Treaty of Aran

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The Treaty of Aran was signed in 1714 between the Kingdom of France, the Kingdom of Spain, and the Roman Empire. It marked the end of the War of Spanish Succession and established the new borders of both countries, among other thing. This is considered by many to be the birth of the Mediterranean Crown—indeed, the name of "Spain" officially disappeared in a matter of months as the new constituent nations of the Crown rose from the old Spanish territories.

Developments

Historical Context

Charles II of Castille and Aragon (i.e. the last king of Spain) died in 1700 without a natural heir, so he chose Philip, the grandson of the Louis XIV of France, as his successor. However, the Roman Emperor claimed his right to the Spanish throne and a war began. The Roman Empire found an ally in the United Kingdom, as well as in some parts of Spain (mostly in the Crown of Aragon), which, added to the battles that happened in the American colonies, made this a global war.

A long war

In 1704, though, the Roman Empire realized that the war would be longer than expected and let their allies in Spain know that they would make peace with France and let them rule Spain. This didn't sit well among the people of the Crown of Aragon, and Philip (now Philip V of Spain) had declared that he would abolish the historical self-government institutions of the Crown.
Therefore, the Courts of Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, and Mallorques met in Barcelona to come up with a plan. However, the high stakes of the situation and the fact that they didn't have a proper process to deal with it made them completely useless. Therefore, Rafael Casanova, Head Councillor of Barcelona, took control of the local militia and staged a coup. As the Roman Emperor had just withdrawn form the war, Rafael was crowned King of Spain and Count of Barcelona.
After that, the war continued until 1714. Under Rafael's rule, the Spanish army managed to take back Aragon and parts of Castille, Murcia, and Andalusia. This was, in no small part, thanks to the help the Roman Empire gave them in secret.

Seeking peace

In 1714, both Spain and France were exhausted from the war and both wanted it to end. There was a first attempt by France in January to make peace, but Spain didn't find the terms agreeable. Later that year, though, Spain approached the French with a new version, and negotiations began. The Roman Empire took part in the negotiations too after France discovered that they had been involved for the entirety of the war. Aran, a region of Catalonia that bordered France, was chosen as the meeting point.

The Treaty of Aran

The final version of the Treaty was very influential in both Europe and the American continent, and definitely changed the course of history for many countries in the world. Here are the main points agreed on in the final version:

• France would get all Spanish territories in northern Europe, overseas, as well as roughly the western half of Spain.
• Spain would get from France a significant portion of Occitania.
• France would recognize the authority of the Consulate of the Sea over international maritime law, and would let Spain trade freely with the American continent.

Aftermath

Shortly after the treaty was signed, the king of Spain summoned the General Courts to set up the new ruling system of the country. It would become a composite monarchy made up of various constituent countries with a significant degree of autonomy under the name of Mediterranean Crown.

contents

Type

Treaty, Diplomatic

Medium

Paper

Location

Aran

Signatories (Organizations)

• Kingdom of France
• Kingdom of Spain