How did Henry IV help bring about the Twelve Years’ Truce in 1609?

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Henry IV Henry IV, undated copperplate engraving.

Henry IV of France played a pivotal role in the conclusion of the Twelve Years’ Truce in 1609 by acting as a mediator between Spain and the United Provinces of the Netherlands.1

This diplomatic intervention was part of a broader foreign policy strategy employed by Henry IV to diminish Spanish influence in Europe. By facilitating this agreement, he helped bring a temporary end to the hostilities between the Spanish crown and the Dutch provinces, which had been engaged in a long-standing struggle for independence.12