The war's name stems from a quote by the French King Louis XIV, who argued that Spanish territory in the Netherlands should "devolve" to him. France justified starting the war on the grounds that Spain owed Louis a dowry for his marriage to Maria Theresa of Spain.
During the war, combat took place in Flanders and in the Franche-Comté. In the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668), Spain ceded Lille and France returned control of the Franche-Comté to Spain.