First Anglo-Dutch War

The First Anglo-Dutch War, also called the First Dutch War, was a naval conflict between the Commonwealth of England and the Dutch Republic, fought from 1652 to 1654. It arose largely from trade disputes and began with English attacks on Dutch merchant shipping before growing into large fleet actions. England won a series of victories in 1652 and 1653 but could not blockade Dutch trade, although English privateers did serious damage to Dutch merchant shipping. The resulting economic strain led to the Treaty of Westminster in 1654, in which the Dutch made minor concessions and both sides agreed to exclude the House of Orange from the office of Stadtholder. The underlying commercial rivalry went unresolved, and Dutch objections to the Navigation Acts together with English concern over Dutch trading practices led to the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1665.