1708

1708 was a leap year in the Gregorian calendar and occurred during the early 18th century, a period marked by ongoing European conflict and imperial competition. It took place within the broader contexts of the War of the Spanish Succession and the Great Northern War, shaping military and political developments across Europe and beyond.

In Western Europe, fighting related to the War of the Spanish Succession continued to influence alliances and frontier politics. A notable engagement was the Battle of Oudenaarde on July 11, where an Allied force led by John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and Prince Eugene of Savoy defeated the French army under Philippe d’Orléans. The result helped shift balance in the Low Countries and constrained French strategic options in the region.

In the northern theaters, the Great Northern War also saw significant action. The Battle of Holowczyn on July 4 involved Swedish forces under Charles XII defeating a Russian army commanded by Peter the Great, illustrating the intensity of the campaign early in the year. Later, the Battle of Lesnaya in autumn 1708 proved to be a Russian victory that disrupted Swedish supply lines, a development that aided the eventual Russian advantage in the following years and contributed to the path toward Poltava.

In Britain and its empire, the 1707 Acts of Union had created the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the year 1708 saw the new political framework continue to organize governance and financing for ongoing continental wars. Globally, European powers continued to extend colonial networks and naval activity, intertwining military, political, and commercial interests across oceans.