The signing of the Treaties of Ryswick begins on September 20, 1697 bringing an end to the Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance of European powers (which included England, Spain, the Dutch Republic, and the Holy Roman Empire). The last treaty was signed on October 30th 1697, with the Holy Roman Empire
These were some of the most significant agreements reflected on the treaties:
- Louis XIV officially recognized William III as the King of England and withdrew support for the Jacobite claimant, James II.
- Most territories captured since the 1679 Treaty of Nijmegen were returned to their pre-war status.
- France retained Strasbourg and Alsace.
- Spain formally ceded the western third of the island of Hispaniola (renamed Saint-Domingue, now Haiti) to France.
- The Dutch Republic gained favorable commercial concessions and the right to garrison "barrier fortresses" in the Spanish Netherlands to protect against future French aggression.
The treaty is often viewed as a temporary truce because it failed to resolve the critical issue of Spanish Succession—who would inherit the throne from the childless King Charles II. This unresolved tension led directly to the outbreak, to of the War of the Spanish Succession five years later in 1702. More
