1 ANGLO-DUTCH RELATIONS A Political and Diplomatic Analysis of the years 1625-1642

243 Pages·2013·2.07 MB·English

by  Mr Poot

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ANGLO-DUTCH RELATIONS

A Political and Diplomatic Analysis of the years 1625-1642

’’Nations have no permanent friends or allies,
they only have permanent interests’’

Lord Palmerston
Britain’s Prime Minister
1855 and 1859-65

Anton Poot, M.A.

Royal Holloway
University of London

March 2013

Supervised by Professor Pauline Croft, MA (Oxon) DPhil. FSA FRHistS, to be submitted in
fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Declaration:

I hereby declare that the work presented in this thesis,

ANGLO-DUTCH RELATIONS
A Political and Diplomatic Analysis of the years 1625-1642

is my own.

Signed:

Name: Anton Poot

Date: 2013
For my wife Jesmond
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ABSTRACT

The aim of this thesis is to analyse Anglo-Dutch relations in this highly volatile
period, as perceived and interpreted by both sides, and it also closes the gap
between the notable theses of Grayson1 and Groenveld2. On 23 August 1625
Charles I and the Dutch Republic concluded a partnership agreement for joint
warfare at sea and a month later a treaty for war against Spain. In December
1625 England, Denmark and the Republic signed treaties to establish the nucleus
of an alliance against the Austrian Habsburgs. Charles wanted an active role in
continental politics. Also to compel Spain to support his aim to restore his exiled
sister Elizabeth and husband Count Elector Frederick V to their Palatinate
estates and Frederick to his Electoral dignities in the Empire. The Dutch wanted
England as an active partner in their war with Spain. It was a partnership of
convenience, with different objectives but with the intention that success would
serve the interests of both. The perceptions of the partnership were also different.
Charles saw it as a continuation from Dutch dependence on England in 1585 but
in 1625 the Dutch saw themselves as strong enough on land and sea to withstand
mighty Spain. However, their objective to have their sovereignty internationally
acknowledged contrasted with Charles’ wider foreign policy objectives.
The successful diplomacy of the first nine months was followed by a premature
Anglo-Dutch attack on Spain at Cadiz which met with defeat; it remained
England’s only military action against Spain. In 1627 England went to war with
France in support of the Huguenots but had to withdraw. After the Cadiz
expedition Charles expected the Dutch to join the Danes at war in the Empire
and his own war against France, an atavistic notion that the Dutch in some vague
sense were indebted to the English crown and would serve English interests.

1 John Christopher Grayson, From Protectorate to Partnership – Anglo-Dutch relations 1598-1625,
Ph.D. Thesis, University College (not published) (London 1978). Hereafter, Grayson, Protectorate to
Partnership.
2 S. Groenveld, Verlopend Getij – De Nederlandse Republiek en de Engelse Burgeroorlog 1640-1646.
Ph.D. Thesis, Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (Dieren 1984) (Changing Tide – The Netherlands Republic and
the English Civil War (1640-1646). Hereafter, Groenveld, Verlopend Getij.
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The Anglo-Spanish peace treaty of 1630 removed any misunderstanding. Part of
the treaty was that in return for Spain’s subsidies and support for the restitution
of the Palatinate, England would persuade the Dutch to end their war and in a
secret treaty, if necessary, by force; the latter was clearly an English negotiating
ploy. Charles’ foreign policies were governed by insularity, dynastic interests and
by his deep rooted concepts of family honour and reputation. He hoped to satisfy
his interests with the Republic’s acquiescence and by co-operations with others,
Spain or France and finally again with Spain.
Persuading the Dutch was concentrated on the North Sea area. It started with the
English navy ensuring the neutrality of the narrow seas, putting pressure on the
Dutch who could not attack Spain’s military supply lines when they were
protected by neutral English ships. This was extended by returning to unsolved
matters of previous reigns and ongoing trade rivalry, maritime and fisheries
issues and Charles’ claim to sovereignty of the surrounding seas; extending his
dominion to the opposite shores, to the entrances and exits of the Republic’s
ports, the Southern Netherlands and France.
Matters came to a head when Spain sent a new fleet to attack the Republic. It was
defeated by the Dutch in the battle of the Downs, despite the English navy’s
threat to intervene. This battle was the catalyst needed to expose the always
unlikely assumption that Spain and England could serve each other’s interests.
Both faced compelling domestic issues; England with the Scottish war and Spain
with an uprising of Catalans and Portuguese. After Charles’ last attempts to
come to an alliance with either Spain or France failed in 1640, the political
Anglo-Dutch relations started to change. In February 1641 Charles told the
House of Lords that a confederation with the Republic would be as useful as with
any of his neighbours; the process to heal the Anglo-Dutch relations began. The
first steps were the marriage on 2/12 May 1641 in London of Charles’ eldest
daughter Mary with William II, Prince of Orange , and discussions commenced
for a mutual defence treaty to replace the expired Treaty of Southampton. No
longer were the Dutch the petitioning side; the tide was changing, it marked the
beginning of the next phase of Anglo-Dutch political and diplomatic relations.
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TABLE of CONTENTS

Abstract 2-3
Table of contents 4-5
Acknowledgements 6
Sources 7-8
Conventions and Abbreviations 9
Introduction 10-12
Chapter One - Anglo-Dutch relations 1585-1625 13-27
Summary of the developments of Anglo-Dutch political and diplomatic
relations during the forty years preceding the period of this thesis
providing the background for the developments between 1625 and 1642.

Chapter Two – Politics, Diplomacy and Treaties 28-52
Political treaties and changing objectives. The Republic’s return to
offensive strategies. Triple Alliance treaties linking England, Denmark and
the Republic. English and Dutch interests diverge.

Chapter Three – The La Rochelle affair and political consequences 53-74
New policies and changing relationships. The reactions in England and
the Republic about La Rochelle. Anglo-French relations strained and
the Treaty of Southampton inactive. Political re-alignment of England,
the Republic and France. The end of English membership of the Republic’s
Council of State.

Chapter Four–Changing policies and Partnership 75-98
Anglo-Dutch political and diplomatic relations re-defined. England and
France at war with the Republic neutral. Anglo-Dutch relations under
increasing strain. The ending of three fruitless wars.

Chapter Five – The end of the Anglo-Dutch partnership 99-124
English and Dutch interests in conflict. England’s foreign politics with
separate Dutch policies. War weariness and searches for Dutch-Spanish
peace. The Republic between conflicting interests of England and France.
Political and strategic adjustments with enduring national interests.

Chapter Six – Revision of Anglo-Spanish and Anglo-Dutch relations 125-154
English and Dutch interests move further apart. From partnership to
diverging national interests. The Amboyna incident augmented by earlier
Anglo-Dutch trading issues. Revolt in the Southern Provinces and new
Dutch-Spanish peace negotiations.
Transcript of manuscript TNA, SP 84/147 f.213, Secretary Sir John Coke’s
letter of 1633 to England’s Resident/Representative Sir William Boswell in
The Hague.
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TABLE of CONTENTS

Chapter Seven – Dutch-French offensive-defensive treaty in 1635 155-178
From Anglo-Dutch alliance to French-Dutch alliance. Strenghtening the
English navy. The Freedom of the Seas, Mare Liberum – Mare Clausum.
Preparations for conflict and new negotiations for peace.

Chapter Eight – Negotiations, Treaties and National interests 179-202
Anglo-Dutch relations in the balance. England and the Republic,
confrontation or conciliation. England’s Dutch and foreign policies.

Chapter Nine – Foreign policies and national interests 203-226
The second Spanish Armada. Negotiations after the battle of the Downs.
England and Scotland at war. The changing tides. The wedding of princess
Mary and William II of Orange.

Appendix – Instructions in Dutch and English for special mission 227-235
of ambassadors van Aerssen and Joachimi to the King
and Privy Council of England

Bibliography 236-240
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Convention designates that acknowledgements be placed amongst the first pages
of a thesis but these can only be completed when all research is finished, the
thesis has been written, and it is known how others have provided support during
the entire process.
Foremost is Professor Pauline Croft who taught me at Royal Holloway for my
M.A. degree and fortuitously agreed to be the supervisor for my Ph.D. research. I
am greatly indebted to her as without her I could not have completed this study.
Following university procedures, Professor Blair Worden agreed to be my
advisor. Without diminishing my thanks to the staff of the Royal Holloway
College in Egham and the Senate House libraries in London, I want to
compliment the archivists and staff of the English and Dutch national archives
and libraries on their welcoming institutions and thank them for their readiness
to advise me and their efficient assistance. The not to be forgotten Royal
Holloway general staff deserve thanks and particularly Mrs. Marie-Christine
Ockenden, our Graduate Administrator.
My gratitude goes to Professor Simon Groenveld of the University of Leiden for
his encouragement to concentrate on the 1625-1642 phase in Anglo-Dutch
relations and for sharing his knowledge on literature and Dutch sources. I also
want to express my thanks to Drs. Mieke and Henri van Leeuwen in The Hague
for their gracious hospitality during my frequent visits and their advice on the
intricacies of the Dutch archives. Dr. K. Masters of Charlottenlund deserves my
gratitude for his help with the Danish language and literature.
Last but not least, in fact, my greatest thanks go to my wife Jesmond, without her
nothing could have been achieved. She accompanied me during the
uncomfortable early seventeenth century years and had to live with the ghosts of
the past that I continuously brought home. Furthermore she read many pages of
text and kept a watchful eye upon my Anglo-Dutch grammar. So, as a matter of
course, I dedicate this thesis to my wife Jesmond.
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SOURCES

Primary sources,

England, The National Archives, Kew, London.
Manuscripts: State Papers (Denmark, SP75; SP78 (France); SP81 (German
States); SP 84 (Holland); SP94 (Spain); SP16 (Domestic); Treaties.

Netherlands, The National Archives, The Hague.
Resolutions, 1629-1639, inv. nr. 3188-3198; Secret Resolutions, 1615- 1646,
inv.nr. 4562-4563; Liasses (File) England, 1629-1639, inv. nr. 5891-5894; Treaties
and Ratifications, inv. nr. 12589.40, 12589.42, 12548.203, 12574.61, 12587;
Instruction Book, 1632-1639, inv. nr. 12455.

Primary printed Sources,
England.
Proceedings in Parliament 1625-1642 in House of Lords and Commons;
Proceedings in Parliament 1626-1642; Lords Proceedings 1628; Commons
Debates Vols. I – IV; Commons Debates ; Calendar of State Papers, Domestic
series, Charles I (1625-1641/3); High Courts of the Admiralty.

Netherlands.
Pieter Christansz Bor, Oorspronk, Begin, en Vervolgh der Nederlandsche
Oorlogen-Beroerten, en Borgerlyke Oneenigheden, 4 Vols., (Amsterdam 1679);
Lieuwe van Aitzema, Historie of Verhael van Saken van Staet en Oorlogh, In,
ende omtrent de Vereenigde Nederlanden, 6 Vols. Folio, 10 Vols. Quarto.
(‘sGravenhage 1657), (Bor and Aitzema are contempory authors);
N.Stellingwerff and S. Schot, Notulen van de vergaderingen der Staten van
Holland 1620-1640, 7 Vols.; J.W. Veenendaal-Barth and others (ed.) (The Hague
1987-2005) (Minutes of the meetings of the States of Holland); G. Groen van
Prinsterer (ed.) Archives, ou Correspondance Inédite de la Maison d’Orange -
Nassau, 2nd Series Vol.3 (Utrecht 1857l). ING>Instituut voor Nederlandse
Geschiedenis, Onderzoek, Projecten, Besluiten Staten-Generaal 1626-
1630. (Institute for Netherlands History, Research, Resolutions States General
1626-1651. Besluiten Staten Generaal at www. inghist.nl/Onderzoek/Projecten.
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Other Archives and sources
England.
British Library, London, manuscripts, pamphlets collection and literature; The
Warburg Institute, London; Institute of Historical Research, London;
Greenwich Maritime Institute, Greenwich, London.

Netherlands.
Archives of the States General, the States of Holland and the V.O.C.
incorporated in the National Archives, The Hague; Royal Library, The Hague,
manuscripts, pamphlets collection and literature; Koninklijke Marine – Instituut
voor Maritieme Historie (Royal Navy – Institude for Maritime History) The
Hague.

Literature,

Please consult the full list in the bibliography.