The Dutch-Algerian War and the Rise of British Shipping to Southern Europe (1715-1726)

In 1715, just two years after the United Provinces had been able to conclude the War of Spanish Succession, the Republic received a declaration of war from the Regency of Algiers. The disastrous results for Dutch shipping and trade in Southern Europe forced the conflict-weary Republic to wage a war of attrition. Only with great difficulties were the Dutch finally able to ‘defeat’ the Algerians after a long conflict in the Western Mediterranean and to conclude a long-lasting peace in 1726. The war years had meanwhile allowed British shipping to rise to dominance in the profitable carrying trade... Mehr ...