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Why did the death of Charles II of Spain lead to the War of the Spanish Succession?

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Stone ruins of Habsburg Castle, also known as Habichtsburg, stand on a hill above green vineyards in Aargau canton, Switzerland, with a flag flying atop the tower. — House of Habsburg Ruins of the castle of Habsburg, or Habichtsburg (“Hawk's Castle”), built 1020, the original seat of the house of Habsburg, Aargau canton, Switzerland.

The death of Charles II in 1700 triggered the War of the Spanish Succession because he died childless, leaving the vast Spanish Empire without a clear, universally accepted heir.12

The conflict arose from competing dynastic claims between the House of Bourbon and the House of Habsburg. Both families had ties to the Spanish throne through marriages, but previous renunciations and conflicting wills complicated the succession. While European powers initially sought to partition the inheritance to maintain the balance of power, Charles II was determined to keep his dominions undivided.341

In his final will, Charles II named Philip, duc d’Anjou—a grandson of Louis XIV—as his sole heir. When Louis XIV accepted the will, it threatened to unite French and Spanish power, prompting a coalition of nations, including England and the United Provinces, to intervene to prevent Bourbon hegemony.342