PEACE OF THE PYRENEES: CAUSES, AGREEMENTS AND CONSEQUENCES - HISTORY - 2025

The Peace of the Pyrenees or Treaty of the Pyrenees was an agreement reached by Spain and France on November 7, 1659. It served to end the Franco-Spanish war that had been developing since 1935, which was escalating more violently during each year that passed.

The conflict between the French and the Spanish had been a consequence of the Thirty Years' War, which had religious bases due to the policies of the Roman Catholic Church. The agreement was signed on the Isle of Pheasants, an area that has since belonged to both Spain and France.

Background

The Thirty Years' War

This conflict is considered one of the most lethal wars in human history. It had a total of 8 million dead, a figure that for the time in which it passed (1618-1648) was even more shocking, given the fewer human beings in the world.

In principle, this conflict had been religious in origin, but then escalated to a greater level when a large number of European powers of the time joined.

It originated as a power struggle during the fragmentation of the Roman Empire, when Protestant states took up arms against other Catholic regions. However, other nations saw an opportunity to come together to pay off debts and end rivalries.

France entered the conflict after declaring war again on the Habsburg family, one of the most important royal families of the Roman Empire that had strong influence in Spain.

From this war and the War of the Succession of Mantua, the Franco-Spanish conflict originated that led to the war between both countries and the eventual signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees for its culmination.

Causes

The War of the Mantua Succession

This war is considered an extension of the Thirty Years' War and originated as a result of the death of several members of the Gonzaga family, which controlled northern Italy. The French wanted to take control of this area, while the Habsburgs claimed the territory.

The conflict pitted the Gallic country against the Roman Empire, specifically the Habsburg family. As strong ties existed between this family and Spain, the Spanish sent troops to help the Habsburgs take the region on behalf of the Roman Empire.

This armed movement by Spain created a deeper division between the Iberian country and France, which later led to a declaration of war between the two countries.

Beginning of the Franco-Spanish War (1635-1659)

This war was a consequence of the French participation in the Thirty Years' War and its constant attacks on the Habsburgs. It was unleashed after the Swedish allies of Germany had to come to terms with the Roman Empire, when the French declared war on Spain.

France declared war because it was surrounded by Habsburg territories, and the Spanish had already fought the French as part of the same conflict as the Mantua War of Succession. In fact, the Habsburgs who claimed the territory of Mantua were Spanish.

Originally, the French got off to a good start in the conflict after a resounding victory in the Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium, part of Holland and Luxembourg).

However, a Spanish counterattack wiped out a large number of French troops and dispersed their army to the north of the country.

The Spaniards were about to invade Paris; however, their other war commitments forced them to withdraw their troops. The French regrouped, sending the Spanish back to the border.

Continuation of the war and additional events

When Spain was fighting France, the Portuguese and Catalans decided to rebel against the Spanish Habsburgs, and the Catalans allied with France to declare the independence of the Republic of Catalonia in 1640.

The real problem was found by the Spanish troops that remained in the Spanish Netherlands: they suffered constant attacks by the Dutch and the French themselves. However, Spain showed up and managed to seize important land areas for the French.

The war culminated in the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees, where both countries gave ground to each other and put their arms aside.

Agreements

As part of the agreements reached in the Treaty of the Pyrenees to end the conflict, Spain ceded two territories: Artois, located in the Spanish Netherlands; and that of Roussilon, located east of the Pyrenees. In addition, the taking of Alsace and Lorraine by the French was ratified.

The Catalan uprising was ended and all the territory that the French had captured, together with the Catalans themselves, was returned to Spain.

Notably, the French army had failed in its mission to expel the Spanish from the Netherlands and Italy, which meant for Spain the retention of large amounts of land in these areas.

Although Spain ceded more territory than France in this treaty, the Spanish Empire remained one of the largest in all of Europe.

Consequences

Historically, the Treaty of the Pyrenees is seen as one of the main reasons for the Spanish decline in the following decades. However, the decline was more related to internal problems of the country than to the result of this peace.

The King of France (Louis XIV) was a highly capable person, while the then Spanish monarch Charles II did not know how to properly manage the nation.

These two events after the war generated stability and prosperity for France, while the Crown of Spain was weakened.

On the border of Spain and France, the customs of each country began to be clearly defined and stronger controls were established in migration policies, from one side of the border to the other. The exchange of commercial goods between Spanish and French border towns also began to be restricted.

The end of this conflict also marked the end of the European rule of the Habsburgs at the hands of the French.

References

1. Peace of the Pyrenees (1659), Encyclopedia of The Early Modern World, 2004. Taken from encyclopedia.com
2. Peace of the Pyrenees, The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, (nd). Taken from Britannica.com
3. The Treaty of the Pyreness and the loss of French Catalonia, (nd). Taken from barcelonas.com
4. La Paz de los Pirineos, History Channel, (nd) was signed. Taken from tuhistory.com
5. Treaty of the Pyrenees, Wikipedia in English, February 5, 2018. Taken from Wikipedia.org
6. Thirty Years' War, History Channel in English, (nd). Taken from history.com
7. Franco-Spanish War (1635–59), Wikipedia in English, February 12, 2018. Taken from Wikipedia.org
8. War of the Mantuan Succession, Wikipedia in English, March 10, 2018. Taken from Wikipedia.org