Utrecht, 1713. A Peace possible for Europe

Abstract

The Treaties of Utrecht ended the War of the Spanish Succession, a conflict that in recent years has been the subject of intense historical debate. The Peace of Utrecht is now analyzed from different perspectives. During negotiations, Philip V of Spain tried to impose their conditions, but eventually he had to accept the agreement of Louis XIV of France with the Maritime powers. The Spanish king had to renounce to the French throne –something h e never really admitted–, and lost his Spanish territories in Europe. He kept instead the Empire in America, being the content of the Treaties regarding colonial trade the subject of a growing historiographical interest. This contribution analyzes also the position of Charles VI of Austria, who claimed the Spanish throne and faced the peace negotiations from a position of apparent strength –although in the final stage of the war he was guided by conflicting interests regarding the rigid defense of his two main scenarios: Catalonia and Italy. In Utrecht-Rastatt, Spanish Habsburg hegemony in Italy was transferred to the Habsburgs of Vienna and this new domain was interpreted in terms of continuity. The Peace of Utrecht is considered a major European peacekeeping project, but it failed to forget a conflict that still remains close in memory.