ABSTRACT
Concern over the Spanish inheritance lay behind Leopold’s reluctance to push imperial interests at Rijswijk. While recovery of the entire empire once ruled by Charles V was an objective, Leopold was realistic enough to appreciate that a partition was a far more likely outcome. His willingness to negotiate over the issue had already been demonstrated in his secret understanding with France in 1668. This treaty was now clearly a dead letter, and Leopold was conscious of the need not to do anything that might prevent such an advantageous agreement being reached again with Louis. However, matters were now more complicated as the growing interest of the maritime powers in Spain’s fate made an understanding with William imperative. Neither Britain nor the Dutch Republic was prepared to let Louis or Leopold obtain the entire inheritance alone, since this would create a territorial colossus capable of monopolizing trade and power in western Europe and the Mediterranean. Either the empire should be partitioned, with the proviso that on no account should France obtain the Spanish Netherlands, or it should go to some neutral third party. The later option was decided in the so-called First Partition Treaty on 11 October 1698, allocating Spain, the Netherlands, Sardinia and the colonial empire to the Bavarian Crown Prince Joseph Ferdinand, with France taking Naples, Sicily and part of the Basque country, and just Milan going to Leopold’s younger son Archduke Charles. Though confirmed by the dying Carlos II, this arrangement between Louis and William greatly alarmed Leopold, particularly as he was only told about it in January 1699.
