- For other meanings, see Treaty of Breda (disambiguation).
The
Treaty of Breda was signed at the Dutch city of
Breda, 31 July (
Gregorian calendar), 1667, by
England, the
United Provinces (Netherlands),
France, and
Denmark–Norway. It brought a hasty end to the
Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665–1667) in favour of the Dutch, as
Louis XIV's forces began invading the
Spanish Netherlands as part of the
War of Devolution, but left many territorial disputes unresolved. It was thus a typical quick
uti possidetis treaty. In the latter stages of the war, the Dutch had prevailed.
Lieutenant-Admiral Michiel de Ruyter virtually controlled the seas around the south coast of England, following his successful
Raid on the Medway, and his presence encouraged English commissioners to
sue for peace quickly. Negotiations, which had been long protracted, and had actually begun in Breda before the raid, took only ten days to conclude after resumption of talks.