In 1709, a French diplomat at a dinner in the Hague realised that the peace negotiations he was attending were about to collapse. His solution was to extend the meal for as long as physically possible.

The Diplomat Who Stopped a War by Eating Dinner Very Slowly

9 April 2026

The War of the Spanish Succession was one of the most destructive conflicts of the early eighteenth century. By 1709, all parties were exhausted and a negotiated peace seemed within reach. Then, in a single afternoon at a dinner table in the Hague, the negotiations nearly fell apart over a point of protocol so arcane that most of the delegates didn't fully understand it.

The French diplomat at the centre of this episode understood exactly what was happening. He ordered more courses. He engaged in extended toasts. He told long stories. He asked questions that required lengthy answers. He kept the table occupied for nearly six hours beyond the expected end of the meal.

What we discuss

The state of the War of the Spanish Succession by 1709. What the specific protocol dispute was about. How early eighteenth century diplomatic dinners functioned as political spaces. The Treaty of Utrecht and how the war finally ended.