The rise of Giulio (later cardinal) Alberoni to the position of chief minister of Spain and his role in the events that led to the War of the Quadruple Alliance are pieced together through an analysis of the correspondence of English diplomats in Madrid between 1715 and 1718. Alberoni counted on George I’s support in his project to bring back Spain to the status of a great power, while the British cabinet, where Sir James Stanhope (a former acquaintance of the Italian statesman) was one of the leading ministers, welcomed the opportunity of finally having to deal with a reliable representative of Philip V and of getting great terms for British trade. It was a sort of romance that began with high hopes and ended in disappointment, rancour, and war.
'The greatest curiosity we have in Spain': Giulio Alberoni in the Perception of the British Diplomats in Madrid, 1715-1718
Ugo Bruschi
2019
Abstract
The rise of Giulio (later cardinal) Alberoni to the position of chief minister of Spain and his role in the events that led to the War of the Quadruple Alliance are pieced together through an analysis of the correspondence of English diplomats in Madrid between 1715 and 1718. Alberoni counted on George I’s support in his project to bring back Spain to the status of a great power, while the British cabinet, where Sir James Stanhope (a former acquaintance of the Italian statesman) was one of the leading ministers, welcomed the opportunity of finally having to deal with a reliable representative of Philip V and of getting great terms for British trade. It was a sort of romance that began with high hopes and ended in disappointment, rancour, and war.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
