Luxembourg may be one of Europe’s smallest countries today, but it wasn’t always so little. From 1659 to 1839, Luxembourg was shaped by powerful neighbours: France, Prussia, and Belgium. The Treaty of the Pyrenees concluded the long-running Franco‑Spanish War and marked the rise of France as a dominant European power. Spain gave up key fortresses like Montmédy, Stenay, and Thionville to France after this treaty. Luxembourg lost roughly 1,060 km², or 10% of its territory, too.