Treaty on the Establishment of Peace throughout Christendom
Encyclopedia
The Tractatus pacis toti Christianitati fiendae, or Treaty on the Establishment of Peace throughout Christendom, was the unsuccessful project of universal peace initiated by King George
of Bohemia
in the 15th century. For its realization, serious diplomatic negotiations took place among European states in the years 1462-1464. The project abandoned the mediaeval idea of a universal empire headed by the Emperor Frederick III
and the Pope
for the concept, up to that time unknown, of a permanent union of independent and equal European states. The plan of King George of Poděbrady was proposed in the form of a multilateral agreement
; this differed from conventional international instruments of the Middle Ages
, which in general remained bilateral. The Project in determining the contractual terms of this agreement would have bound together the parties at issue with similar rights and responsibilities for the achieving of common goals. All this gives reason to assert that the Treaty on the Establishment of Peace throughout Christendom was the first multilateral treaty to have been closest in design to modern ones.
George of Podebrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady , also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad , was King of Bohemia...
of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
in the 15th century. For its realization, serious diplomatic negotiations took place among European states in the years 1462-1464. The project abandoned the mediaeval idea of a universal empire headed by the Emperor Frederick III
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
and the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
for the concept, up to that time unknown, of a permanent union of independent and equal European states. The plan of King George of Poděbrady was proposed in the form of a multilateral agreement
Multilateral treaty
A multilateral treaty is a treaty to which three or more sovereign states are parties. Each party owes the same obligations to all other parties, except to the extent that they have stated reservations...
; this differed from conventional international instruments of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, which in general remained bilateral. The Project in determining the contractual terms of this agreement would have bound together the parties at issue with similar rights and responsibilities for the achieving of common goals. All this gives reason to assert that the Treaty on the Establishment of Peace throughout Christendom was the first multilateral treaty to have been closest in design to modern ones.