Anglo-Dutch WarsLead Up:In the 16th century, England, under Queen Elizabeth I, supported the Dutch Revolt against Spain, and English privateers attacked Spanish interests.After Elizabeth's death, Anglo-Spanish relations improved, reducing English privateering, and the English Royal Navy was neglected due to underfunding.King Charles I secretly made agreements with Spain against Dutch sea power and rebuilt the Royal Navy, but his support for Spain was limited due to fear of the Dutch Stadtholder.In the New World, Dutch and English colonies contested territory.The English Civil War weakened the English navy, but Oliver Cromwell rebuilt it and sought to challenge Dutch mercantile dominance.Tensions grew as the English viewed the Dutch as ungrateful for past aid, and there were conflicts over fishing, trade in the East Indies, and colonial trade.Cromwell proposed an alliance with the Dutch to conquer Spanish America, which the Dutch rejected.England passed the Navigation Acts to protect its trade, and the English captured Dutch merchant ships, which led to increased tensions.What Happened:First Anglo-Dutch War (1652-1654): The war began after a naval incident where the Dutch refused to lower their colors to the English. The English won the first major battle, but the Dutch had subsequent victories. The English then adopted new naval tactics and drove the Dutch out of the English Channel and North Sea. The war ended with the Treaty of Westminster, though commercial rivalry remained.Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667): King Charles II aimed to make his nephew, William III of Orange, the Dutch Stadtholder and promoted mercantilist policies against the Dutch. England had some victories, including taking New Netherland, but the Dutch recovered and won some victories as well. The Dutch raid on the Medway was a major blow to the English and led to the Treaty of Breda.Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672-1674): This war is mentioned as part of the series of conflicts.Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (1780-1784): The Dutch supported American rebels, leading Britain to declare war. The Dutch navy was weak, and Britain won, exposing the Dutch Republic's weaknesses.Consequences:The First War ended with the Treaty of Westminster but did not resolve commercial rivalry and included a secret annex against William III becoming Stadtholder.The Second War saw Dutch trade recover and the English war effort suffer with the Great Plague and Great Fire of London.The raid on the Medway led to widespread anger in England and the war ended with a peace treaty signed at Breda.After the Third War, William of Orange became the King of England, ending the Anglo-Dutch conflicts.The Fourth War exposed the weak political and economic foundations of the Dutch Republic.England surpassed the Dutch in military and economic power.Britain captured Dutch colonies, with some returned in 1814, but others were kept by Britain.Banana WarsLead Up:The Spanish-American War led to the US gaining control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.The US sought to maintain its influence, secure the Panama Canal, and protect its economic interests in the region.US companies like the United Fruit Company (UFC) and Standard Fruit Company had significant financial stakes in the production of bananas and other commodities.The US justified intervention to protect its economic interests and the Panama Canal, as well as to protect American companies.What Happened:The US conducted military interventions in Cuba, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.The US military, primarily the Marine Corps, intervened in these countries using military occupation, police action, and other forms of intervention.The US intervened in Nicaragua to prevent leaders from disrupting US interests.In Mexico, the US conducted the Border War to control the flow of immigrants, counter rebel raids, and stop German munitions supplies.The US occupied Veracruz in 1914 as a show of armed influence.The US occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934.Consequences:The US gained control of the Panama Canal Zone and established a permanent lease on the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.The interventions led to the creation of new Haitian constitution that removed a ban on land ownership by non-Haitians.The United Fruit Company and other US companies gained significant influence over local governments.The US asserted control over the region to ensure its interests came first.The US military developed the Small Wars Manual based on their experiences.The term "banana republic" was coined to describe Honduras due to American influence.Smedley Butler, a US Marine, later denounced his role in the Banana Wars, describing himself as a "muscle man for Big Business".The conflicts ended when the US withdrew from Haiti in 1934 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.Canada-United States Softwood Lumber DisputeLead Up:The dispute began in 1982, with the US claiming that the Canadian lumber industry was unfairly subsidized by provincial governments due to the way stumpage fees are set.The US lumber industry lobbied for countervailing duties to offset the perceived subsidies.The Canadian government and lumber industry disputed this, arguing that the stumpage system was not specific to any single industry.What Happened:Lumber I (1982): The US Department of Commerce (DoC) found that Canada's stumpage system was not specific to any single industry and thus not countervailable. The United States International Trade Commission (USITC), however, believed that the Canadian imports hindered US producers.Lumber II: This included a Memorandum of Understanding, and Canada was taxed on lumber exports to the US.Lumber III (1991): Canada withdrew from the Memorandum of Understanding and the US DoC imposed countervailing duties. A binational panel found that the DoC's determination was not supported by evidence and the US Congress amended the law.Lumber IV: The US imposed duties that led to job losses in Canada. The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled in Canada's favor, and the US was ordered to recalculate duties.Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA) (2006): The US and Canada reached a tentative settlement, with the US lifting countervailing and anti-dumping duties if lumber prices stayed above a certain range. Canada agreed to enforce regulations and taxes on exports.The Softwood Lumber Agreement expired in 2015, leading to new disputes.In 2017, the US imposed new anti-subsidy tariffs averaging 20 percent on Canadian softwood lumber imports.The dispute went through various challenges under NAFTA and with the WTO.In 2024, the US raised tariff rates on imports of Canadian softwood lumber products.Consequences:The dispute led to numerous legal challenges, trade restrictions, and economic impacts on both countries.The US remained heavily dependent on Canadian lumber, as domestic supply did not meet demand.The SLA established a dispute settlement mechanism, but di...

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