BRITISH PROTECTIONIST POLICY SPARKED ANGRO DUTCH WAR
BRITISH PROTECTIONIST POLICY TO WA
ANGLO DUTCH WAR
This aim at examining how did the british protectionist policies spark Anglo-Dutch war,by explaining the meaning of the war and explaining how and why the war occurred and what is the effects of those war in both two rival nations.And also, protectionist policies which applied by British in order to protect her interest against the foreign competition in the world economy as follows;
Anglo-Dutch war, traditionally seen as mercantile confrontations which aim to explore the relationship between Anglo-Dutch mercantile competition and diplomatic relations in the period 1650 to 1674.between 1652 and 1674 England and United Provinces fought three blood wars against each other,large and powerful fleets with thousands of sailors and soldiers clashed on the North Sea and in the English Channel.Contemporary observers perceived these naval confrotations as the ultimate showdown between the two greatest marine powers of Europe.The battle left a clear mark on public and political memory.
The first war fought between 1652 to 1654 and the second battle of 1665 to 1667 most historians termed as the result of commercial and maritime rivary.Traders and merchants of both competed to defend and improve the economic interest.Wilson argued this reasons.He tried to intergret economic,political,and naval history are the most reason to the battles existance.Also JONES,(1996),neglected political and diplomatic process that preceded the actual outbreak of those two war and also the third battle of 1772 to 1774.also Seaward reached a similar as JONES argued.
And the last war series fought in 1780 up 1784.which is influenced by the Dutch support of 13 colonies against the British crown in Americas.British reacted against,Thus the war broke out.The ocurrance of those Anglo-Dutch conflicts intensified by different reasons mainly, the protectionism policies which undertaken by the English kings like Olivier Cromwell,King William II and William III.
O.SIMEON tried to explain The British Protectionist Policies, as an ideology that is capable of shaping popular understanding of the economy and political culture originated in Britain.the system introduced to defend the domestic markets of Britain against the foreign competition,also to defend the Britain economic interest in the colonies especially America and the entire Europe in 1650s.
In generally The British Protectionism defined as an economic system or policy which mainly defend the domestic/local markets and inverstors from foreign competition which began in Britain in 15th centuryan also to defend economic interest in abroad.it is implemented by tarrifs imposition,quotas and also laws.most of the policies were The Navigation Act of 1651,The Stample Act of 1663.These protectionist policies of Britain sparked/contributed in the existence of the Anglo-Dutch wars as follows;
The policies of Navigation Act of 1651;according to Rommelse,(2010).The Act of 1651,which provided by the English parliament under Olivier Cromwell after the convincing from Merchants.The Act stated that All goods imported into the commonwealth should be carried by using the English ships or vessels from the country of origin of products,also transportation of goods from any part of the commonwealth to another should also carried by the English ships.And all violations of these act would be punished by the confiscation and seizure of goods and ship.this law obvious meant to harm Dutch maritime supremacy,as Dutch possessed majority share in European shipping.this facilitated the damaging of Dutch maritime trade.In response to the protest against the law,Dutch waged a war with Britain to protect her economic position.Thus,the 1652 to 1654 war exist and they defeated by their ships to be taken by Britain.
The introduction of The Staple Act of 1663;All goods from English colonies first had to be shipped to an English harbour on English merchantmen before they could be re-exported to Europe.All European export to the American colonies should then be shipped via British and on British vessels.In such away many Dutch vessels were arrested and taken to English ports for violating the Act.English were also caught in the crossfire between Dutch military and naval against Portuguese in Asia.and in 1664 King Charles II(English King) ordered Thomas Allin (Commander) attacking Dutch fleet from Smyrana.This was the straw that Dutch came back and the States General decleared the war in January 1665.Hence,the war 1665-1667.
It led to signing of Secret Treaty of Dover in 1670;In order to protect the British economic interest England and France signed the secret treaty of Dover in 1670.Both states agreed to crush the Dutch between them, in support the latters claim to lands in region of the Southern Netherlands. King Charles II pledged the English navy to invade the Dutch Republic by sea as French armes invaded by land and Dutch reacted against the invasion of their rival.The Dutch successfully repelled English attempts by sea,damaging many ships in English ships.
The policies created the revenge motives of dutch to Britain;After the Dutch successful invasion of Britain and placing King William III on the English throne after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to 1689.After becoming a British Mornarchy,King Wlliam III granted previllages to the British loyal navis.This made British to become the dominant in Military and economic force,such situation created a jelous to their rival Dutch.In the late 18th century,Dutch began to support 13 colonies in Americas against the British crown which was the the basis of English economic interest.as a revengefully after the previous battles,this made the Britain to react against and wage a war with Dutch in 1780s.thus the war of 1780 to 1784,
The policies contributed to the establishment of the ship patrol;In order to maintain the implementation of the Navigation Act and other interest,British ships started the patrol in the sea especially in Mediteranian sea,to capture and confiscate the other ship.This led to thousands of Dutch ships to be taken England,The Dutch maritime trade damaged.In response to that Dutch soldiers allocated in some Island like in dover to countercheck.thus made those two arrival to inter into confrontation,Dutch wanted to protect her trade.the situation led to the war of 1665 and 1667.
The Dutch refuses to acknowledge English maritime sovereignty; Claydon,argued that the competition over trade,industry and shipping was an important underlying source of tension.also Israel criticized Jones and Pincus for failing to aknowledge the important of commercial and maritime.After the Navigation of Olivier Cromwell of 1651 and the restoration of Act of 1663 to be disregarded by Dutch because seemed as the poison In Dutch maritime trade and fear to loose their ship.such situation raised the tension of the third war of 1772 to 1774.so the war break away.
Conclusively,The Protectionism seemed as the catalyist of the Anglo-Dutch war.according to historians after The Treaaty of Breda,most of the commercial and maritime disputes had been solved because both nations gained from this agreement.Historians like Ormorad says,this mercantilist legislation ultimately paved the way for Britsh economic primacy in the longrun ,the Dutch was ineffective and its political structure too decentralized to permit effective countermeasures.
REFERENCES
Rommelse.G.A,(2010),The role of mercantilism in Anglo-Dutch Political Relation,1650-16774.Published by WILLEY ON BEHALF OF THE ECONOMIC HISTORY SOCIETY
Rommelse.G.A.,The Second Anglo-Dutch war.Raisond de tat,mercantilism and maritime strife(Hilversum,2006)
Simeon,O, THE British protectionism through ages
Clydon,T,Europe and The Making of England,1660-1760(Cambridge,2007)
Ormrod,D,The rise of commercial empires.England and Netherland in the age of Mercantilism,1660-1700(Cambrige,2003)
Jones,J.R.,The Anglo-Dutch wars of seventeenth century(New York, 1996)
Seward,P.C.,The Cavalier Parliament and the reconstruction of the old regime,1661-1667,(Cambridge,1989).
