements. As a result, Philip V remained king of Spain, but lost the right to inherit the French throne, which broke the dynastic union of the crowns of France and Spain. The Austrians received most of the Spanish possessions in Italy and the Netherlands. As a result, French hegemony over continental Europe ended, and the idea of a balance of power, reflected in the Utrecht Agreement, became part of the international order.