In 1667 the Dutch strike the docked Royal Navy fleet in the “Raid on Medway” During the second Anglo-Dutch War.
The First Anglo-Dutch war began over domination of trade roots throughout the world. The English wanted to increase its global trade but the Dutch had superior control of the seas. As a result of raids on Dutch Ships by the English, war broke out between the Commonwealth of England (when England briefly became a republic under Oliver Cromwell) and the United Provinces of the Netherlands. The First Anglo-Dutch War began on the 8th of July 1652 when England declared war on the Netherlands and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Westminster on the 15th of April 1654. The First War was a victory to the English, finally giving them control of the sea around England and control of trade to their colonies.
After the Death of Oliver Cromwell on the 3rd of September 1658, and the failed Successive leadership of his son Richard, Charles II was invited to return to England and Claim the throne of the United Kingdom once more. Charles returned to the throne on the 29th of May 1660 and hostilities between the Dutch and Britain grew once more. By the 4th of March 1665 War broke out once more and while the Dutch had created a new fleet supported by new trade roots the British were under much more financial constraints. In 1665 the Great Plague of London took a massive toll on the war effort and killed 100,000 Londoners. Further to this on the 2nd of September 1666 the “Great Fire of London” broke out and raged for three days. This again took a huge financial toll on the UK and led to the majority of the Capitals residents being made homeless.
Victory of the first conflict of the second Anglo-Dutch war went to Britain in the Battle of Lowestoft on the 13th of June 1665 but Britain could not keep up with the Dutch production of Ships and their fleet kept growing. On the 1st of June 1666 the “Four Day Battle began and by the 4th the Dutch had set up a blockade of the Thames Estuary, trapping the Royal Navy inside. By the 25th of July 1666 the Royal Navy broke through the blockade in the Battle of North Foreland. Soon a year of peace and negotiations began which was drawn out by both sides attempting to broker a better deal. Finally on the 9th of June 1667 a Dutch fleet sailed up the Thames destroying the Royal Navy’s main Fleet as it was docked in Chatham. 13 British ships were destroyed and two, HMS Unity and HMS Royal Charles were captured by the Dutch. The defeat led to more favourable terms for the Dutch in the Treaty of Breda and was the worst defeat the Royal Navy had suffered.
The Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672-1674) was part of a larger European War. England made peace with the Dutch in the Treaty of Westminster on the 19th of February 1674.
The Fourth and Final Anglo-Dutch War (1780–1784) was over a hundred years later which had been peaceful between the two nations. The War began over British objections to the Dutch trading with the American colonies during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Britain declared war on the 20th of December 1780 and quickly took possession of Dutch possessions in the West-Indies. By the end of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War the Netherlands ceased to be a World Power.
