European balance of power Austria which continued to rule as Holy Roman Emperor. Hapsburg Austria did directly control some states outside of the Holy Roman Empire. It was France who took the status of dominant continental power from the Habsburgs thanks to the Treaty of Westphalia and the Treaty of the Pyrenees. In the 16th and 17th centuries, English foreign policy strove to prevent a creation of a single universal monarchy in Europe, which many believed France or Spain might attempt to create. To maintain the balance of power, the English made alliances with other states—including Portugal, the Ottoman Empire, and the Netherlands—to counter
Treaty of Péronne (1641) by the French and ultimately regulated the relations between France and Monaco for 150 years. In the context of Franco-Spanish rivalry and the Thirty Years' War, the Prince of Monaco sought to get rid of Spanish tutelage. Cardinal Richelieu, Chief Minister of France, sought to take advantage of weakening Habsburg power and strengthen France by extending French influence over the Rock of Monaco. Treaty of Péronne (1641) The Treaty of Péronne was signed on September 14, 1641, in Péronne, France between Honoré II, Prince of Monaco, and Louis XIII, King of France. Based on the terms of the treaty, Prince