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
France–Switzerland relations France–Switzerland relations Diplomatic relations between Switzerland and France have traditionally been close, notably through important economic and cultural exchanges. Switzerland and France, which is part of the European Union, share about 600 km of border (prompting strong cross-border cooperation) and a language (French is one of Switzerland's four official languages). In 1516, France and Switzerland signed a Treaty of Perpetual Peace (). A military treaty was signed in 1521. France has been appointing ambassadors to Switzerland since the 16th century and Switzerland's first representation abroad, in 1798, was in French capital Paris (closely followed by a consulate in Bordeaux). By