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
Luneville Faience Luneville Faience Luneville Faience is one of the most famous French pottery manufacturers. It has been located in Lunéville, Lorraine, France since 1730. Jacques Chambrette Senior initially started the first fine pottery works in Lorraine in 1711. His son began in 1722 by trading faience in Lunéville. He built his own factory there in 1730, just before he obtained the royal permission. He formulated a new type of earthenware called "terre de Lorraine" in 1748 based on the study of English potteries. As soon as 1749, he was granted the label of "official Royal manufactory" by Stanislaus I, former king