ABSTRACT
Charles Whitworth’s move to The Hague brought him to the heart of European diplomacy. This was less because of the intrinsic importance of the United Provinces, although, the British government was deeply concerned about the Dutch position. Whitworth’s negotiations at The Hague have to be understood within the context of the unique structures within the United Provinces with which he had to work and the background of Dutch strategic and economic concerns during the War of the Spanish Succession and the Great Northern War. Whitworth was scathing about the manner of proceeding in the United Provinces. At the beginning of February 1717, while Whitworth was in Berlin, a diplomatic storm occurred in Anglo-Swedish relations, into which Whitworth was drawn on his arrival in the United Provinces. By mid 1717 the international situation had become more unstable as Austro-Spanish relations deteriorated and as Spain prepared to claim disputed possessions in the Italian peninsula by force.
