 Kuramba kwevaWhigs kuita rugare neFrance muna 1706, uye zvakare muna 1709 apo Louis XIV akapa kupa pfungwa dzose idzo vavakwanyina vaitaura kuti vairwira, kwakaratidza kuti hondo yakanga isiri kupfuuridzirwa mukufarira kwenyika, uye mambokadzi, Paramende navanhu vakatsigira ushumiri muchido chayo chokugumisa rwisano. Nemhaka yokusiyana-siyana kwezvinangwa pakati pevakabatana, St. John akakurudzirwa kupinda muhurukuro dzakaparadzana uye dzakavanzika neFrance nokuda kwechengeteko yezvinodiwa neEngland. Muna May 1712, akarayira Duke weOrmonde, uyo akanga atora nzvimbo yaMarlborough mukutonga, kuti arege kupinda mune imwezve kurwisana. Mirayiridzo iyi yakaparidzirwa kuvaFrench, kunyange zvazvo yakanga isiri kuvaAllies, Louis achiisa Dunkirk sechivimbiso kuvaEngland, uye mauto eEngland akasiya vaAllies vavo munenge munhandare yehondo. Gare gare, St. John akagamuchira makorokoto aGurukota rezvekunze reFrance, de Torcy, pakukunda kweFrance pamusoro paPrince Eugene paDenainJuly 24, 1712. 