England's Involvement in the Treaty of the Pyrenees: A Brief Overview

[Bipolarity]

Does anyone know England's involvement in the Treaty of the Pyrenees, i.e. in the Spanish-French extension of the Thirty Years War?

BiP

 

[SW VandeCarr]

I know England (under Oliver Cromwell) joined France in a war against Spain in 1654. England was interested in the Spanish possessions in the West Indies while France was primarily interested in expanding its territory in Europe at the expense of Spain. The Stuarts favored Spain, but were out of power in England until 1660. The Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659) primarily benefited France on both its southern and northern borders. England got the port of Dunkirk. The senior Cromwell died in 1658 and his ineffective son left England in political turmoil, so England's interests were apparently not well represented in the treaty. In 1660, the restored Stuart regime made a separate peace with Spain and sold Dunkirk to France.