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==Background==
The collapse of Spanish power at the end of the [[Thirty Years' War]] in [[1648]] meant that the colonial possessions of the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] and [[Spanish Empire]]s were effectively up for grabs. This brought the [[Commonwealth of England]] and the [[United Provinces]] of the Netherlands, former allies in the [[Eighty Years' War]], into conflict. The Dutch had the largest mercantile fleet of Europe, and a dominant position in European trade. They had annexed most of Portugal's territory in the [[East Indies]] giving them control over the enormously profitable trade in [[spice]]s. They were even gaining significant influence over England's maritime trade with her North American colonies, profiting from the turmoil that resulted from the [[English Civil War]]. The Dutch navy had been neglected though, while [[Cromwell]] had built a strong fleet.
==The first war, [[1652]]–[[1654]]==
''Main article:'' [[First Anglo-Dutch War]]
In order to protect its position in North America, in [[1651]] the [[Parliament]] of the [[Commonwealth of England]] passed the first of the [[Navigation Acts]], which mandated that all goods from her American colonies must be carried by English ships. In a period of growing [[mercantilism]] this was the spark that ignited the first Anglo-Dutch war,
The English were initially successful, Admiral [[Robert Blake (admiral)|Robert Blake]] defeating the Dutch Admiral [[Witte de With]] in the [[Battle of the Kentish Knock]] in [[1652]]. Believing that the war was all but over, the English divided their forces and in [[1653]] were routed by the fleet of Dutch Admiral [[Maarten Tromp]] at the [[Battle of Dungeness]] in the [[North Sea]]. The Dutch were also victorious at the [[Battle of Leghorn]] and had effective control of both the [[Mediterranean]] and the [[English Channel]]. Blake, recovering from an injury, rethought, together with Monck, the whole system of naval tactics, and in mid [[1653]] used the [[line of battle]] to drive the Dutch navy back to its ports in the battles of [[Battle of Portland|Portland]] and [[Battle of the Gabbard|the Gabbard]]. In the final [[Battle of Scheveningen]] on [[10 August]] [[1653]] Tromp was killed, a blow to Dutch morale,
The war ended on [[1654]]-[[04-05]] with the signing of the [[Treaty of Westminster (1654)|Treaty of Westminster]], but the commercial rivalry was not resolved, the British still having failed to replace he Dutch as the world's dominant trade nation.
==The second war, [[1665]]–[[1667]]==
''Main article:'' [[Second Anglo-Dutch War]]
After the [[Restauration]] [[Charles II]] tried to serve his dynastic interests by attempting to make [[William III of England|Prince William III of Orange]], the husband of his niece, [[stadtholder]] of The Republic, using some military pressure. This led to a surge of patriotism in England, the country being, as [[Samuel Pepys]] put it, "mad for war".
This war, provoked in [[1664]], witnessed quite a few significant
▲This war witnessed quite a few significant Dutch victories, such as the surrender of the ''Royal Prince'' in [[1666]] which was the subject of a famous painting by [[Willem van de Velde, the younger|Willem van de Velde]] and the burning of the English fleet whilst docked at [[Chatham, Kent|Chatham]] in June [[1667]] when a flotilla of ships led by [[Michiel de Ruyter|Admiral de Ruyter]] broke through the defensive chains guarding the [[Medway]] and wrought havoc on the anchored English ships.
==The third war, [[1672]]–[[1674]]==
''Main article:'' [[Third Anglo-Dutch War]]
Soon the English navy was rebuilt. After the embarassing events in the previous war, English public opinion was unenthusiastic about starting a new one though. Bound by the secret [[Treaty of Dover]] Charles II was however obliged to assist [[Louis XIV]] in his atttack on The Republic in the [[Dutch War]]. The French army being halted by [[inundation]]s, an attempt was made to invade The Republic by sea. De Ruyter, gaining four strategic victories against the Anglo-French fleet, prevented invasion. After these failures English parliament forced Charles to sign peace.
==The fourth war, [[1780]]–[[1784]]==
''Main article:'' [[Fourth Anglo-Dutch War]]
The [[Glorious Revolution]] of [[1688]] ended the conflict by placing [[William III of England|Prince William III of Orange]] on the English throne as co-ruler with his wife [[Mary I of England|Mary]]. Though this was in fact a military conflict between Great Britain and The Republic, William invading the British Isles with a Dutch fleet and army, it's never described as such as he had strong support in England and was partly serving the dynastic interests of his wife.
However, the [[regime change]] brought about the ultimate downfall of the Dutch Republic. The Dutch merchant elite immediately began to use [[London]] as a new operational base. Dutch economic growth slowed. William ordered that any Anglo-Dutch fleet be under British command, with the Dutch navy having 60% of the strength of the British. From about [[1720]] Dutch wealth declined. Around [[1780]] the per capita [[gross national product]] of the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] surpassed that of the Dutch Republic. Now the Dutch who in turn became prone to petty jealousy and began to support the American rebels. This led to the fourth war, and the loss of the alliance made the Dutch Republic fatally vulnerable to the French. Soon it would be subject to regime change itself.▼
The Dutch navy was by now only a shadow of its fomer self, so there were no large fleet battles. The English tried to reduce the Republic to the status of a British [[protectorate]], using [[Prussia]]n military pressure and gaining factual control over the Dutch colonies, those conquered during the war given back at war's end.
▲However, the [[regime change]] brought about the ultimate downfall of the Dutch Republic. The Dutch merchant elite immediately began to use [[London]] as a new operational base. Dutch economic growth slowed. From about [[1720]] Dutch wealth declined. Around [[1780]] the per capita [[gross national product]] of the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] surpassed that of the Dutch Republic. Now the Dutch who in turn became prone to petty jealousy and began to support the American rebels. This led to the fourth war, and the loss of the alliance made the Dutch Republic fatally vulnerable to the French. Soon it would be subject to regime change itself.
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