or Dutch Wars Four naval conflicts between England and the Dutch Republic in the 17th-18th century. The First (1652-54), Second (1665-67), and Third (1672-74) Anglo-Dutch Wars all arose from commercial rivalry between the two nations, and victories by England established its naval might. The two countries had been allied for a century when the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (1780-84) broke out over Dutch interference in the American Revolution. By 1784 the Dutch Republic had declined dramatically in power and prestige