Treaty of Alliance between the Emperor and Sweden
Worried over the ease of France’s sieges in the Spanish Netherlands,
England, the Dutch Republic, and Sweden formed the Triple Alliance
of 1668 by means of a January agreement in The Hague. The alliance
threatened war with France should Louis XIV make any further incur-
sions into the Netherlands.
Louis XIV, unwilling to make war with all three states in addition to
Spain, opted for peace. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle was signed in
May 1668, with France keeping most of the acquisitions from the War
of Devolution.
Description of Terms
By this treaty the parties agreed to come to each other’s aid with
a specified force if one of the alliance members were attacked. A
secret provision of the treaty held that the parties would try to
make peace between France and Spain.
1.1018 Treaty of Alliance between the Emperor
and Sweden
Alliance Members:Holy Roman Emperor and Sweden
Signed On:May 6, 1668, in the city of Stockholm
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 11, p. 57.
SUMMARY
Domestic turmoil following the Deluge in Poland created a potential
issue of succession in Poland in 1668. King Jan Kazimierz of Poland
was aging without a significant base of support, and he was contem-
plating abdication. Sweden, which had ransacked Poland throughout
much of the period of the Deluge, entered into a large number of
alliances in 1668, trying to secure the succession of Philipp William of
Neuberg to the throne in the event of death or abdication by the Pol-
ish king.
In September 1668, Jan Kazimierz abdicated the Polish throne and
retired to France, where he died four years later. Michal Korybut, the
national candidate and brother-in-law of Leopold I, was eventually
elected king, much to the pleasure of the Hapsburg Empire. Philipp
William eventually became Elector Palatine in 1685.
Description of Terms
By this treaty, originally in Latin, both parties agreed to respect
the peace at Aachen, which ended the War of Devolution. Fur-
ther, the parties would work to maintain the status quo and
agreed to come to each other’s aid with a specified force if one
of the allies were attacked.
1.1019 Defensive Alliance between the
Emperor and Saxony
Alliance Members:Holy Roman Emperor and Saxony
Signed On:November 30, 1668, in the city of Vienna
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 11, p. 87.
SUMMARY
John George II, elector of Saxony, had an inconsistent foreign policy.
This was especially true in his relations with the Holy Roman Empire
and France, which resulted in alliances in which Saxony vacillated
between both rivals. The elector’s personal inclinations drew him to
France and toward Louis XIV; however, domestic forces sometimes
coerced him to arrangements with Leopold I, such as in this 1668
alliance.
This inconsistency became more apparent during the Franco-Dutch
War. John George II was supportive of the 1674 Quadruple Alliance
against France, but he became allied with France at the end of the
Franco-Dutch War, promising Louis XIV that Saxony would become a
vehicle for French interests in the region. However, John George II
died shortly after the Franco-Dutch War. His son and immediate suc-
cessor, John George III, was much more consistently anti-French.Description of Terms
Both parties pledged mutual defense and support in the case of
attack. Neither would assist forces opposing the other nation,
and no alliances incompatible with these intentions would be
formed. The agreement was ratified by Saxony on December 4,
1668.1.1020 Treaty of Alliance and Commerce
between Portugal and the Netherlands
Alliance Members:Portugal and the Netherlands
Signed On:July 30, 1669, in the city of The Hague (Netherlands)
Alliance Type:Non-Aggression Pact (Type II)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 11, p. 187.SUMMARY
Portugal and the Dutch Republic fought constantly through the first
half of the seventeenth century regarding their overseas holdings,
principally in South America and Southeast Asia. The resulting treaty
in 1661 recognized Portuguese dominance in Brazil, fundamentally
undermining the power of the Dutch West India Company.
The Dutch were never satisfied with the manner of ratification of the
agreement, arguing that the Portuguese owed the Dutch payments in
salt. As a response, the Dutch undertook a series of small-scale con-
flicts in order to further undermine Portugal’s colonies. By the end of
hostilities with the Dutch, the Portuguese colonies in Asia were mostly
limited to Macau, East Timor, and parts of India. Portuguese influence
in Asia never fully regained its prominence.
The British helped negotiate a definitive conclusion to the 1661 treaty
in July 1669, orchestrating Portuguese payments to the Dutch.Description of Terms
The treaty recognized Dutch control over its conquest of Por-
tuguese holdings in India. The two countries also pledged
friendship and non-aggression.