Treaty of Alliance between Prussia and Russia
and Sweden. The ships of both countries would enjoy all the
advantages of the most favored nations in the ports of the other
country. The treaty was not intended to offend anyone, and
both countries would consult on matters that might upset the
peace of Europe.
2.1097 Treaty of Alliance between Prussia and
Russia
Alliance Members:Prussia and Russia
Signed On:March 20, 1777, in the city of St. Petersburg
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 46, p. 249.
SUMMARY
Russia and Prussia enjoyed a series of collaborations through the
1770s, principally in the first partition of Poland and the War of
Bavarian Succession. The latter issue was waged between 1778 and
1779, with Russia and Prussia siding against Austria’s attempt to
expand its influence in the German territories. Joseph II tried to sub-
stitute Austria for Prussia in the 1777 Prusso-Russian alliance and
undertook a diplomatic campaign in April 1780 to court Catherine II
away from Prussia.
The initiative worked. By July 1780, Catherine recognized that Austria
could assist her more against the Ottoman Empire than Prussia could.
An alliance was signed between Austria and Russia in 1781. The
alliance between Russia and Prussia was terminated.
Description of Terms
This alliance was in part a renewal of the agreement created by
the treaty of March 31, 1764, and also the October 12, 1769,
alliance. The two parties pledged peace and friendship and
mutual defense if attacked. The army of the assisting country
would be subsidized by the country that had been attacked.
2.1098 Treaty of Association among Hanover,
Prussia, and Saxony
Alliance Members:Hanover, Prussia, and Saxony
Signed On:July 23, 1785, in the city of Berlin
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 49, p. 287.
SUMMARY
In 1785, Joseph II, the Holy Roman Emperor, renewed his intentions
to incorporate Bavaria into Hapsburg domain, having previously been
thwarted in the War of Bavarian Succession six years earlier. In
response, Frederick the Great constructed the Fürstenbund, or the
“League of Princes,” with a variety of German states such as Saxony
and Hanover in order to deter Joseph II.
The alliance worked, as Joseph II eventually decided against risking
another war in a losing effort like the Bavarian War six years earlier.
The showdown in 1785 represents the last between Frederick the Great
and the Hapsburg empire. The Fürstenbund was dissolved in 1790.Description of Terms
In addition to policies of sincere friendship and mutual defense,
the parties agreed to preservation of the current imperial sys-
tem, opposition to the Bavarian exchange, and cooperation at
the Diet.2.1099 Defensive Alliance between France and
the Netherlands
Alliance Members:France and the Netherlands
Signed On:November 10, 1785, in the city of Fontainebleau (France)
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 49, p. 381.SUMMARY
By 1785, Joseph II was actively seeking to extend his domains in
Europe, which led him to look to his holdings in the Netherlands. The
Treaty of Münster (1648) closed the Scheldt to the Belgian provinces,
which by the early eighteenth century had been acquired by the Holy
Roman Empire. Joseph II sought to remove this barrier that gave the
Dutch Republic full control over the Scheldt and open the river for
Austrian navigation. The Treaty of Fontainebleau, in which the Holy
Roman Emperor agreed to drop his demands in exchange for a hefty
payment from the Dutch and the French, was signed in November 8,- Two days later, the French and the Dutch signed an alliance.
By 1793, however, France had invaded Holland, citing its belief that no
state should maintain exclusivity over a river against all other states
that are irrigated by it. By 1815, the Treaty of Vienna declared the
Scheldt open to commerce.
Description of Terms
This treaty established the Defensive Confederacy of
Fontainebleau, in which the French government advanced
4,500,000 florins in exchange for free navigation rights. Each
party pledged to defend the other in case of attack against the
border agreement made two days earlier.2.1100 Defensive Alliance between the Nether-
lands and Prussia
Alliance Members:the Netherlands and Prussia
Signed On:April 15, 1788, in the city of Berlin
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 50, p. 313.SUMMARY
In 1787, Prussia was eager to reopen relations with Great Britain and
saw the Dutch Republic as a means to that end. French meddling in
the Dutch Republic during the Dutch Crisis of 1787 had worried both