Auld Alliance

The Auld Alliance ( scots for "Old Covenant " ) was an alliance between Scotland and France.

It will probably go back to William I the Lion until 1165; the first written testimony is, however, only the treaty, which was signed on October 23, 1295 IV to the reign of John Balliol and the French King Philip in Paris.

Therein, the defensive alliance between the two countries was fixed against England. So, if one of the countries attacked by England, the other would enter the war against England.

The Auld Alliance was indeed conceived as a military alliance, but also had a large impact on many other areas of life of the two nations. For example, the residents enjoyed citizenship of each partner, and especially in Scotland, language, architecture, and even the cuisine of France were affected.

Since the renewal of the contract by Robert Bruce in 1326 the agreement reached six times, including:

1560, the Auld Alliance was officially ended by the Treaty of Edinburgh, as Scotland was reformed by John Knox and now wanted to lean against the back also Protestant England.

Never-theless a number of provisions, such as the mutual citizenship until 1903 in force. Even today, therefore, about one-fifth of all Scottish Automobile has a sticker Ecosse on the trunk lid. This French term of Scotland is still reminiscent of this old alliance.