 The Grand Alliance declared war on France on 15 May 1702, followed on 30 September by the Imperial Diet.The provisions of the Treaty concealed several important issues; first, neither England nor the Dutch Republic could allow France to control the Spanish Netherlands but preferred to assign it to Austria who saw it as a burden, not an asset.Second, who sat on the Spanish throne concerned England and the Dutch because of the commercial implications, an issue less important to Leopold.