The Glory of Cambresis

In the Sixteenth century, Paris dominated France as the economic, social, and political center of all that happened in the Western world. For a brief moment, at the close of the Habsburg-Valois War, a small and virtually insignificant town snatched away the center stage; the final negotiations for peace would take place in Cambresis. Each power involved in the treaty wanted to see a quick end to the war, but not at their own expense. France and Spain, the superpowers of the negotiations, struggled to come out on top, but while their differences appeared to take precedence over all else, it was the English, looked down upon by both their allies and enemies, who had a major impact on the development of the treaty. A military victory in the war was virtually impossible; likewise, no victors emerged from the negotiations