Treaty of London (1700)

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Treaty of London (1700) — a short, easy summary

In 1700, the Treaty of London, also called the Second Partition Treaty, was an effort by France, England, and the Dutch Republic to settle who would inherit the vast Spanish Empire after King Charles II. It followed the First Partition Treaty of 1698, which became void when Joseph Ferdinand died in 1699.

The goal was to divide the Spanish Empire between France and Austria and to choose a new heir. The plan named Archduke Charles (son of Emperor Leopold I) as the heir instead of Joseph Ferdinand, while Spain would keep its empire outside Europe and the Spanish Netherlands.

Key terms (simplified):
- France would gain Naples and Sicily, plus Gipuzkoa, and would exchange Lorraine for the Milan area.
- France would later transfer Naples and Sicily to Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia in exchange for Nice and Savoy.
- Austria (Leopold) accepted the idea in principle but objected to France gaining Italian territories like Milan.
- Spain insisted on an undivided empire and resisted any partition.

The treaty was signed in London on March 24, 1700, and in The Hague soon after, but it never gained acceptance from Austria or Spain and could not be enforced. When Charles II died in November 1700, Philip of Anjou (Louis XIV’s grandson) became king of Spain, and the War of the Spanish Succession began in 1701.

Parliament in England reacted with anger, since the terms were negotiated without its knowledge or consent. The episode damaged trust between the government and Parliament and highlighted that monarchs could no longer unilaterally impose such settlements.