1703 in History

Mustafa II is deposed during the Edirne Incident.

Ahmed III succeeds his brother during the Edirne Incident.

Methuen signs the defensive alliance bringing Portugal into the Grand Alliance.

Peter II enters the alliance with England, Austria, and the Dutch Republic.

Newton assumes the chair at the Society's anniversary election.

Marlborough abandons the projected Antwerp offensive after Ekeren.

Marlborough proposes an offensive against Antwerp after taking Bonn.

Leopold appoints Eugene to lead the Imperial War Council.

Villars links French operations with Bavaria in an attempt to threaten Austria through the Danube.

Villars marches eastward to join the Bavarian army.

Coehoorn directs siege artillery and engineering at Huy.

Bercsenyi joins Rakoczi in issuing the uprising proclamation.

Rakoczi issues a proclamation calling Hungary to resistance.

Marlborough reviews a campaign marked by fortress captures but strategic frustration.

The citadel of Huy surrenders during the successful Allied siege.

Villars captures Kehl and opens a crossing point for French operations east of the Rhine.

Villars captures Kehl and secures a Rhine crossing.

Tallard's victory at Speyerbach helps restore Landau to French control.

Limbourg surrenders after the Allied siege.

Peter's forces capture the Swedish fortress of Nyenschantz.

Charles captures Thorn after the garrison capitulates.

Takes Thorn after a prolonged siege.

Rakoczi's forces secure Tokaj during their rapid expansion.

Methuen signs the commercial agreement governing English cloth and Portuguese wine.

Peter II approves the commercial treaty negotiated by Methuen.

Dissolves the Scotish Estates & calls for elections

Rakoczi controls much of Upper Hungary by the end of the year.

Philip receives Castilian recognition of Orleans succession rights under specified conditions.

The Council of Castille recognizes the Duke of Orleans claim to the Spanish throne

Villars campaigns with Bavaria toward the Danube.

Maximilian Emanuel advances against Imperial positions along the Danube.

Limburg-Styrum's Imperial force is defeated at Hochstadt.

Steinau's Saxon force is defeated near Pultusk.

Vendome moves to disarm Savoyard units before the alliance change becomes public.

Obdam leads a Dutch force operating near Antwerp.

Slangenburg helps the surrounded Dutch army escape destruction.

Mustafa faces a military and political revolt advancing from Istanbul.

Dissolves the Scotish Estates & calls for elections

Methuen secures favourable treatment for English woollen textiles in Portugal.

Rakoczi enters Hungary to assume personal leadership of the revolt.

Peter authorises publication of the first issue of the Vedomosti newspaper.

Obdam leaves the battlefield believing his force has been destroyed.

Peter marks the consecration of the new fortress and raises the naval flag.

Peter founds the Peter and Paul Fortress on Hare Island.

Maximilian Emanuel joins forces with Villars in Bavaria.

Methuen negotiates English agreements that help bring Portugal into the alliance.

Peter II brings Portugal into the anti-Bourbon alliance through treaties with England and the Dutch.

Terms are settled after the citadel of Huy surrenders to the Allies.

Eugene becomes president of the Imperial War Council.

The Scotish Estates want their Parliament to remain independent. Scotish Estates pass the Act of Security for Hanoverian succession. Anne suspends the Royal Assent to the Union

Concludes alliance and commercial terms with Portugal.

Peter participates in the capture of two Swedish vessels at the Neva mouth.

Marlborough begins his second campaign in the Low Countries.

Dubois promotes recognition of the Orleans family's possible Spanish succession rights.

Peter lays the foundation of the first wooden Peter and Paul Church.

Charles establishes winter quarters after consolidating control around Thorn.

Hedges coordinates English approval of the new alliance with Portugal.

Methuen agrees preferential English duties for Portuguese wines.

Rehnskiold commands Swedish troops during the victory at Pultusk.

Esze's followers raise Rakoczi's banners in the Upper Tisza region.

Tallard's victory enables France to recover Landau.

Peter II recognises Archduke Charles as the Allied claimant to Spain.

The Scotish Estates want their Parliament to remain independent. Scotish Estates pass the Act of Security for Hanoverian succession. Anne suspends the Royal Assent to the Union

Leopold orders Imperial measures against the expanding Hungarian revolt.

Anne withholds assent from the Scottish Act of Security.

Anne appoints the Duke of Queensberry as royal commissioner to the Scottish Parliament.

Elected President of the Royal Society, an office he holds until death.

Newton begins supervising the Society's meetings and institutional affairs.

Newton is elected President of the Royal Society.

Begins his long presidency of the Royal Society.

Menshikov supervises early building and military work around the new fortress.

Louis responds to Savoy's defection by ordering military measures in Piedmont.

Queensberry opens the Scottish parliamentary session as Anne's commissioner.

Anne summons a new session of the Scottish Parliament.

Coehoorn directs important siege works against Bonn.

The Allied army begins the siege of Bonn under Marlborough.

The Allied siege of Huy begins under Marlborough's overall command.

Villars directs French operations against the fortress of Kehl.

The Allied army begins the siege of Limbourg.

Besieges Thorn as part of the Polish campaign.

Charles begins the prolonged siege of Thorn.

The Council of Castille recognizes the Duke of Orleans claim to the Spanish throne. England is concerned about a Frenchman having Spanish & French crowns

Philip V recognises Philippe II of Orleans's dynastic rights during the Spanish succession crisis.

Bonn capitulates after the Allied siege commanded by Marlborough.

Allegre surrenders Bonn after its defences are breached.

Ahmed III restores the main seat of government to Istanbul.

Leopold concludes the alliance treaty with Victor Amadeus.

John Wesley is born at Epworth Rectory in Lincolnshire.

Birth of John Wesley

Frederick is killed while commanding Allied troops at Speyerbach.

Godard van Reede, Earl of Athlone, dies after long Dutch military service.

Boufflers participates in the French attack at Ekeren.

Villeroy helps encircle the Dutch force near Ekeren.

Maximilian Emanuel fights beside Villars at Hochstadt.

Villars defeats an Imperial force at Hochstadt while campaigning with Bavaria.

Villars defeats an Imperial army at the first battle of Hochstadt.

Charles XII defeats a joint Polish-Saxon Army

Charles defeats a Saxon force near Pultusk.

Tallard defeats a relief army at Speyerbach during operations around Landau.

Tallard defeats the Allied relief army at Speyerbach.