Английская Википедия:Dano-Dutch War

Содержание

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

The Dano-Dutch War (Danish: Dansk-Hollanske krig, Dutch: Deens-Nederlandse Oorlog) was a colonial conflict between the Danes and Dutch over the control of European fortifications on the Gold Coast. Denmark-Norway, assisted by England, defeated the Dutch in various places, although Michiel de Ruyter retaliated against the English by recapturing all forts but Cape Coast.Шаблон:Efn This forced the Royal African Company into bankruptcy, which started the Second Anglo-Dutch War

Background and prelude

Since 1655, the Swedish Empire had waged war against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Eager to regain Denmark's lost territory in 1648, Frederick III declared war on Sweden. In response Charles X Gustav suprisingly turned his army to Jutland. The Harsh winter of 1657/1658 led to the freezing of the Belts, and the Swedish army exploited this by marching across them. Completely unexpected for Frederick, he was compelled to sign the Treaty of Roskilde.

The Danes stalled and prolonged the fulfillment of some of the provisions of the Treaty signed at Roskilde, and Charles could thus use this as an excuse for the aim to vanquish Denmark as a sovereign state, and declared war on Denmark

Dano-Dutch alliance

Файл:Den hollandske Flaades ankomst på Kjøbenhavns Red i oktober 1658.jpg

The Dutch fleet relieves Copenhagen (1658)

Denmark and the Dutch Republic had previously signed a defensive alliance, and the Dutch Republic was hesitant to establish peace in the Baltic Sea. The warfare quickly spread to the European colonies. The Danes had two years earlier in 1658, conquered the newly established Swedish fort of Carolusborg and now the Dutch and local tribes were intrested in Carolusborg too. In the following years the castle switched hands multiple times. In 1659 the Danes under Immanuel Schmid, gave the Castle of Cape Corso, as well as the castles in Anamabo and Osu to the Dutch. After this, the natives of Fetu (also known as Afutu) besieged Cape Corso and successfully took it in 1660. However, the Swedes were able to regain control and held the castle from 1660 to 1663. In a surprising turn of events, the Fetus retook the castle from the Swedes in 1663, through treachery. However the Fetus handed over the fort to the Dutch the same year.

Tensions on the Gold Coast

Файл:The 'Royal Charles' carried into Dutch Waters, 12 June 1667.jpg

The Dutch navy in action (1667)

When two Danish vessels in late 1659 showed up at the coast of Ghana, they were received with the news that the Danes no longer controlled Cape Corso The crew negotiated with the local fetus for other possible forts. They came to the conclusion that for Шаблон:Ca Danish rigsdaler, they were ceded the previous Prussian fort of Friedrichsberg (Danish: Frederiksborg) and a small trade outpost between Frederiksborg and Cape corso. In the same year they also were given a small Dutch trading post near Cong Thereby Denmark had three strongholes in Ghana. The following year, 1660, the English established the Royal African Company with the goal of competing against the Dutch's control of the Atlantic slave trade. The Dutch feared that the English might cease control of the weaker Danish outposes and thereby get in on the lucrative slave trade. They therefore lauched small scale raids on Danish bases and ships in Africa. The Dutch claimed that the Danes had forcefully driven them away from their lodge at Cong and on April 24th, 1661, they attacked the Danish lodge at Cong and burned it down. The personnel present were taken to the Dutch Fort Nassau located further east in Sabu.

The Dutch raids against Danish vessels in the area continued and in 1662, two Danish ships were attacked and captured. Several other ships were also targeted, but in many instances, the Danes managed to repel the Dutch attacks.

In December 1662, a Dutch force led by Commander Valkenburgh attacked a new Danish lodge at Bagos, near the Sierra Leone River. Two ships bombarded the Danish lodge, and later the crew went ashore and captured the lodge and valuable goods. The greater attacks to the Danish forts came in 1664, as a response to the recent confrontation with England.

War

Frederiksborg

Шаблон:Multiple image On March 23rd, 1664, the Dutch launched an attack on the small trading post located between Capo Corso and Fredriksberg. Additionally, they bombarded Fredriksberg, which only lay a cannon shot away from cape corso, by the sea for several days and initiated a siege of the fort. The fort's garrison defended themselves with the assistance of local Fetu warriors who were affiliated with the fort. The English who was recently at constant competition with the Dutch, were quick to help. On April the 14th, the English admiral, Robert Holmes was sent, with 6-7 vessels to assist the besieged Danes At the arrival on the coast of Frederiksborg, the Danes faced the cannons towards Cape Corso and with the English help bombarded the fortress.

Cape Corso

8 days in a row, Cape corso was bombarded by the sea side and from Frederiksborg. A combined Anglo-Danish army had landed nearby Cape Corso and had too, started bombarding the castle. The bombardements were to weaken the garrison at the castle, for the troops to eventually launch an assult on the fort. This was not needed though, and the Dutch capitulated the fort to the English, who named it Cape Coast Castle

Aftermath

Шаблон:FurtherThe Danish presence at the Gold coast was saved by the English and would go on until 1850 In retaliation for the bombardement of Cape Corso, the Dutch admiral, Michiel de Ruyter tried to recapture the lost possessions by 13 men-of-war This confrontation escalated to the Second Anglo-Dutch War and as a result of a delay in receiving orders, the Norwegian commanders sided with the Dutch at Vågen, despite a secret agreement by Frederick III and Charles II. Denmark was thus forced to join the Netherlands and peace was concluded in 1667 at Breda.