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 Turin (1696) Treaty of Turin (1696) The Treaty of Turin (1696) was signed on 29 August 1696 by France and the Duchy of Savoy. Under its terms, Savoy signed a separate peace with France and left the Grand Alliance, an anti-French coalition formed on 20 December 1689 by England, the Dutch Republic and Emperor Leopold. On 7 October 1696, this was followed by the Convention of Vigevano in which France, Savoy, Leopold and Spain agreed a general ceasefire in Italy. The Treaty of Turin was made part of the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick ending the Nine Years' War. Northern Italy provided access