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Ottoman Algeria in Western Diplomatic History with ... - Bibliothèque

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these treaties survived for more than two hundred years as was the case of<br />

treaties <strong>with</strong> France, the Netherlands, and England.<br />

The history of those relations is rather long and complex. The material<br />

abounds and the diplomatic documents and treaties are scattered <strong>in</strong> diverse<br />

records of the European states; only a targeted research can reveal them. Yet,<br />

one may attempt to br<strong>in</strong>g some light on the two centuries-long diplomatic<br />

tradition of Algiers. This is essential to the understand<strong>in</strong>g of later events that<br />

affected its history <strong>in</strong> general and diplomatic relations particularly. By<br />

consider<strong>in</strong>g the development of diplomatic relations between the Regency of<br />

Algiers and few of the most important European states, one hopes to gather the<br />

different <strong>in</strong>gredients that took shape throughout centuries of Muslim-Christian<br />

<strong>in</strong>teractions. By the time the United States entered the arena of <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />

relations, the foundations of <strong>in</strong>ternational relations had already been laid down<br />

and the different powers were act<strong>in</strong>g accord<strong>in</strong>g to a complex set of laws and<br />

custom that was established hundreds of years earlier.<br />

1. The <strong>Diplomatic</strong> Context of Corsair<strong>in</strong>g<br />

1. 1. The Background: Impact of European Peace on Algiers<br />

At the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of the 17 th century, warr<strong>in</strong>g Europe entered <strong>in</strong>to peace<br />

treaties that put an end to <strong>in</strong>ter-European religious and dynastic wars but also<br />

ceased hostilities <strong>with</strong> the <strong>Ottoman</strong> Empire. At the turn of the century, Spa<strong>in</strong><br />

concluded peace <strong>with</strong> France (1598), England (1604), and the Netherlands<br />

(1609); the <strong>Ottoman</strong> Empire achieved peace <strong>with</strong> Austria (1606) and the<br />

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