What was the Peace of Utrecht?

The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed between April 1713 and February 1715 in the Dutch city of Utrecht that ended the War of the Spanish Succession. The agreements allowed Philip V to keep the Spanish throne on the condition that he permanently renounced any claim to the French throne, preventing a merger of France and Spain. This diplomatic settlement marked the end of French ambitions for European hegemony and established a new European system based on a balance of power.

What we know

• The Peace of Utrecht consisted of a series of peace treaties signed between April 1713 and February 1715 in Utrecht, Netherlands. [1, 2]
• The treaties permitted Philip V, the grandson of King Louis XIV of France, to retain the Spanish throne. [2]
• Philip V permanently renounced his claim to the French throne to ensure that France and Spain would not merge. [2]
• The agreements successfully ended French ambitions of hegemony and paved the way for a European system founded on the balance of power. [2]

Where to go next

• what caused itWhy did the War of the Spanish Succession begin?
• what followedHow did the balance of power shape later European conflicts?
• how it workedWho were the primary negotiators at the congress in Utrecht?
• the bigger pictureWhat was the earlier Union of Utrecht in 1579?
• compared withWhat earlier Treaty of Utrecht was signed in 1474?
• an unexpected connectionHow is a major 18th-century European peace settlement linked to a 15th-century Hanseatic trade pact?Both important historical agreements share the name and location of Utrecht while governing entirely different geopolitical crises centuries apart.

Sources

• [1]Peace of Utrecht (Wikidata Q154674) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Peace of Utrecht · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Utrecht · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Union of Utrecht · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Treaty of Utrecht (1474) · CC BY-SA 4.0