Treaty of Westphalia

About the Author

There is no solitary author of the treaty. However, since the treaty's original language was French and considering France's advantageous position at the war's end, the French delegation perhaps had the most influence. It was headed by Henri II d'Orléans, the duke of Longueville, who, as a French prince, had previously served in the French military in both Italy and the Holy Roman Empire. Usually cast as a rebel of sorts, he used his role at Westphalia not only for the benefit of France but also to secure the independence of the Swiss Confederation. He was joined by the French diplomat Abel Servien, marquis de Sablé, and Claude de Mesmes, the count d'Avaux, a diplomat and public administrator.

While Sweden was in a rather advantageous position at war's end, the Swedish attempt to secure one of the electoral college votes within the empire was thwarted by the stronger influence of France at the conference. The Swedish representatives were Johann Adler Salvius and Count Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna. The Holy Roman Empire's chief delegate was Count Maximilian von Trauttmansdorff. Trauttmansdorff had a long tenure in the service of the Habsburgs, securing both the Bohemian and the Hungarian crowns for the future Ferdinand II and, later, serving as the most influential minister to Ferdinand III.

The Spanish delegation was headed by Gaspar de Bracamonte y Guzmán. Many delegations were sent from the German principalities of the Holy Roman Empire. The representative of the Catholic Church, Fabio Chigi (later Pope Alexander VII), and the Venetian envoy, Alvise Contarini (who became the doge, or duke, of Venice), served as mediators. Many of the imperial states of the Holy Roman Empire also sent delegations. The most important was Brandenburg, which was represented by Count Johann von Sayn-Wittgenstein, the most prominent of the empire's Protestant representatives. He was able to increase the holdings of Brandenburg by obtaining eastern Pomerania as well as other smaller territories.