Treaty of Joinville facts for kids
The Treaty of Joinville was a secret agreement signed on December 31, 1584. It was made between the Catholic League in France and Habsburg Spain. The Catholic League was led by the powerful House of Guise, a noble family in France.
What the Treaty Said
The treaty had several important points:
- Philip II of Spain, the King of Spain, agreed to give money to the Catholic League. He would pay 50,000 crowns (a lot of money!) to each of its main members.
- King Philip also said that Cardinal Charles de Bourbon should be the next king of France after Henry III of France.
- If Charles de Bourbon became king, he would promise to follow the rules of the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis again.
- The treaty stated that only the Catholic religion would be allowed in France. People who were not Catholic would be forced to change their religion.
- Rules made by the Council of Trent, which were important for the Catholic Church, would be put into practice.
- France would stop being allies with the Ottoman Empire. They would also stop their trips to places like the Indies and the Azores.
- Any land in the Netherlands that had been given to France by certain groups would be returned to Spain.
How it Affected England
By 1585, people in England found out about this secret treaty. Many believed, even though it wasn't entirely true, that the treaty was a plan for Catholic countries to team up against Protestant countries across Europe.
Queen Elizabeth I of England was very worried. She feared a strong alliance between Catholic France and Spain against England. Even though this was unlikely because France and Spain had been enemies for a long time, she was still scared. Because of this fear, she decided to send her army to the Spanish Netherlands. This area was rebelling against Spanish rule at the time. Spain reacted strongly, sending a tough military leader, the Duke of Parma, to control the situation.
Queen Elizabeth's decision was a big change from her usual policy. She usually didn't support rebels fighting against their rulers. She worried that if she did, her own country's English Catholics might rebel against her. But the Treaty of Joinville made her so alarmed that she changed her mind.
As a direct result, Elizabeth signed the Treaty of Nonsuch with the United Provinces in 1585. She also paid for an army of 7,000 to 8,000 soldiers to go to the Netherlands. This army was led by Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. These actions helped start a war between England and Spain. This war eventually led to Spain sending the famous Spanish Armada to attack England in 1588.
See also
In Spanish: Tratado de Joinville para niños
- French Wars of Religion
- List of treaties
