AngloDutch

AngloDutch is a term used to describe the historical relations between England (later Great Britain) and the Dutch Republic (the United Provinces) and, more broadly, the competition and cooperation between these two major Atlantic powers in the early modern period. The phrase is most often associated with the series of naval conflicts known as the Anglo-Dutch Wars, but it also denotes the wider political, economic, and cultural interactions that shaped naval power, trade networks, and colonial rivalry in Europe and beyond.

The core of AngloDutch history lies in maritime competition during the 17th century. The English state sought to challenge Dutch dominance in shipping and finance, while the Dutch Republic pressed its own mercantile and colonial interests. The conflicts typically are counted as four wars: the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652–1654), concluded by the Treaty of Westminster in 1654; the Second (1665–1667), ended by the Treaty of Breda in 1667; the Third (1672–1674), concluded by the Treaty of Westminster in 1674; and a later Fourth War (1780–1784) that ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1784. Key episodes included major naval battles, the Raid on the Medway, and shifts in control over sea lanes and overseas colonies.

Beyond warfare, AngloDutch relations influenced global trade, finance, and diplomacy. The Dutch Republic and England competed for colonial possessions in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, while also engaging in periods of trade agreement and alliance. The era laid groundwork for subsequent British naval supremacy and lasting patterns of Anglo-Dutch political and economic interaction that persisted into the modern era.