Europe in the Time of Gerónimo de Uztáriz’s Theórica: Between the Peace of Utrecht (1713) and the Peace of Vienna (1725)

Uztáriz finished the Theórica at the end of 1724, a troubled year in Philip V’s reign, characterised by the monarch’s abdication and return to the throne. Bourbon diplomacy was about to undertake a U-turn in terms of its alliances, with a rapprochement with Austria and the signing of the Peace of Vienna in 1725. For almost a decade, Philip V had been endeavouring to reverse the Treaties of Utrecht, mainly those signed with England, but also others relating to the Mediterranean which had meant the loss of Sardinia, Milan, Naples and Sicily and which translated into a dynastic policy that conditioned Atlantic policy. Spain’s joining of the Quadruple Alliance in February 1720 and the slow pace of work at the Congress of Cambrai, the conflicts with England over the implementing of the Trade Treaty and the Treaty of Asiento, and the deterioration of relations with France all culminated in a change in Spain’s attitude and a rethinking of its positions at political and trade level arising from the Europe of Utrecht. In this European context, Uztáriz’s international career and the range of posts he held in Philip V’s service equipped him with a unique perspective on the trade policies of France, England and Holland. Shortly after the work was published, in 1725, Spain signed a Trade Treaty with Austria.