Treaty of Turin (1696)

The Treaty of Turin of 1696 was a turning point in the War of the League of Augsburg. The treaty, which initially was kept secret, marked an end, if only in the short term, to the territorial ambitions of Victor Amadeus II, the Duke of Savoy, and enshrined his enforced membership of the French alliance which he had hitherto opposed.

1690 found Piedmont/Savoy, under the Duke of Savoy fighting in alliance with the Spanish and the Holy Roman Empire, and against the territorially ambitious Louis XIV of France. The war was going very badly for Piedmont which in August 1690 suffered a heavy defeat at Staffarda (some 50 km/30 miles upstream along the Po valley, to the south-west of Turin). French progress was halted with the Siege of Cuneo in June 1691. However, the French under Nicolas Catinat (soon to be promoted Marshall, primarily in recognition of his military successes against the Savoyard army) returned to the offensive and occupied Montmélian a few days before Christmas 1691.

The weakened military position of Piedmont/Savoy now prompted the French king to offer the Duke of Savoy a deal. The duke himself became dangerously ill, raising the possibility that he might die without a direct male heir. The duke nevertheless rebuffed the king, and named his cousin Emmanuel Philibert de Savoie-Carignano, then aged 8, as his heir.

The duke recovered from his illness, but in October 1693 suffered a further massive military defeat at Marsaglia to the south of Turin, near the route towards Genoa and the coast. Shortage of supplies and money kept the French from pressing their advantage and marching on towards Turin, but the much depleted residue of the Savoyard army was nevertheless obliged to take refuge in the fortress at Moncalieri.

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