How a Kettle started a war: Kettle War

The Kettle War is one of those oddly named conflicts that not too many know about but actually helped shape the modern face of Europe. In todays episode, we will be looking at this conflict.

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In 1784, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph the second, took advantage of the on-going Anglo-Dutch war, and demanded that the Netherlands cede back land in the northern end of their country to the Empire, as well as open up the Scheldt to trade traffic and threatened war if they were not met. Joseph was pretty confident that the Dutch wouldn't refuse his demands, as they were involved in a long war against the British already, and that the small nation couldn't fend itself against the might of the Empire.. The same empire that lost a good portion of it's army by fighting itself a few years earlier.

The empire sent out three ships to the mouth of the Scheldt led by the powerful merchant ship named Le Louis and in the face of such a power fleet the Dutch sent out not three, not four.. but one ship De Dolfijn to intercept this fleet. After only one shot, which hit a kettle, Le Louis surrendered and the other two fled back to port. This infuriated Joseph, who declared war on the 30th, Austrian forces crossed the border, razed a customs station and occupied the old Fort Lillo which was a vegetable garden at the time. Following this and French force, the two sides agreed to negotiations. This led to the Treaty of Fontainebleau the following year. It was decided that the Scheldt would remain closed to shipping, but that the southern Netherlands would be compensated for this by the Republic, ranging from 2-10 million guilder.