Second Anglo-Dutch War
| Second Anglo-Dutch War | |||||||||
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| Part of the Anglo-Dutch Wars | |||||||||
The Four Days' Battle, 1–4 June 1666, by Abraham Storck | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Von Galen | |||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 37,000 soldiers killed in action (English and Dutch) | |||||||||
The Second Anglo-Dutch War began on 4 March 1665 and concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Breda on 31 July 1667. It was one in a series of naval wars between England and the Dutch Republic, driven largely by commercial disputes.
Despite several major battles, neither side was able to score a decisive victory, and by the end of 1666 the war had reached stalemate. Peace talks made little progress until the Dutch Raid on the Medway in June 1667 forced Charles II to agree to the Treaty of Breda.
By eliminating a number of long-standing issues, the terms eventually made it possible for England and the Dutch Republic to unite against the expansionist policies pursued by Louis XIV of France. In the short-term however, Charles's desire to avenge this setback led to the Third Anglo-Dutch War in 1672.