Treaty of Ryswick

Treaty of Ryswick, pact signed on September 20, 1697, at Ryswick, a Dutch village on the outskirts of The Hague. The treaty ended the war between Louis XIV, king of France, and the Grand Alliance, a coalition including England, Spain, the Netherlands, and the Holy Roman Empire. Louis agreed to recognize William of Orange as William III, king of England, and was forced to return most of the territory captured during the war. The Dutch received favorable trading terms with France and the right to hold certain fortresses in the Spanish Netherlands. See also King William's War.