What kind of events have happened in the world for many centuries. These were both international joys and global tragedies. And each of the events has its key significance, because no one knows how the world would have turned if something specific had not happened at all. World history knows a lot of wars, strife and subsequent peace negotiations and alliances. For example, the Peace of Torun in 1466, Westphalia - 1648, Andrianopol - 1713, Paris - 1814, San Stefano - 1878, Portsmouth - 1905, Paris - 1947 and many others. The Peace of Utrecht is a peace treaty that put an end to the war that took place over the inheritance of Spain. The agreements were signed in Utrecht in the Netherlands in April-June 1713. The parties participating in the signing were, on the one hand, France and Spain, and on the other hand, Great Britain, the Dutch Republic, the Roman Empire, Portugal and Savoy. March 1714 went down in history with the addition of the Peace of Utrecht by the Rastatt Treaty, and September 1714 with the Treaty of Baden.
InheritanceSpain
For almost thirteen years, from 1701 to 1714, one of the biggest European conflicts took place - the War of the Spanish Succession. It began in 1701, after the death of Charles II, the last Spanish king who belonged to the Habsburg dynasty. According to the will of the king, Philip, Duke of Anjou, who was the grandson of the French king Louis XIV, was endowed with power. Philip eventually became known as Philip V of Spain.
Start of war
It all starts with the attempts of Leopold I, who was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, to defend the right of the Habsburg dynasty (his own dynasty) to the possessions of Spain. Louis XIV, in turn, began to pursue an aggressive policy to expand his territories. England and the Dutch Republic supported the side of Leopold I and wished to prevent the strengthening of the French positions. It is noteworthy that hostilities spread not only in Europe, but also descended on North America, where they received the name "Queen Anne's war." The Peace of Utrecht helped bring the world back to its former relative balance.
Chronology
The Peace of Utrecht 1713 is a set of several peace agreements that, together with the Peace of Rastatt 1714, ended the War of Succession in Spain. The dates of the signing of the agreements in history are as follows:
- April 11, 1713 - France and England, the Dutch Republic, Prussia, Savoy, Portugal.
- 13July 1713 - Spain and England, Spain and Savoy.
- June 26, 1714 - Spain and the Dutch Republic.
- February 6, 1715 - Spain and Portugal.
First stages of negotiations
The significance of the Peace of Utrecht was great as it finally resolved a conflict that had lasted over a decade. In 1711, in England, ministries began to wield power - Tory supporters who wanted peace. They began the first secret negotiations regarding the end of hostilities. France experienced a decline in strength due to military defeats and also wanted peace. One of the reasons that England began to seek peace is that disagreements began to arise with the members of the alliance (that is, Austria and Holland) regarding the increase in the costs of the war. The British began to really fear that the Spanish and Austrian possessions would unite. The British allies initially protested against the negotiation process with France, but eventually agreed.
Negotiation process
The formation of the Peace of Utrecht began on January 29, 1712. A confrontation began - three delegates from France and seventy diplomats from the other side, hostile. Several people from England were intermediaries whose goal was to undermine the unity of the opposing French side, which played an important role in the Peace of Utrecht and its international significance. There were no such French opponents who would not demand her border fortifications andterritories.
Secret Events
In parallel with the main negotiation process, in fact, there was also a secret one between France and England. And in July 1712 they concluded a truce that confused the maps of all of Europe. At that moment, the achievement of the Utrecht peace became illusory for everyone. The union of France and England helped the first country put forward its proposals in negotiations with other participants in the conflict. Agreements were signed Spain - England and Spain - Savoy. In the end, what is the Peace of Utrecht? What were the conditions of his imprisonment? It became the most profitable for England, which was able to take advantage of the situation and create a position for itself to strengthen its influence in the trading markets of that time - it got the Strait of Gibr altar. France, in turn, removed the fortifications at Dunkirk. Holland received some trade benefits, as well as the right to station several garrisons on the French border. Another significance of the Peace of Utrecht was the accession of the Bourbon dynasty in Spain and the preservation of the American and Philippine colonies by them. Austrian achievements were as follows - the country began to own the Neapolitan state, Sardinia, part of Tuscany, the Duchy of Milan and the Spanish part of the Netherlands. In addition, Mantua went to Austria. Savoy also began to possess the Kingdom of Sicily, the Margraviate of Monferrati, the western part of the Duchy of Milan. This is how the struggle for the succession of Spain ended. The peace of Utrecht, together with the peace in Rastatt, established the following picture of the world of that time - the huge Spanish monarchy was divided, and intothis was the basis for the further development of the borders of the states of Western Europe in the 18th century.
