"The Long peace": commercial treaties and the principles of global trade at the Peace of Utrecht

Stapelbroek, Koen

Abstract

The Peace of Utrecht is famous for having allegedly instated the concept of the balance of power in modern politics. This chapter looks at how the balancing mechanism assumed to have been created at Utrecht was configured, so to speak, in commercial terms. It engages with the question what changed before, during and after the conclusion of Peace of Utrecht in how commercial treaties as ordering institutions were thought about, designed and subsequently negotiated in diplomatic circles. While discussion about the regulation of global trade in the years leading up to the peace talks initially took a novel form, the outcome of the commercial treaties of Utrecht confirmed Britain’s victory in the war. It is arguable, however, that the regime of commercial treaties instated at Utrecht was the first of its kind as an attempt to regulate international trade and thereby bring about a solid lasting peace.

Journal

N/A

Publication Name

The 1713 Peace of Utrecht and its Enduring Effects

Volume

ISBN/ISSN

978-90-04-35157-8

Edition

N/A

Issue

N/A

Pages Count

Location

N/A

Publisher

Brill

Publisher Url

N/A

Publisher Location

Utrecht, The Netherlands

Publish Date

N/A

Url

N/A

Date

N/A

EISSN

N/A

DOI

N/A