Editing Third Anglo-Dutch War (section)

== Background ==
[[File:King Charles II (Lely).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|[[Charles II of England]]; the war was driven by his desire for the French subsidies that offered financial freedom from Parliament.]]

The 1652–1654 [[First Anglo-Dutch War]] was the result of commercial rivalry and [[Orangism (Dutch Republic)|Orangist]] support for the exiled [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], uncle of [[William III of England|William of Orange]]. [[Treaty of Westminster (1654)|Peace terms]] agreed in 1654 with the [[The Protectorate|English Protectorate]] included the permanent [[Act of Seclusion|exclusion]] of the [[House of Orange-Nassau]] from public office, ensuring Republican political control. When Charles [[Restoration (England)|regained the English throne]] in 1660, his Orangist links meant [[Grand Pensionary]] [[Johan de Witt]] opposed negotiations for an Anglo-Dutch alliance; after these broke down, he agreed a treaty of assistance with [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]] in 1662.<ref>{{cite web |title=The first stadtholderless period |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Netherlands/The-first-stadtholderless-period#ref414091 |website=Britannica.com |access-date=29 September 2019}}.</ref>

Despite their long-standing support in the Dutch [[Eighty Years' War]] against [[Habsburg Spain|Spain]], French objectives in the [[Low Countries]] threatened Dutch commercial interests. The 1648 [[Peace of Münster]] permanently closed the [[Scheldt]] estuary, benefiting De Witt's power base of [[Amsterdam]] by eliminating their closest rival, [[Antwerp]], and keeping it shut was a vital objective. Changes in this region also concerned England, since control of ports on the [[Flanders|North Flemish coast]] allowed a hostile power to blockade the [[English Channel|Channel]].{{sfn|Israel|1990|pp=197–199}}

In 1665, an attack by [[James II of England|the Duke of York]] on the [[West-Indische Compagnie]] led to the [[Second Anglo-Dutch War]]; in the first 18 months, the Dutch suffered a serious naval defeat at [[Battle of Lowestoft|Lowestoft]], an invasion by [[Prince-Bishopric of Münster|Münster]] and an attempted Orangist coup, both financed by England. The prospect of an English victory led Louis to activate the 1662 treaty, although the Dutch considered the support provided inadequate. When the [[States of Holland and West Friesland|States of Holland]] blocked his requests for territorial compensation, Louis launched the [[War of Devolution]] in May 1667 and rapidly occupied much of the [[Spanish Netherlands]] and [[Franche-Comté]].{{sfn|Geyl|1936|p=311}}

His refusal to recall [[Parliament of England|Parliament]] forced Charles to pay off his fleet in early 1667, leading to the humiliating [[Raid on the Medway]].{{sfn|Troost|2005|p=70}} Despite this triumph, the Dutch were more worried by French gains; they [[Treaty of Breda (1667)|quickly negotiated an end to the war]] in July 1667, then started talks in London on a shared approach for reversing them. Sensing an opportunity, Charles proposed an alliance to Louis, who was unwilling to pay the subsidies demanded; however, De Witt welcomed English envoys to [[The Hague]], seeing it as a way to put pressure on France.{{sfn|Rowen|1954|pp=5–6}}

French tariffs on imports imposed in early 1667 increased opposition in the [[States General of the Netherlands|States General]], who preferred a weak Spain as a neighbour to a strong France. On 23 January 1668, the Republic, England and [[Swedish Empire|Sweden]] signed the [[Triple Alliance (1668)|Triple Alliance]], committing to mutual support in the event of an attack on one by France or Spain. A secret clause agreed to provide Spain military assistance if France continued the war. Charles disclosed the secret clause to Louis, who felt betrayed by the Dutch.{{sfn|Troost|2001|p=70}} Louis returned most of his acquisitions in the 1668 [[Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668)|Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle]], although he retained [[Charleroi]] and [[Tournai]].{{sfn|Rowen|1954|pp=8–10}}

Concluding the Dutch would never voluntarily accept French aims in the Spanish Netherlands, Louis decided the best way to achieve them was to eliminate the Republic.{{sfn|Lesaffer}} This meant breaking up the Triple Alliance; since the subsidies promised by the Dutch remained unpaid, it was easy to detach Sweden by offering money, making England his next target. The French and English kings negotiated the 1670 [[Secret Treaty of Dover]], using [[Henrietta of England]] as a mediator, Charles' sister and Louis' sister in law. Very few English statesmen were aware of its provisions.{{sfn|Hutton|1986|p=301}}

[[File:Dutch Attack on the Medway, June 1667 van Soest RMG BHC0295.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The 1667 [[Raid on the Medway]] severely damaged Charles' prestige]]

Terms included an Anglo-French military alliance against the Republic, creation of a Dutch [[rump state]] for his nephew William and a British [[brigade]] for the French army.{{sfn|Lynn|1996|pp=109–110}} The treaty was signed in December 1670, but omitted secret clauses not revealed until 1677; Louis agreed to pay Charles £230,000 per year for the brigade, £1 million for the navy and £200,000 for his public conversion to Catholicism, the timing of which was left up to him.{{sfn|Kenyon|1993|pp=67–68}} Aware Louis was negotiating with De Witt over dividing the Spanish Netherlands, Charles demanded [[Walcheren]], [[Cadzand]] and [[Sluys]], whose possession would give him control of Dutch sea routes.{{sfn|Hutton|1986|p=302}}

National tensions between England and the Republic significantly diminished after 1667, and there was minimal support for an anti-Dutch alliance with France. Exchanging the Dutch colony of [[New Amsterdam]] for the spice island of [[Run (island)|Run]] resolved a major area of dispute, while both were concerned by French aims in the Low Countries, and English merchants were also affected by French tariffs.{{sfn|Boxer|1969|p=70}} Most Dutch and English politicians considered the Triple Alliance an essential protection against French expansion; in early 1671, Parliament allocated money to ensure the Royal Navy could fulfil its obligations under the treaty.{{sfn|Boxer|1969|p=71}}