in France and northern Italy between 1693 and 1695, widespread famine was caused, with Piedmont being one of the worst affected areas. In October 1693, Savoy suffered a second defeat at Marsaglia, which had little strategic impact but showed decisive victory over France remained elusive after three years of war. In late 1694, Emperor Leopold I, a Habsburg, informed Victor Amadeus that his primary objective for 1695 was Casale, which he claimed as an Imperial possession. Replacing the French garrison with an Imperial one would not benefit Savoy. Draft peace terms presented by France to the Allies in November 1694 made no mention of Pinerolo. When asked for clarification, French diplomats stated that they had no intention of relinquishing it. That was almost certainly a ploy by Louis, who wanted to divide the Allies, but it implied that Savoy might lose both of its key objectives. The lack of firm guarantees from Leopold made Victor Amadeus step up the informal talks that had begun in 1693. France secretly agreed to surrender Casale to Savoy if its defences were destroyed. After a token resistance, Casale capitulated in early July, and Victor Amadeus took possession. The Allies were increasingly suspicious but agreed to besiege Pinerolo. To preserve secrecy, the treaty negotiations were conducted by the French commander at Pinerolo, the Comte de Tessé, for Louis XIV and Savoy's senior diplomat, Carlo Giuseppe Vittorio Carron, Marquis de St-Thomas. Provisions All Savoyard territories occupied by France would be returned, including Pinerolo after its fortifications had been destroyed, and Savoyard Protestants would be prevented from supporting French Camisard rebels. Victor Amadeus's longstime French-born mistress, Jeanne Baptiste d'Albert de Luynes, helped broker the marriage of his eldest daughter, Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, to Louis's grandson, the Duke of Burgundy. That increased Savoy's status within Europe, and a series of deaths in the French Royal Family meant that Marie Adélaïde's younger son would succeed his great-grandfather in 1715 as Louis XV. Terms were finally agreed by the end of June, but the treaty was signed only on 29 August to allow Bavaria, Brandenburg-Prussia and Spain to withdraw their contingents from the forces outside Pinerolo. Aftermath The most controversial clause and the one that caused the most damage to Savoy's reputation was an agreement to help France compel its former Allies to agree a truce. In September 1696, a combined Savoyard-French army besieged Valenza, then part of the