High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The First Anglo-Dutch War (Dutch: Eerste Engels-Nederlandse oorlog) (1652–54) (called the First Dutch War in England) was the first of the four Anglo-Dutch Wars. It was fought entirely at sea between the navies of the Commonwealth of England and the United Provinces of the Netherlands. Caused by disputes over trade, the war began with English attacks on Dutch merchant shipping, but expanded to vast fleet actions. Ultimately, it resulted in the English Navy gaining control of the seas around England, and forced the Dutch to accept an English monopoly on trade with England and English colonies.