Anglo-Hanseatic War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anglo-Hanseatic War |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of England |
 Hanseatic League |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Edward IV of England | Paul Beneke | ||||||
The Anglo-Hanseatic War was a fight between England and a powerful group of trading cities called the Hanseatic League. This war lasted from 1469 to 1474. The main cities leading the League were Gdańsk and Lübeck. The war started because England wanted more control over trade. They especially wanted to trade in the southern part of the Baltic Sea, which the Hanseatic cities largely controlled.
Contents
Why the War Started
In the 1400s, English merchants wanted to compete with the Hanseatic League. They both wanted to control the important wool and cloth trade. This trade happened in England and with cities around the Baltic Sea. English merchants asked their king to let them trade more in the Baltic region.
Early Problems
In 1447, King Henry VI took away special trading rights from the Hanseatic League. Soon after, in 1449, English privateers captured some ships from Lübeck and Gdańsk. Privateers were like legal pirates, allowed by their government to attack enemy ships. After long talks, both sides agreed to an eight-year truce in 1456.
However, in 1458, English privateers started attacking Hanseatic ships again. Peace talks failed in 1465. King Henry VI refused to pay for the damage caused. Also, the Hanseatic cities couldn't agree on how to negotiate.
Rising Tensions
Things got worse in 1468. Privateers from Gdańsk, hired by the Danish king, seized several English merchant ships. These ships were passing through a narrow sea passage called the Sound. In response, King Edward IV closed the Hanseatic League's main trading base in London. This base was called the Steelyard. He also seized it the next year.
The leaders of the Hanseatic cities met in Lübeck. They decided to go to war against England. They banned English wool imports. They also ordered their own privateers to raid English shipping routes. This economic damage was a big reason the war ended quickly.
How the War Was Fought
The cities of Gdańsk and Lübeck did most of the fighting. They were helped by Hamburg and Bremen. However, the city of Cologne did not agree with the war. Because of this, it was temporarily kicked out of the Hanseatic League.
The Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, first promised to open his ports to the Hanseatic privateers. But he changed his mind. So, the Hanseatic ships had to wait until spring 1470 to set sail. Meanwhile, the English king's rule was weak. This was because of a civil war in England called the Wars of the Roses. In September, King Edward IV even had to escape to Flanders, which was part of Burgundy.
Duke Charles then helped Edward return to England. He opened his ports, allowing Hanseatic forces to capture ships belonging to the king's enemies. But once Edward was back on his throne, Charles stopped his support right away.
From 1472 onwards, Hanseatic forces became very active. Large groups of ships, led by squadrons from Lübeck and Hamburg, operated in the English Channel. They even reached as far as Ushant island. Their strong presence even caused a French fleet to appear.
The war was mostly fought by attacking merchant ships. This is called commerce raiding. One of the most successful warships was the Peter von Danzig. This ship was led by Paul Beneke. From 1473, it raided the English coast. It even attacked neutral ships and those flying Burgundian flags.
End of the War
The war ended with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1474. This treaty confirmed the special trading rights of the Hanseatic League. It also gave the League ownership of the London Steelyard. They also gained trading bases in Boston and Lynn. This treaty almost completely stopped English trade with Germany and the Baltic region for a time.
