page_title: Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1679)
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1679) / Background
context_page_description: The Treaty or Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye of 19 June or 29 June 1679 was a peace treaty between France and the Electorate of Brandenburg. It restored to France's ally Sweden her dominions Bremen-Verden and Swedish Pomerania, lost to Brandenburg in the Scanian War. Sweden ratified the treaty on 28 July 1679.
  The treaty is by some considered "the worst political defeat" of Elector Frederick William I. He was forced by France to give away the Swedish portion of what he considered his rightful Pomeranian inheritance, despite having conquered it in a four-year campaign.
context_section_description: Sweden had allied with France in April 1672. At this time, Great Britain, the Electorate of Brandenburg, the Netherlands and Denmark were hostile towards Sweden. Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor had allied with the Netherlands and Spain against France on 30 August 1673, and declared war in early 1674. Subsequently, Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg joined the anti-French alliance.
  In support of Louis XIV of France, Charles XI of Sweden invaded Brandenburg in 1674, but was decisively defeated in the Battle of Fehrbellin in 1675. Denmark then invaded Swedish Scania.
  In the ensuing Scanian War, Brandenburg occupied the Swedish dominions in Northern Germany, Swedish Pomerania (except for Rügen) and Bremen-Verden, also Courland; Denmark occupied Rügen but was defeated in Scania in the battles of Lund (1676) and Landskrona (1677).
  After the Treaties of Nijmegen (1678/1679) had ended the Franco-Dutch War, France was able to support Sweden again, and invaded the Brandenburgian Duchy of Cleves on the lower Rhine. Brandenburg, short of troops in the area and deprived of allies by the Nijmegen treaties, had no choice than to settle for peace with France at the expense of her gains from Sweden. Likewise, Denmark-Norway had to conclude the Treaty of Fontainebleau with Sweden in September 1679.
caption: Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg
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