Why did Britain become the maritime hegemon in the mid-18th century?

After the British bourgeois revolution, it began to colonize and expand abroad. The contradiction between Britain and the Netherlands for maritime superiority and Britain and France for European superiority has become the main contradiction in European international relations. After three Anglo-Dutch wars, Britain became the maritime hegemon and the Netherlands fell from the maritime hegemon.

The eternal regret of "sea coachman"

The Netherlands, a small country with an area of only over 40,000 square kilometers and poor natural resources, is unreasonable, but it is true.

There have been dazzling glories in history. /kloc-in the first half of the 0/7th century, it owned16,000 merchant ships, namely France, Britain,

Three quarters of the gross tonnage of Spanish and Portuguese merchant ships. The Dutch monopolized world trade, and the feet of Dutch businessmen.

Footprints spread all over five continents. So the Dutch are called "sea coachmen".

However, like many countries in history, its decline often began with a big and disastrous war. the Netherlands

/kloc-maritime monopoly in the first half of the 0/7th century became the biggest obstacle and threat to British overseas expansion.

Fighting is inevitable. It is precisely because of the Anglo-Dutch War that the Netherlands quickly fell from the position of maritime hegemon. Since then,

It no longer occupies the dominant position at sea, and this war has become a permanent regret of the "sea coachman".

Starting from the17th century, the Netherlands, which got rid of Spanish rule through bourgeois revolution, has been developing in just a few decades.

It has surpassed many European countries in the world and become a "17th century standard capitalist country". Food in the Baltic coast,

It was transported to the Mediterranean. German wine, French handicrafts, Spanish fruits and colonial products, by it.

To northern Europe. It established its first colonial stronghold in Batavia (now Jakarta) in Java in 16 19, and then from Java.

Occupying Sumatra in the west and Portuguese spice islands (now Maluku Islands) in the east, they successively occupied it.

Visited Malacca and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Taiwan Province Province, which invaded China's territory in East Asia. In Kyushu, Japan

Nagasaki acquired a commercial stronghold. 1652, the Netherlands established the Cape of Good Hope colony in South Africa and expanded its colonization in Asia.

Zhang made a powerful relay station. In North America, a new Dutch colony was established based on the Hudson River basin.

The estuary seized Manhattan Island and established a new Amsterdam. In South America, Dutch colonists occupied the Andrias Islands.

Some islands.

/kloc-In the late 6th century, Britain defeated Spain's maritime hegemony and broke the colonial monopoly of Spain and Portugal.

noodle Britain stood out and gradually developed into a later but powerful colonial country. It is colonizing with Holland.

China's struggle is not only inevitable, but also needs to monopolize the sea power, raw materials and market, so it is mainly based on competition and plunder.

Armed conflict. 165 1 year, the British parliament passed a new navigation bill, stipulating that all goods imported into Britain.

Things must be shipped by British ships, or by ships of actual origin to Britain, which means no other capacity is allowed.

Force the state to intervene. The Netherlands has always been a trade intermediary country, with many merchant ships, large quantity, high efficiency and perfect organization.

World commodity distribution center. Britain's new navigation bill is obviously against the Netherlands, and it is against other countries in Britain.

Intermediary role in domestic trade. The Netherlands opposed the British navigation bill, and Britain refused to abolish the navigation bill, which led to

Anglo-Dutch naval battle. Three times.

The first anglo-Dutch war (1652- 1654) was launched by the Netherlands on July 28th, 1652, aiming at

Strike back at the navigation bill passed by the British Parliament 165 1 against the Dutch control of trade brokerage rights. Between Britain and the Netherlands, except in

The two countries fought offshore (such as Plymouth naval battle at 1652, Newport naval battle at 1652 and 1653, 1653).

Portland naval battle), but also in the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean and the strait connecting the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

Naval battle. British warships were equipped with advanced artillery, which was superior in quantity and quality, so they defeated the Netherlands.

The naval blockade of the Dutch coast forced the Netherlands to conclude the Peace Treaty of Westminster on April 1654.

According to this peace treaty, the Netherlands actually recognized the navigation law.

The Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665- 1667) was because Britain occupied the Dutch colony of New Ames in North America.

Caused by tetan. 1665 65438+1On October 24th, the Netherlands declared war on Britain. 1666 In February, France and Denmark reached an agreement with the Netherlands.

Trade union. In the naval battle of Dunkirk in June 1666,1-14, the Dutch fleet under the command of Admiral Liaotel was defeated.

The British army failed to consolidate the results. On August 4-5 of the same year, the Dutch army was defeated again at Cape North Foran. 1667

In June 2006, the Dutch navy blocked the Thames estuary and wiped out some British ships. Because London is directly threatened, Britain

Forced to sign a peace treaty. According to the Breda Peace Treaty of July 3 1, 1667, Britain occupied New Amsterdam, but it will be British.

Suriname (in South America) occupied by the army during the war was returned to the Netherlands.

The Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672- 1674) was an integral part of the Dutch-French War (1672- 1678).

According to the secret treaty between King charles ii of England and King Louis XIV of France, Britain took part in the war. A sudden attack by Britain

Hit the Dutch navy. 1673 In August, the Dutch fleet commanded by Liao Te defeated the British-French joint fleet near Texel.

The failure of naval battle and the fear of increasing the strength of France, a more dangerous competitor of the Netherlands, prompted Britain to withdraw from the war. 1674

19 In February, the Treaty of Westminster stipulated that the Brayda Treaty 1667 was still valid.

After more than 20 years of British-Dutch maritime hegemony war, although the Netherlands has not completely lost to Britain militarily, on the whole,

Physically speaking, the Dutch maritime power has been greatly weakened. The strength of the Netherlands in economy, trade and shipping has greatly declined.

This "sea coachman" gave the maritime hegemony to Britain, becoming a second-rate country in Europe, and Britain became the maritime hegemon.

Marked by this war, the struggle for maritime hegemony has entered a new stage. First, Western European countries further encourage creativity.

Develop shipbuilding industry to increase the number of domestic ships and prepare for launching a larger-scale naval battle and conducting greater overseas trade;

Promulgate and improve the exclusive navigation law, or prohibit foreign ships from loading goods into and out of their own countries and their colonial ports, or

Impose heavy taxes on foreign ships entering and leaving domestic ports to promote the development of domestic shipping industry; Develop fishery and expand shipping.

The source of sailors; Recruit foreign scientific and technological personnel to study and improve domestic navigation and shipbuilding technology.

In short, western European countries implemented a comprehensive marine expansion policy during this period to enhance their maritime strength. The second is to improve maritime weapons.

Equip and strengthen the maritime armed forces and improve the maritime combat capability. (1) Develop and equip warships. During this period, warships were the most.

It is more than 300 feet long, some have a displacement of about 2,500 tons and a passenger capacity of about 1000 people; (2) Equipped with various large warships.

Caliber artillery, in order to enhance firepower, large warships are equipped with decks, and dozens of them are completely standardized or 100.

Cannons, etc. ; (3) The use of semaphores enables the commander to carry out the fleet before the battle begins for the first time in naval history.

Command and issue orders. At the same time, maritime tactics have been further improved, for example, the British navy invented the sea.

Blockade and interception tactics.

Third, seizing maritime traffic arteries, occupying maritime islands and plundering overseas colonies have further intensified. Britain, America

China, the Netherlands, France and other countries, on the basis of the original colonies, further pursued the expansion policy, contended for colonies everywhere and invaded.

Slight talons are all over the world. Britain, in particular, has been successful for more than two centuries with its powerful navy.

For the world's super colonial, commercial and military powers, they launched colonial wars all over the world, creating one disaster after another.