Third Anglo Dutch War (1672-1674)
(Source: The United States and World Sea Power. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1955. )

Ironically, the Third Anglo-Dutch War was waged against the Dutch William of Orange - later King of England. The lord high admiral of England in the Second and Third Dutch wars was none other than James II, brother (Duke of York during the Wars) and eventual successor to Charles II. Although his reputation as King is poor, James was an effective administrator as high admiral. It was his interest that led to the taking of New Amsterdam in 1664 (hence its renaming in his honor).

With mutual interest in war with the Netherlands, the French and English signed the Treaty of Dover in 1670. In 1672 the British Navy supported the French invasion of the Dutch Republic. Although the French took several provinces, the Dutch opened the dikes around Amsterdam creating a "water Line," behind which William III of Orange rallied his troops.

There were four main battles of the Third Anglo-Dutch War. In all four de Ruyter proved his skills as a master seaman, saving his country from invasion and breaking attempts at blockade. The first battle was the Battle of Sole Bay. Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich, was killed during the Battle.) Two other battles were inconclusive, but in August 1673 at the Battle of the Texel, (Dutch) (Slag bij Kijkduin) Ruyter defeated Prince Rupert. (De Ruyter also defeated the French at Ostend Slagen bij Schooneveldt (1672). In 1673 the Spanish allied with the Netherlands and by the end of the year the French were out of the Netherlands. In 1674 the British signed the Treaty of Westminster with the Dutch.

As an afterward, James, Duke of York, became James II of England in 1685. In 1688 he was forced to abdicate and William of Orange, the husband of Mary (who was James II's daughter by his first wife), became King. William ruled both the Britain and the Netherlands until his death in 1702. William and Mary died without issue. John William Friso, a distant relative of William of Orange, succeeded William in the Netherlands, and Mary's sister Anne became Queen of England.

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