The Treaty of Madrid was a peace treaty between the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
and the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
, ending the
Uskok War
The Uskok War, also known as the War of Gradisca, was fought by the Austrians, Croats, and Spanish on one side and the Venetians, Dutch, and English on the other. It is named for the Uskoks, soldiers from Croatia used by the Austrians for irreg ...
. Its indirect consequence was the elimination of Uskok piracy in the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
.
Background
In the aftermath of the
Long Turkish War
The Long Turkish War or Thirteen Years' War was an indecisive land war between the Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman Empire, primarily over the Principalities of Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia. It was waged from 1593 to 1606 but in Europ ...
, a large number of refugees settled in the area
Senj
Senj (; it, Segna, la, Senia, Hungarian language, Hungarian and german: Zengg) is a town on the upper Adriatic coast in Croatia, in the foothills of the Mala Kapela and Velebit mountains.
The symbol of the town is the Nehaj Fortress ( hr, Tvr ...
on the
Holy Roman military frontier with the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. The refugees swelled the ranks of
Uskoks
The Uskoks ( hr, Uskoci, , singular: ; notes on naming) were irregular soldiers in Habsburg Croatia that inhabited areas on the eastern Adriatic coast and surrounding territories during the Ottoman wars in Europe. Bands of Uskoks fought a g ...
, a type of irregular militia that conducted cross border raids upon the Ottomans. Apart from their raiding activities, the Uskoks did not shy away from piracy, attacking ships without regard towards the ethnic background or religious affiliation of their crews. In 1606, the Ottomans and Holy Roman Empire signed the
Treaty of Zsitva-Torok which prohibited cross border raiding across the two states. In 1615, the treaty was renewed, prompting more Uskoks to turn towards piracy in the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
. Their activities had negatively impacted the mercantile interests of the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
since as far as 1564, which was already aiming to expand its territory towards Habsburg
Istria
Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian, Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the larges ...
. Venice hired mercenaries in the
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.
On 1 ...
and the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
, launching blockade of Holy Roman, Adriatic ports. On 20 December 1615, the blockade escalated into the
Uskok War
The Uskok War, also known as the War of Gradisca, was fought by the Austrians, Croats, and Spanish on one side and the Venetians, Dutch, and English on the other. It is named for the Uskoks, soldiers from Croatia used by the Austrians for irreg ...
with a Venetian invasion of the coastal areas. The Spanish
Viceroy of Naples
This is a list of viceroys of the Kingdom of Naples. Following the conquest of Naples by Louis XII of France in 1501, Naples was subject to the rule of the foreign rulers, the Kings of France, Aragon and Spain and the Habsburg Archdukes of Austria ...
Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna
Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna (17 February 1574 – 20 September 1624) was a Spanish nobleman and politician. He was the 2nd Marquis of Peñafiel, 7th Count of Ureña, Spanish Viceroy of Sicily (1611–1616), Viceroy of Naples (1616–16 ...
, intervened into the conflict on the Imperial side, without Spanish approval. The Habsburgs failed to mount an appropriate response as the country faced an internal power struggle. Nevertheless the Venetians were decimated by disease, failing to exploit their numerical superiority. Although negotiations continued throughout the conflict, an agreement was only reached in 1617 with the aid of Spanish, Papal and French mediation.
Treaty
On 26 September 1617, Imperial diplomat
Karl von Harrach
Karl von Harrach (1570 – 16 May 1628) was a nobleman, statesman, and diplomat in the Holy Roman Empire. Over the course of his career, he became involved in the internal power struggle over the Holy Roman crown. In 1627, he received the Spanish ...
became the cosignatory of the Treaty of Madrid along with Venetian ambassadors Giustiniani and Contarini, ending the conflict between the two states. The Venetians agreed to the withdrawal of their troops from Imperial territories, while also discharging the English and Dutch mercenaries. The Habsburgs in their turn, agreed to transfer the Uskoks further to the north east by June 1618, while also cutting the number of their forces to 1,000 men. A regular Habsburg garrison was to be established in Senj. The Duke of Osuna remained defiant of both the treaty and the wishes of the Spanish crown, unilaterally continuing his maritime campaign. He was eventually arrested by Spanish authorities in 1620 and convicted of conspiring to become an independent ruler of Naples. Uskoks were either expelled from the empire or resettled deeper into Croatia. The few families that were allowed to stay were closely monitored, ending the Uskok piratical reign.
References
References
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Treaty of Madrid (1617)
1617 in the Habsburg monarchy
1617 treaties
Madrid (1617)
Madrid (1617)
Holy Roman Empire–Republic of Venice relations
History of Dalmatia
1610s in the Republic of Venice