"Had the European Powers suddenly become peace-loving?"
"No. Only that their finances had become extremely strained!"
Europe after the Wars
11 February 1625, Brussels, France
Brussels Peace Treaty
I. The war in Western Europe is over.
The Signatories accept the utter futility of the war they fought, since no one was victorious and indeed, in such wars between Great Powers, no one can hope to completely vanquish its enemy and end the war in total victory.
In view of this fact, the Signatories will look for other means to solve their future conflicts and promise to recourse to diplomacy and mediation rather than war.
II. The Entity known as the Holy Roman Empire does not exist any more.
The Signatories urge the other European Powers to recognize the de facto situation and to accept the disestablishment of the former Holy Roman Empire.
III. The Signatories recognize the Statehood and the Independence of the Federal Structure called Germany (Deutschreich) or the German Empire (Keiserreich Deutschreich).
The component States of the German Empire are not Sovereign States themselves, but rather internal divisions of the German Empire.
No external Power can hold any influence over any of the German States.
No Ruler of an external Power can rule in Personal Union a German State. If the Ruler of an external Power inherits the Throne of a German State, said Ruler must relinquish all his rights immediately or find himself and his Country automatically at war with Germany.
IV. Germany has the right to organize internally in any way it desires without any interference from outside its borders.
The German Empire and its constituent States may decide to create new States, disolve existing States, merge States, split States, alter internal State boundaries, change the Rulers or the form of Government of individual States or enact any other changes they consider necessary for the benefit of the German People and Empire.
In case of a dynastic crisis, no external Power has any right to intervene in any way, the only authorities entitled to solve the crisis being the lawful assembly of that State and the German Parliament.
As a matter of fact, the same rights are to be enjoyed by any Sovereign Country, old or new, be it a Great Power or the most insignificant State.
V. The borders of Germany are shown on the map which is an integral part of this Treaty.
VI. The Entity called Italy is a confederation of the former Italian States of the Holy Roman Empire and shall be under the benevolent protection of France.
The National Unity of Italy shall be achieved at the time when the National Consciousness of the Italian People will allow themselves to properly administrate their future State.
VII. The Germans who are now Subjects of France shall have the right to use their own language in all matters, public and private.
VIII. All Christians in Germany have the right to worship God in any way they desire and are all equal before the Law.
IX. A Great Power Conference will be held in Prague in June, A.D. 1626.
A Great Power is defined to be a country which:
i) Is a Sovereign State.
ii) Has political independence.
iii) Has economic independence.
iv) Has military independence.
v) Is a Christian State.
vi) Is a European State.
vii) Has at least three million subjects.
viii) Has a territory at least as large as the territory of the British Isles.
ix) Maintains control over most of its territory and subjects.
x) Has means of exerting power both inside and outside its borders.
Germany, France, Spain, Britannia, Sarmatia and Romania meet all the criteria.
Scandinavia and Sweden meet criterium vii) only if united into a single Country.
Russia does not meet criteria ix) and x), because of its current state of Civil War.
The Ottoman Empire does not meet criteria v) and vi).
The other countries do not meet most of the criteria.
Signed today, 11 February, A.D. 1625, in Brussels, by the Plenipotentiaries of:
Kingdom of France, ............
German Empire, ............
Kingdom of Britannia, ............
Kingdom of Scandinavia, ............
Kingdom of Sweden, ............
Republic of Venice, ............
State of Croatia, ............
European Countries in 1625 - 1630
The political map of Europe had simplified tremendously since the start of the century. Hundreds of states have disappeared, being consolidated into several unified countries.
Europe had never been divided in a smaller number of independent countries.
Great Powers:
1. Iberian Empire (former Portugal, Castille, Aragon, Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, North Africa, etc)
2. Kingdom of France (including French Netherlands / Belgium, Lorraine, Burgundy, Savoy, Nice, Piedmont, Geneva, etc)
3. German Empire (including Austria, Salzburg, the Swiss Cantons, the United Netherlands, etc)
4. Kingdom of Britannia (former England, Scotland, Ireland, etc)
5. Kingdom of Sarmatia (former Poland, Lithuania, Prussia, Livonia, Estonia, Crimean Khanate, Caffa, Azov, etc; vassals: Finland, Georgia)
6. Principality of Romania (former Transylvania, Moldavia, Wallachia, Ottoman Europe, etc)
7. Kingdom of Scandinavia (former Denmark, Norway, Schleswig, etc)
8. Kingdom of Sweden (only Sweden proper; will unite with Scandinavia in 1626-1644)
9. Tsardom of Russia (stable from 1627; will reassert its rule over the Cossacks in 1633)
Lesser States:
10. Principality of Slovakia
11. Principality of Croatia
12. Principality of Hungary (from 1629)
13. Principality of Greece
14. Republic of Venice (will start the Unification of Italy in the 1630')
15. Rome (Papal States)
16. Italian Confederation
Non-European States having territory in or around Europe:
17. Ottoman Empire (including rump Ottoman Europe, Asia Minor, Western Armenia, Western Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Cyrenaica, etc)
18. Persia (including Persia proper, Eastern Armenia, Eastern Mesopotamia, Azerbaidjan, etc)
19. Circassia (unrecognized; claimed by Sarmatia and Russia / Cossacks)
20. Barbary States (unrecognized; claimed by Iberia)
21. Morocco (claimed by Iberia)
