Editing Four Days' Battle (section)

===War in 1665===
[[File:Bol, Michiel de Ruyter.jpg|thumb|right|[[Michiel de Ruyter]], commander of the Dutch navy.]]
The Second Anglo-Dutch War arose from an escalation of existing commercial tensions between England and the Netherlands in 1664, involving English provocations in North America and West Africa.<ref>Rommelse, p.73</ref> Although negotiations to avoid the outbreak of war took place throughout much of 1664, both sides refused to compromise on what they considered were their vital interests in these two areas and in Asia, and hostile acts by each side continued despite diplomatic efforts to avoid war.<ref>Rommelse, pp.95, 98-9</ref> [[Louis XIV of France]] was intent on conquering the [[Spanish Netherlands]] and had signed a defensive treaty with the Dutch in 1662, with the intention of dissuading other countries from intervening if France invaded the Habsburg territories there.<ref>Fox, pp.67-8</ref> The existence of this treaty strengthened the Dutch resolve not to make significant concessions, as [[Johan de Witt]] believed it would prevent England declaring war.<ref>Rommelse, pp.100-1</ref> [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] and his ministers hoped, firstly, to persuade Louis to repudiate the Dutch treaty and to replace it with an Anglo-French alliance, although such an arrangement would not assist Louis' plans for the Spanish Netherlands and, secondly, to strengthen English relations with Sweden and Denmark, both of which had significant fleets.<ref>Rommelse, pp.100, 108-9</ref> Although neither plan succeeded, Louis considered an Anglo-Dutch war unnecessary and likely to obstruct his plans to acquire Habsburg territory.,<ref>Rommelse, p.109</ref> Charles' ambassador in France reported the French opposed such a war and this gave Charles the hope that, if the Dutch could be provoked into declaring war, the French would evade their treaty obligations which only applied if the [[Dutch Republic]] were attacked, and refuse to be drawn into a naval war with England.<ref>Fox, pp.69, 136</ref> The war commenced with a declaration of war by the Dutch on 4 March 1665, following English attacks on two Dutch convoys off Cadiz and in the English Channel.<ref>Fox, pp.67-8</ref>

[[File:George Monck 1st Duke of Albemarle Studio of Lely.jpg|thumb|left|George Monck, commander of the English navy]]
De Witt also achieved the completion of many new warships, with twenty-one ordered during the early stages of the war to augment the existing fleet and sixty-four planned in 1664, including several large flotilla flagships comparable in armament to all but the largest English ones. These had been given greater constructional strength and a wider beam to support heavier guns. Although several of these ships had not been available to the Dutch fleet at the [[Battle of Lowestoft]], they had been completed and fitted out after it.<ref>Bruijn, pp. 64-6</ref> The Dutch fleet had been confident of victory when it sought out and fought the English fleet in the Battle of Lowestoft in June 1665, but it suffered the worst Dutch defeat in any of the three Anglo-Dutch wars, with at least sixteen ships lost, and one-third of its personnel killed or captured. De Witt quickly saw that men were critical, not materiel: he sought to deal with the insubordination, lack of discipline and apparent cowardice among captains by executing three and exiling and dismissing others.<ref>Fox, pp. 126-7</ref><ref>Jones, pp. 28-9</ref> De Witt also turned to de Ruyter, rather than [[Cornelis Tromp]] who had previously been given temporary command, to lead the Dutch fleet because of his seniority and political neutrality: de Ruyter assumed command on 18 August 1665 and he transferred his flag to the newly commissioned ''Zeven Provinciën'' on 6 May 1666.<ref>Van Foreest and Weber, pp. 1-2, 4</ref>

[[File:Peter Lely - Prince Rupert of the Rhine - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|right|Prince Rupert of the Rhine, commander of the English navy]]
Although the English had defeated the Dutch at Lowestoft, they failed to take full advantage of their victory. Despite the loss of ships and at least 5,000 men killed, wounded or captured, the escape of the bulk of the Dutch fleet frustrated the possibility of England ending the war with a single overwhelming victory.<ref>Fox, pp.99-100</ref> In another reverse to English hopes of an early and successful end to the war, the rich Dutch Spice Fleet managed to return home safely after defeating an English flotilla that attacked it at the [[Battle of Vågen]] in August 1665. The Dutch navy was enormously expanded through the largest building programme in its history.<ref>Fox, pp. 126-7</ref> In August 1665 the English fleet was again challenged, though no large battles resulted. In 1666, the English became anxious to destroy the Dutch navy completely before it could grow too strong and were desperate to end the activity of Dutch raiders which threatened the collapse of English maritime trade.

After Lowestoft, English warships and privateers blockading the three main entry and exit points where Dutch merchant shipping concentrated, namely the [[Marsdiep|Texel]], the [[Meuse|Maas river]] and off [[Zeeland]] temporarily paralysed Dutch overseas trade and weakened Dutch business confidence.<ref>Jones, p.19</ref> The existence of five admiralty colleges, each with its own policies on ship construction and armaments, each favouring its local commanders and with variable levels of efficiency, and the reluctance of [[Grand Pensionary]] [[Johan de Witt]] to appoint Orangist officers, all led to difficulty in creating a unified navy.<ref>Jones, pp. 20-1</ref>

At Lowestoft, the English Fleet was commanded by [[James II of England|James, Duke of York]], who was [[heir presumptive]] to his brother Charles II as well as [[Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom|Lord High Admiral of England]]. In view of the significant number of casualties among senior English officers and noble volunteers, including three killed next to the Duke, Charles insisted that his brother should no longer command at sea.<ref>Fox, pp.100-2</ref> The command of the English fleet was therefore entrusted jointly to [[Prince Rupert]], a cousin of Charles and James, and [[George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle|the Duke of Albemarle]].<ref>Fox, pp.116-7</ref>