Outbreak of the First Anglo-Dutch War

Timeline

1. 1651–1652London · EnglandEngland's Rump Parliament issued the Navigation Act on October 9, 1651, requiring goods imported into England and its colonies to be carried in English ships or ships of the country of origin, directly striking at the Dutch commercial system dependent on re-export trade. Repeated Dutch diplomatic protests were rejected, and relations between the two states deteriorated sharply.
2. 1652Gabbard shoals, Strait of Dover · English ChannelWhen English admiral Robert Blake intercepted the Dutch fleet in the Strait of Dover and demanded that Dutch ships salute the English flag, Dutch admiral Maarten Tromp refused and returned fire, sparking an artillery duel. This engagement is known as the Battle of the Gabbard (or Battle of Dover) and was the actual start of the First Anglo-Dutch War.
3. 1652Capitals of England and the Netherlands · Northwestern EuropeThe English Parliament declared war in early July 1652, and the Dutch States-General formally responded with a declaration of war on July 17. The First Anglo-Dutch War officially broke out, developing into a series of large-scale naval battles, including the Battle of Plymouth, the Battle of Kentish Knock, and the Battle of the Dunes, until the Treaty of Westminster was signed in 1654.