Treaty of London (1518)

In the 15th century, peace was established for 50 years in the Italian Peninsula, which was divided into many small city-states. Only the small War of Ferrara between the Republic of Venice and the Papal States for the control of Ferrara caused a temporary lapse in the peace. The mostly-peaceful period came to an end with the French invasion of 1494. A succession of small wars followed, and in 1518, the political possibilities of a peace treaty seemed a realisation. ==Terms==

All countries in Europe were invited to London, excluding the Grand Principality of Moscow and the Ottoman Empire. The treaty hoped to bind the 20 leading states of Europe into peace with one another and thus end warfare between the states of Europe. ==Legacy ==

The peace the treaty brought was very brief. Wars broke out in a few years, including wars between Denmark and Sweden and also an alliance of England and Spain against France. The peace movement, however, continued for next centuries and became part of the Enlightenment movement in the 18th century. Some historians have been skeptical that the signatories of the treaty genuinely intended to comply with the commitments of the treaty, while other historians have argued that there was a genuine sense of Christian unity at the time and a common sense of threat posed by the Ottoman Empire. ==See also==