Utrecht, << YOO trehkt >> Peace of, was the international peace settlement that ended the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). The main treaties, signed in 1713, reestablished Europe’s balance of power after years of conflict. In 1714, the settlement was finalized by further treaties signed at Rastatt and Baden.
The War of the Spanish Succession began after the death of King Charles II of Spain in 1700. Charles left a will giving the Spanish crown to Philip of Anjou, grandson of King Louis XIV of France. Louis XIV’s influence over the newly crowned King Philip V spread fear that France would control or even acquire Spain and its empire. In response, Austria, Britain (now also called the United Kingdom), the United Provinces of the Netherlands, and several German states of the Holy Roman Empire formed a group known as the Grand Alliance. The alliance formally declared war on France and Spain in 1702. After years of war and bloodshed, the participants met in Utrecht, the Netherlands, in 1712 to discuss peace terms.
The Peace of Utrecht marked the decline of France’s power and the growth of Britain’s. Philip remained as king of Spain, but Spain and France were forbidden to unite under one ruler. Britain gained control of Gibraltar and Minorca from Spain and received a contract to supply the Spanish colonies in America with African slaves. Britain’s gains in North America included Newfoundland, mainland Nova Scotia, and the land around Hudson Bay from France.
