Offensive and Defensive Alliance among the Holy Roman Empire, Poland, and VeniceSource:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 16, p. 281.
SUMMARY
France’s proximity to the Duchy of Savoy, a member of the Holy Roman
Empire, prompted a predictable rivalry between the two states. However,
when the duchy came under the regency of Marie Jeanne Baptiste, who
had numerous connections with France, friendly relations developed,
and a defensive alliance was signed between the two in 1682.
Soon after the alliance’s formation, Victor Amadeus II, the young son
of Marie Jeanne Baptiste, was able to take control of Savoy and undo
much of his mother’s foreign policy. The Nine Years War began only a
few years into Victor Amadeus II’s reign, with Savoy joining the war
against France. France and Savoy met again in combat in the War of
the Spanish Succession.
Description of Terms
The two parties, the king of France and the Duke of Savoy,
pledged a defensive league. The king pledged to have 3,000
horses on the territory of the duke for the defense of his land. If
the soldiers of the king committed any crimes against the
inhabitants of the land of the duke, they would be judged by a
committee composed equally of high commanders of the king’s
army and whomever the duke appointed. The duke also had to
acquire 200 extra horses and 500 extra soldiers. The king prom-
ised to pay 300,000 livres tournoisper year for the new troops.
In the event of war, the king would pay the duke 1,200,000
livres tournoisto get 4,000 horses and 2,000 men. The king
would provide 15 squadrons, 15 cannons, and 18 battalions.
The troops of the king would be maintained by the king except
for housing, which would be the responsibility of the duke. The
general of the king would have all the authority over the
troops, and the duke would give advice and be advised of the
final decisions. The troops of the duke would always have the
left wing.
The king promised not to make peace with anyone without
the duke’s consent. The duke would be entitled to one third of
the conquered territory. If the war was against Spain, the duke
would acquire the first nonfortified land that was due to him
from the lot of Catherine. The alliance was signed for six years.
The duke would remain able to recruit on the king’s land.
1.1036 Defensive Alliance between the Holy
Roman Emperor and Bavaria
Alliance Members:Holy Roman Emperor and Bavaria
Signed On:January 26, 1683, in the city of Munich
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 16, p. 317.
SUMMARY
By the early 1680s, Ottoman incursions into eastern Europe had
become significant for the regional powers. In the Holy Roman
Empire in particular, the Turks supported the Kuruc Rebellion and
responded positively to a call for assistance from the rebel leader, Imre
Thököly. Upon his request, the Turks commenced raids in Austria.
The Hapsburg-controlled Holy Roman Empire enlisted help from
Bavaria in early 1683 by signing an alliance ensuring Bavarian assis-
tance in defending Austria. The move was a risky one for Maximilian
II Emanuel, the elector of Bavaria; Bavaria was still recuperating from
the Thirty Years War.
Bavaria indeed came to the defense of Vienna in September 1683,
where its efforts helped expel the Turks from Austria and eventually
turned the tide against Ottoman exercises in Europe. Maximilian II
Emanuel later led the conquest of Belgrade in 1688, greatly enhancing
his reputation in Europe.Description of Terms
The treaty called for the defense of the empire against France
and the Turks. The treaty also reaffirmed the imperial constitu-
tion, the decisions of the Diet at Ratisbon, and the peace treaties
of Münster and Nijmegen. The parties agreed that an army of
15,000 troops would be stationed by the emperor in upper and
lower Austria.
The treaty guaranteed mutual rites of passage with compen-
sation for any damages. In return for the emperor’s aid, the
Elector of Bavaria was to form a corps of 8,000 troops that
would be combined with the Austrian army for defensive pur-
poses. The alliance was concluded for a period of one year.1.1037 Offensive and Defensive Alliance
among the Holy Roman Empire, Poland, and
Venice
Alliance Members:Holy Roman Empire, Poland, and Venice
Signed On:March 5, 1684, in the city of Linz (Austria)
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 17, p. 1.SUMMARY
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Ottoman Empire
expanded into southeastern Europe on multiple occasions, extending
the Turkish domain to the edge of central European powers, including
the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
In 1683, the Ottoman Empire attempted a siege of Vienna and nearly
captured the city, which was saved when a united Polish-Austrian-
German relief force drove back the Turks.
In response, Pope Innocent XI in 1684 formed a new Holy League
comprising the Holy Roman Empire, the Venetian Republic, and the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which was aimed at driving the
Turks out of Europe. Russia was incorporated into this alliance in 1686
by the Eternal Peace signed with Poland.
The efforts of the allies proved successful. The Treaty of Karlowitz
resulted in the Turks making several territorial concessions to the
allied states. The Holy Roman Empire received most of the Turks’
Balkan holdings, with Dalmatia and Morea being ceded to Venice.
Poland retrieved Podolia from the Turks. The Turkish defeat in this
war marked the beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire.