Treaty of Alliance among Great Britain, the Netherlands, and SwedenUnfortunately for Sweden, the foreign policy of the Elector of Saxony
was capricious, making him another uncertain ally to Sweden’s inter-
ests. Saxony was no help to Sweden in Bremen in 1666. Sweden, before
ever waging a battle in Bremen, was compelled to negotiate a settle-
ment in November of the same year.
Description of Terms
Sweden and Saxony agreed that there would be a strong friend-
ship between the alliance partners and that the alliance included
all the brothers of the Serenity Electoral. Saxony promised to
help Sweden with any problems it might have in the Roman
Empire and provinces. Both parties would maintain the Evan-
gelical religion.
Both sides would provide 3,000 (or more if necessary) men
of cavalry and infantry if the situation required it, and all muni-
tions, provisions, etc., would be provided by the assisting coun-
try. During war, Sweden would have control of the army, but
close communication would be established with Saxony. Penal-
ties to soldiers would be given by their respective general except
when the two armies were together, when a committee would
be created for such a purpose.
If Saxony and Sweden engaged in offensive maneuvers,
acquired territory would be divided on the proportion of the
help provided. This alliance was set to last ten years, and during
that time no conflicting alliance could be signed with other
states. If one party wanted to end the alliance, it would have to
advise the other ally at least one half year prior to its departure.
France and Denmark would be invited to join the alliance. The
Imperial Majesty was accepted in this treaty.
1.1016 Quadruple Alliance of 1666
Alliance Members:Denmark-Norway, Brandenburg, and the Nether-
lands
Signed On:October 15, 1666, in the city of The Hague (Netherlands)
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 9, p. 323.
SUMMARY
The Dutch and the English were not able to resolve issues regarding
their respective overseas colonies in their 1662 agreement, which even-
tually led to the second war in a series of Anglo-Dutch conflicts that
occurred during the seventeenth century. Denmark sided with the
Dutch, and a quadruple alliance, incorporating the Dutch Republic,
Denmark, Brandenburg, and Brunswick, was signed in October 1666
at The Hague.
The Dutch turned the tide of the war in 1666. Brandenburg forced
English-backed Münster out of the war. The Dutch also fared much
better in their naval battles, inflicting great damage on the English in
the Four Days Battle and surviving the St. James’s Day Battle. By 1667,
the Dutch routed the English in the Battle of Medway.
Hostilities between the Dutch and the English were abruptly ended
after the Battle of Medway with the Treaty of Breda in July 1666. The
Dutch were in a much more favorable position by 1667 and were given
several navigational and commercial concessions by the English. The
peace was incomplete in many regards, however, and left many issues
unresolved.Description of Terms
The parties pledged a sincere friendship and a good correspon-
dence. This defensive alliance aimed to promote the good of all
the parties and was set to last for six years. If one of the coun-
tries was attacked, the others would be obligated to assist it with
acceptable aid. Denmark and the Netherlands would each pro-
vide aid to the victim of an attack; aid would comprise 1,800
knights and 3,600 infantrymen. Brandenburg would have to
provide 1,200 knights and 2,400 infantrymen. The attacked
would be able to choose between accepting the help entirely in
soldiers, partly in soldiers and partly in money, or entirely in
money. For monetary aid, 1,000 soldiers would be considered
equivalent to 10,000 pounds per month, and one knight
equaled two soldiers. The soldiers sent in help would be entirely
under the command of the attacked country.
If a country had reason to expect an imminent attack, the
treaty obligated it to notify the other parties. If a country was
attacked within the first two years of the agreement, all other
parties were bound to deploy maximum aid, as if they were
defending their own territory. The agreement mandated that
they continue to fight until the enemy was defeated and suffi-
cient concessions, including invaded territories, were restored
to the attacked country. The terms of the treaty applied even if a
member of the alliance attacked another state. If any other
Christian city or state wished to enter the alliance it could do so
upon the agreement of all current parties to the treaty. Any
member of the treaty forfeited the right to respond to an
aggressor unilaterally without collective assistance. All parties
promised that they did not have other alliances that conflicted
with this Quadruple Alliance.1.1017 Treaty of Alliance among Great Britain,
the Netherlands, and Sweden
Alliance Members:Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Sweden
Signed On:January 13, 1668, in the city of The Hague (Netherlands)
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 10, p. 409.SUMMARY
Following the Thirty Years War and the Franco-Spanish War, Louis
XIV’s interest in annexing the Spanish Netherlands grew considerably.
Further, his marriage to the daughter of Phillip IV of Spain gave Louis
XIV a sense of entitlement to the Spanish Netherlands after Phillip
IV’s death in 1665. Spain vigorously contested Louis XIV’s claim, but
Spain’s treasury was exhausted from the past two wars, and Spain
could offer no resistance to the superior French forces. France decided
to invade the Spanish Netherlands, resulting in the War of the Devolu-
tion. Spain was poorly equipped to defend the territory, resulting in
repeated victories for the French.