Third Treaty of San Ildefonso
Encyclopedia
The Third Treaty of San Ildefonso (formally titled the Preliminary and Secret Treaty between the French Republic and His Catholic Majesty the King of Spain, Concerning the Aggrandizement of His Royal Highness the Infant Duke of Parma in Italy and the Retrocession of Louisiana) was a secretly negotiated treaty between France and Spain in which Spain returned the colonial territory of Louisiana
to France. The treaty was concluded on October 1, 1800 between Louis Alexandre Berthier
representing France and Don Mariano Luis de Urquijo
for Spain. The treaty was negotiated under some duress, as Spain was under pressure from Napoleon. The terms of the treaty did not specify the boundaries of the territory being returned, which later became a point of contention between Spain and the United States after the Louisiana Purchase
in 1803, in which France sold its territory to the United States. This treaty also affirmed the earlier Treaty of Alliance signed at San Ildefonso on August 19, 1796. That treaty is sometimes also referred to as the Treaty of San Ildefonso.
1799, whilst France was immersed in the War of the Second Coalition
.
Following the signature of the Peace of Basel
, which put an end to the War of the Pyrenees
between France and Spain, both countries maintained a military alliance embodied in the signing of the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
on 1796, which committed either party to go to war against a third country if attacked. It was this alliance that led to Spain's entry into the war against Great Britain, leading to the loss of Trinidad
and Menorca in 1798 and the attacks on Ferrol and Cadiz
in 1800. Spain's financial system was facing serious trouble—from 1780 banknotes were circulating as legal currency, as a new form of government bonds invented by Francisco Cabarrús. The British attacks on Spain's colonies and her convoys back from America, along with Britain's commercial blockade, added to an already worsening economic situation, with the national debt increasing eightfold between 1793 and 1798. Charles IV
and Maria Luisa of Parma
ruled Spain, with Manuel Godoy as prime minister.
, representing Charles IV of Spain
, and Louis Alexandre Berthier
, representing the French Republic, adjusted a preliminary agreement on 1 October, 1800 (9 Vendémiaire
, year IX, of the French republican calendar
) at the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso.
The agreements included:
The agreement would be kept under top secrecy—even Manuel Godoy, Charles IV's favourite
, did not know about it until one month after its ratification by the king.
This agreement was later known as Third Treaty of San Ildefonso to be distinguished from those signed in 1777 and 1796.
and Aranjuez—beginnings of 1801, see below—and both countries' armies arranged their efforts against Portugal and Great Britain respectively.
On 9 February 1801, France and the Holy Roman Empire
signed the Treaty of Lunéville
which empowered Napoleon to force Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany to resign and leave the duchy. The duke was rewarded with the Archbishopric of Salzburg
that had been secularised and transformed into the Electorate of Salzburg
—of which he was appointed Prince Elector. Then, with Tuscany dominated by Napoleonic France the way to implement territorial exchanges became open.
at Aranjuez
. The conditions of this new treaty renewed those of the former one, expanding them:
This new agreement was signed by Charles IV
on 11 April, that same year. Even though not written in the treaty, the French delegation pledged that in case France wished to leave Louisiana, it only would be given back to Spain and not to any other state.
; he left Paris on 1 July towards Florence
, Tuscany's capital, where he assumed as king, backed by the French army commanded by General Grouchy. The new kingdom was named Etruria
, after the region's name in ancient Roman times.
The Duke of Parma, Ferdinand, refused to accept the conditions of the treaty concerning his resignation to the Duchy, and instead of receiving the indemnization established in the treaty of 1801, continued possessing it—with French support—until he died the following year. From that time on the Duchy of Parma was integrated in the First French Empire
.
On 15 October 1802, Charles IV
published a Royal Bill in Barcelona
that made effective the transfer of Louisiana, providing the withdrawal of the Spanish troops in the territory, on condition that the presence of the clergy be maintained and the inhabitants keep their properties. The colony did not remain for long under French sovereignty provided that France sold Louisiana to the United States
the next year (1803), dismissing the promises made to Spain in the conversations about the 1801 treaty.
—the present day state of Louisiana
—up to the Canadian borders, with a surface 100 times that of Tuscany. Moreover, Spain was losing the Duchy of Parma and the six battleships pledged in 1800. The treaty was then and later hardly criticised by historians.
Even Godoy blamed Urquijo's lack of expertise for the odd territorial exchange, adding also Urquijo's excessive admiration to France, and the king and queen's desire to favour their children—the infante Louis, nominated to the throne of Etruria, was king and queen's son-in-law, married to María Luisa de Borbón, Royal Couple's daughter. On the value of the territories he wrote:
(translated from Spanish)
Louisiana (New France)
Louisiana or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682–1763 and 1800–03, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle...
to France. The treaty was concluded on October 1, 1800 between Louis Alexandre Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Prince de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valangin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuchâtel , was a Marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and Chief of Staff under Napoleon.-Early life:Alexandre was born at Versailles to Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Baptiste Berthier ,...
representing France and Don Mariano Luis de Urquijo
Mariano Luis de Urquijo
Mariano Luis de Urquijo y Muga , . Secretary of State of Spain from 12 February 1799 to 13 December 1799, during the reign of King Carlos IV of Spain, and between 7 July 1808 and 27 June 1813 under the King Joseph Bonaparte.-Biography:Born to a low nobility Basque family, he studied law in Madrid...
for Spain. The treaty was negotiated under some duress, as Spain was under pressure from Napoleon. The terms of the treaty did not specify the boundaries of the territory being returned, which later became a point of contention between Spain and the United States after the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
in 1803, in which France sold its territory to the United States. This treaty also affirmed the earlier Treaty of Alliance signed at San Ildefonso on August 19, 1796. That treaty is sometimes also referred to as the Treaty of San Ildefonso.
Context
The French Revolution ended in Napoleon's taking of executive and legislative power in his coup of 18 Brumaire18 Brumaire
The coup of 18 Brumaire was the coup d'état by which General Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the French Directory, replacing it with the French Consulate...
1799, whilst France was immersed in the War of the Second Coalition
War of the Second Coalition
The "Second Coalition" was the second attempt by European monarchs, led by the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria and the Russian Empire, to contain or eliminate Revolutionary France. They formed a new alliance and attempted to roll back France's previous military conquests...
.
Peace of Basel
The Peace of Basel of 1795 consists of three peace treaties involving France .* The first of the three treaties of 1795, France made peace with Prussia on 5 April; , * The Second was with Spain on 22 July, ending the War of the Pyrenees; and*...
, which put an end to the War of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees refers to the Pyrenees front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. Also known as Great War, War of Roussillon, or War of the Convention, it pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal from March 1793 to July 1795 during the...
between France and Spain, both countries maintained a military alliance embodied in the signing of the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
The Second Treaty of San Ildefonso was signed on August 19, 1796 between the Spanish Empire and the First French Republic. Based on the terms of the agreement, France and Spain would become allies and combine their forces against the British Empire.-See also:...
on 1796, which committed either party to go to war against a third country if attacked. It was this alliance that led to Spain's entry into the war against Great Britain, leading to the loss of Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and Menorca in 1798 and the attacks on Ferrol and Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
in 1800. Spain's financial system was facing serious trouble—from 1780 banknotes were circulating as legal currency, as a new form of government bonds invented by Francisco Cabarrús. The British attacks on Spain's colonies and her convoys back from America, along with Britain's commercial blockade, added to an already worsening economic situation, with the national debt increasing eightfold between 1793 and 1798. Charles IV
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
and Maria Luisa of Parma
Maria Luisa of Parma
Maria Luisa of Parma was Queen consort of Spain from 1788 to 1808 as the wife of King Charles IV of Spain. She was the youngest daughter of Duke Philip of Parma and his wife, Louise-Élisabeth of France, the eldest daughter of King Louis XV.She was christened Luisa Maria Teresa Ana, but was known...
ruled Spain, with Manuel Godoy as prime minister.
Treaty of San Ildefonso of 1800
Mariano Luis de UrquijoMariano Luis de Urquijo
Mariano Luis de Urquijo y Muga , . Secretary of State of Spain from 12 February 1799 to 13 December 1799, during the reign of King Carlos IV of Spain, and between 7 July 1808 and 27 June 1813 under the King Joseph Bonaparte.-Biography:Born to a low nobility Basque family, he studied law in Madrid...
, representing Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
, and Louis Alexandre Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Prince de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valangin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuchâtel , was a Marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and Chief of Staff under Napoleon.-Early life:Alexandre was born at Versailles to Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Baptiste Berthier ,...
, representing the French Republic, adjusted a preliminary agreement on 1 October, 1800 (9 Vendémiaire
Vendémiaire
Vendémiaire was the first month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French word vendange .Vendémiaire was the first month of the autumn quarter . It started on the day of the autumnal equinox, which fell between 22 September and 24 September, inclusive. It thus ended...
, year IX, of the French republican calendar
French Republican Calendar
The French Republican Calendar or French Revolutionary Calendar was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871...
) at the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso.
The agreements included:
- The French Republic would establish a newly created territory on the Italian Peninsula on behalf of the ‘infante’ (prince) Louis Francis of Bourbon-ParmaLouis of EtruriaLouis was the first of only two Kings of Etruria.Louis was the son of Ferdinand, Duke of Parma and Maria Amalia of Austria, the second surviving daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor....
, son of Ferdinand I of Bourbon-ParmaFerdinand, Duke of ParmaFerdinand Maria Philip Louis Sebastian Francis James of Parma was Duke of Parma from 1765 to 1802. He was the second child and only son of Philip, Duke of Parma and Princess Louise-Élisabeth of France, eldest daughter of Louis XV of France and Maria Leszczyńska...
, Duke of Parma, where he would be acknowledged as ‘kingKing- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
’—the territory was not precisely determined but TuscanyTuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
was suggested. - One month after the prince's takeover, Spain would hand over six 74-gun ships-of-the-line to France.
- Six months after, Spain would retrocede the colony of LouisianaLouisiana (New France)Louisiana or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682–1763 and 1800–03, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle...
to France—under Spanish possession since the Treaty of Paris (1763)Treaty of Paris (1763)The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
that ended the Seven Years' WarSeven Years' WarThe Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
.
The agreement would be kept under top secrecy—even Manuel Godoy, Charles IV's favourite
Favourite
A favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
, did not know about it until one month after its ratification by the king.
This agreement was later known as Third Treaty of San Ildefonso to be distinguished from those signed in 1777 and 1796.
Interim
Minister Urquijo was removed from office by the end of 1800 because of his disagreements with the Catholic clergy. The Spanish-French military alliance of 1796 was renovated by the treaties of MadridTreaty of Madrid
Treaty of Madrid may refer to:*Treaty of Madrid , in which France renounced claims in Italy, surrendered Burgundy to Spain, and abandoned sovereignty over Flanders and Artois....
and Aranjuez—beginnings of 1801, see below—and both countries' armies arranged their efforts against Portugal and Great Britain respectively.
On 9 February 1801, France and the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
signed the Treaty of Lunéville
Treaty of Lunéville
The Treaty of Lunéville was signed on 9 February 1801 between the French Republic and the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, negotiating both on behalf of his own domains and of the Holy Roman Empire...
which empowered Napoleon to force Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany to resign and leave the duchy. The duke was rewarded with the Archbishopric of Salzburg
Archbishopric of Salzburg
The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical State of the Holy Roman Empire, its territory roughly congruent with the present-day Austrian state of Salzburg....
that had been secularised and transformed into the Electorate of Salzburg
Electorate of Salzburg
The Electorate of Salzburg , occasionally known as the Grand Duchy of Salzburg, was an electoral principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1803–05. Its capital was Salzburg.- History :...
—of which he was appointed Prince Elector. Then, with Tuscany dominated by Napoleonic France the way to implement territorial exchanges became open.
Treaty of Aranjuez of 1801
The final treaty was signed on 18 March, 1801, by Manuel Godoy and Lucien BonaparteLucien Bonaparte
Lucien Bonaparte, Prince Français, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano , born Luciano Buonaparte, was the third surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and his wife Letizia Ramolino....
at Aranjuez
Aranjuez
Aranjuez is a town lying 48 km south of Madrid, in the southern part of the Community of Madrid. It is located at the confluence of the Tagus and Jarama rivers, 48 km from Toledo. As of 2009, it has a population of 54,055.-History:...
. The conditions of this new treaty renewed those of the former one, expanding them:
- Resignation of Ferdinand IFerdinand, Duke of ParmaFerdinand Maria Philip Louis Sebastian Francis James of Parma was Duke of Parma from 1765 to 1802. He was the second child and only son of Philip, Duke of Parma and Princess Louise-Élisabeth of France, eldest daughter of Louis XV of France and Maria Leszczyńska...
to the Duchy of ParmaDuchy of ParmaThe Duchy of Parma was created in 1545 from that part of the Duchy of Milan south of the Po River, as a fief for Pope Paul III's illegitimate son, Pier Luigi Farnese, centered on the city of Parma....
, for himself and his heirs. - Cession by France of the Grand Duchy of TuscanyGrand Duchy of TuscanyThe Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
to Louis-Francis of Bourbon-ParmaLouis of EtruriaLouis was the first of only two Kings of Etruria.Louis was the son of Ferdinand, Duke of Parma and Maria Amalia of Austria, the second surviving daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor....
, Ferdinand's son. - Recognition of Louis as King of TuscanyKingdom of EtruriaThe Kingdom of Etruria was a kingdom comprising the larger part of Tuscany which existed between 1801 and 1807. It took its name from Etruria, the old Roman name for the land of the Etruscans.It was created by the Treaty of Aranjuez, signed on 21 March 1801...
with French support. - The Tuscany's part of Elba islandElbaElba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
would pass to French sovereignty; in compensation, the Principality of PiombinoPrincipality of PiombinoThe Principality of Piombino was a state of Italy, which existed from 1399 to 1805, when Napoleon absorbed it into the Principality of Lucca and Piombino...
and the State of PresidiState of PresidiThe Stato dei Presidi was a client state of the Kingdom of Spain situated in central Italy, which included the cities of Orbetello, Porto Ercole, Porto Santo Stefano, Talamone, Ansedonia and Porto Longone, in what is now southern Tuscany...
would be ceded by France to Louis, annexing them to the new territory. - If there were not successors in Louis's family the rights to Tuscany's throne would go to the Spanish Royal House.
- Cession of the vast territories of LouisianaLouisiana (New Spain)Louisiana was the name of an administrative district of the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1764 to 1803 that represented territory west of the Mississippi River basin, plus New Orleans...
to France. - Joint Franco-Spanish indemnization to Ferdinand in exchange for his resignation to the Duchy of Parma.
This new agreement was signed by Charles IV
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
on 11 April, that same year. Even though not written in the treaty, the French delegation pledged that in case France wished to leave Louisiana, it only would be given back to Spain and not to any other state.
Results
On 25 May 1801, the infante Louis Francis arrived to Paris and was treated by Napoleon and JoséphineJoséphine de Beauharnais
Joséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoléon Bonaparte, and thus the first Empress of the French. Her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais had been guillotined during the Reign of Terror, and she had been imprisoned in the Carmes prison until her release five days after Alexandre's...
; he left Paris on 1 July towards Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Tuscany's capital, where he assumed as king, backed by the French army commanded by General Grouchy. The new kingdom was named Etruria
Etruria
Etruria—usually referred to in Greek and Latin source texts as Tyrrhenia—was a region of Central Italy, an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany, Latium, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria. A particularly noteworthy work dealing with Etruscan locations is D. H...
, after the region's name in ancient Roman times.
The Duke of Parma, Ferdinand, refused to accept the conditions of the treaty concerning his resignation to the Duchy, and instead of receiving the indemnization established in the treaty of 1801, continued possessing it—with French support—until he died the following year. From that time on the Duchy of Parma was integrated in the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
.
On 15 October 1802, Charles IV
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
published a Royal Bill in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
that made effective the transfer of Louisiana, providing the withdrawal of the Spanish troops in the territory, on condition that the presence of the clergy be maintained and the inhabitants keep their properties. The colony did not remain for long under French sovereignty provided that France sold Louisiana to the United States
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
the next year (1803), dismissing the promises made to Spain in the conversations about the 1801 treaty.
Analysis
From a historical point of view, there is opinion that the treaty clearly favoured France. The territory of Spanish Louisiana, then inhabited by approximately 50,000 people, extended from the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
—the present day state of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
—up to the Canadian borders, with a surface 100 times that of Tuscany. Moreover, Spain was losing the Duchy of Parma and the six battleships pledged in 1800. The treaty was then and later hardly criticised by historians.
Even Godoy blamed Urquijo's lack of expertise for the odd territorial exchange, adding also Urquijo's excessive admiration to France, and the king and queen's desire to favour their children—the infante Louis, nominated to the throne of Etruria, was king and queen's son-in-law, married to María Luisa de Borbón, Royal Couple's daughter. On the value of the territories he wrote:
(translated from Spanish)
See also
- First Treaty of San IldefonsoFirst Treaty of San IldefonsoThe First Treaty of San Ildefonso was signed on October 1, 1777 between the Spanish Empire and the Portuguese Empire, shortly after the crowning of Mary I of Portugal and dismissal of Sebastião de Melo, Marquis of Pombal as de facto ruler of Portugal....
- Second Treaty of San IldefonsoSecond Treaty of San IldefonsoThe Second Treaty of San Ildefonso was signed on August 19, 1796 between the Spanish Empire and the First French Republic. Based on the terms of the agreement, France and Spain would become allies and combine their forces against the British Empire.-See also:...
- West FloridaWest FloridaWest Florida was a region on the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico, which underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history. West Florida was first established in 1763 by the British government; as its name suggests it largely consisted of the western portion of the region...
- Adams-Onís TreatyAdams-Onís TreatyThe Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, also known as the Transcontinental Treaty or the Purchase of Florida, was a treaty between the United States and Spain in 1819 that gave Florida to the U.S. and set out a boundary between the U.S. and New Spain . It settled a standing border dispute between the two...