The 1698 Treaty of The Hague, also known as the 1698 Treaty of Den Haag or First Partition Treaty was one of two attempts by France, Great Britain, 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 ...
to achieve a diplomatic solution to the issues that led to the 1701–1714
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...
.
The death of
Charles II had been anticipated from his succession in 1665, but by 1697 appeared clearly imminent. As he was childless, the closest heirs were of the Austrian
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 ...
or the French
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...
. The acquisition by either of the undivided
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
would change the European balance of power.
Negotiations took place immediately after the financially crippling
Nine Years' War
The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...
(1688-97) to attempt to resolve the issue without another expensive war. Signed on 11 October 1698, the treaty made the six-year-old
Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria
Joseph Ferdinand Leopold of Bavaria (28 October 1692 – 6 February 1699) was the son of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria (1679–1705, 1714–1726) and his first wife, Maria Antonia of Austria, daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, ...
heir to the Spanish throne, with Spain's European possessions divided between France and Austria.
However, neither Austria nor Spain was consulted, and the Spanish refused to accept the division of their empire. The death of Joseph Ferdinand in February 1699 led to the Second Partition Treaty, or
Treaty of London, in March 1700.
Background
![Charles II of Spain anonymous portrait](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Charles_II_of_Spain_anonymous_portrait.jpg)
In 1665,
Charles II became the last Habsburg King of Spain. He had suffered from ill health for most of his life and by 1697 seemed likely to die childless. Although Spain's financial and military power had declined during the 17th century, the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
remained powerful and largely intact, with territories in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, the
Spanish Netherlands
Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the Ha ...
, the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
and
large areas of the Americas. Since his closest heirs were from the ruling
Austrian Habsburg and
French Bourbon families, the succession was of great significance to the European balance of power and a matter of debate for many years. For example, it had been referenced in the 1670 Secret Treaty of Dover between England and France and the 1689 Grand Alliance.
From 1665,
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
fought a series of wars to achieve defensible borders and establish French military supremacy in Europe, most recently the 1688–1697
Nine Years' War
The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...
against the
Grand Alliance. The war ended with the
Treaty of Ryswick
The Peace of Ryswick, or Rijswijk, was a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Rijswijk between 20 September and 30 October 1697. They ended the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance, which included England, ...
, producing only minor gains for France, and Louis accepted that he could not achieve his objectives without external support. While Charles had survived far longer than anyone expected, his health was clearly in terminal decline, and France needed allies.
Louis's concern was increased by
Austrian victories over the Ottoman Empire and resulting conquest of
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
and
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
. The resulting growth in Habsburg power and confidence meant
Emperor Leopold I
Leopold I (Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician; hu, I. Lipót; 9 June 1640 – 5 May 1705) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria An ...
initially refused to sign the Treaty of Ryswick, as it left the succession unresolved. He did so in October 1697, but many viewed the treaty as only a pause in hostilities.
Negotiations
![Benjamin_von_Block_002](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Benjamin_von_Block_002.jpg)
Unlike those of Austria and France, the crown of Spain could be inherited through the female line, which would enable Charles's two sisters to pass their rights onto their children. They both had one surviving child. His half-sister
Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...
(1638–83) married Louis XIV and had a son Louis, known as
le Grand Dauphin
Louis, Dauphin of France (1 November 1661 – 14 April 1711), commonly known as Grand Dauphin, was the eldest son and heir apparent of King Louis XIV and his spouse, Maria Theresa of Spain. He became known as the Grand Dauphin after the birth of h ...
. His full sister,
Margaret Theresa (1651–1673), married Emperor Leopold. Their daughter
Maria Antonia (1669–1692) married
Maximillian Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, and they had one surviving son,
Joseph Ferdinand.
The Spanish political establishment was split between pro-Austrian and pro-French factions. For most of Charles's reign, government was controlled by the Austrians, led by his mother,
Mariana of Austria
Mariana of Austria ( es, Mariana de Austria) or Maria Anna (24 December 163416 May 1696) was List of Spanish royal consorts, Queen of Spain as the second wife of her uncle Philip IV of Spain from their marriage in 1649 until Philip died in 1665. ...
. After her death in 1696, that role was assumed by his wife,
Maria Anna, whose elder sister
Eleonore was Leopold's third wife.
When Charles fell seriously ill in 1698, the dominance of the Austrian faction made co-operation with Britain an attractive option for Louis.
William III was a significant figure in Europe because of his military leadership of the Grand Alliance during the Nine Years' War and his dual role as King of England and
Stadtholder
In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...
of the Dutch Republic. The conflict was not only a dynastic dispute between Habsburgs and Bourbons but also an issue that affected the security of England and the Dutch Republic.
The French Army remained on a war footing, but by 1699, the English Army had been reduced to 7,000, with another 12,000 in Ireland. That made a diplomatic solution attractive to William, even if it was only temporary, and provided an opportunity to create a framework for a lasting peace. Talks on ending the Nine Years' War began in 1694 but were completed only in 1697 after Louis had negotiated directly with William. As a result, they placed great faith in a similar process to prevent war over the succession, but it had excluded Austria and Spain, the two parties that were most affected.
Initial discussions were held in Paris between the
Earl of Portland
Earl of Portland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England, firstly in 1633 and secondly in 1689. What proved to be a long co-held title, Duke of Portland, was created in 1716 and became extinct in 1990 upon the death of t ...
and the
Marquis de Pomponne, followed by more substantive talks at
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
beginning in May with
Anthonie Heinsius
Anthonie (or Antonius) Heinsius (23 November 1641, Delft – 3 August 1720, The Hague) was a Dutch statesman who served as Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1689 to his death in 1720.
Life
Heinsius was born at Delft on 23 November 1641, son of ...
,
Grand Pensionary of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
, and the French foreign minister, the
duc de Tallard. On 11 October 1698, the treaty was signed by Tallard on behalf of France, Portland for England, and eight representatives from the
Dutch Provinces
There are twelve provinces of the Netherlands (), representing the administrative layer between the national government and the local municipalities, with responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance.
The most populous prov ...
.
Provisions
![Hans-willem-bentinck-1-earl-of-portland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Hans-willem-bentinck-1-earl-of-portland.jpg)
Louis XIV first proposed his son, the
Grand Dauphin
Louis, Dauphin of France (1 November 1661 – 14 April 1711), commonly known as Grand Dauphin, was the eldest son and heir apparent of King Louis XIV and his spouse, Maria Theresa of Spain. He became known as the Grand Dauphin after the birth of ...
, as Charles's successor, but that was rejected. The parties compromised by selecting Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria. That was supported by Charles' German wife, Maria Anna, a member of the
House of Wittelsbach
The House of Wittelsbach () is a German dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including Bavaria, the Palatinate, Holland and Zeeland, Sweden (with Finland), Denmark, Norway, Hungary (with Romania), Bohemia, the Electorate ...
, a family whose head was Max Emmanuel of Bavaria, Joseph Ferdinand's father.
The treaty's provisions made Joseph Ferdinand heir to the bulk of the Spanish Empire, which included the
Spanish Netherlands
Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the Ha ...
, which was governed by Max Emmanuel as Spanish viceroy. France was allocated the Kingdoms of
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
and
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
and other concessions in Italy as well as the modern Basque province of
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French depa ...
. Finally, Leopold's younger son Archduke
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
became ruler of the
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan ( it, Ducato di Milano; lmo, Ducaa de Milan) was a state in northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti family, which had been ruling the city sin ...
, a possession that was considered vital to the security of Austria's southern border.
Negotiations were conducted in secret, which was normal practice for the absolutist regime of Louis XIV but not in England. The senior English legal officer,
Lord Chancellor
The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. The ...
Somers, learned of its terms shortly before the treaty was signed on 11 October. His reaction was unfavourable, but since the treaty had been agreed, he could see no means of undoing it.
Aftermath
The Spanish refused to have their empire divided without being consulted, and on 14 November 1698, Charles II published his will making Joseph Ferdinand heir to an independent and undivided Spanish Empire. Maria Anna was appointed Queen Regent during his minority, an announcement allegedly received by his Spanish councillors in silence.
In February 1699, Joseph Ferdinand died of
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
, then a common disease, despite the accusations of poison that often accompanied the death of significant people. Whether he would have become king if he had survived is open to question since few seemed keen on the treaty. One suggestion is Louis saw it as a delaying tactic to build Spanish support for a French candidate. However, the three parties involved began negotiating the Second Partition Treaty, also known as the
Treaty of London.
Notes
References
Sources
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External links
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* (Original text of the treaty in English)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Treaty Of The Hague (1698)
1698 in England
1698 in France
1698 in Spain
17th century in Spain
Partition (politics)
Political history of the Netherlands
Den Haag
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
1698 treaties
Den Haag
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
17th century in The Hague
England–France relations