ity ▁on ▁the ▁North ▁Sea , ▁keeping ▁open ▁the ▁sea ▁lan es ▁so ▁vital ▁to ▁Dutch ▁trade . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁French ▁inv aded , ▁the ▁Or ang ist ▁party ▁took ▁power , ▁f als ely ▁acc using ▁the ▁former ▁leading ▁politician ▁Johan ▁de ▁W itt ▁and ▁his ▁personal ▁friend ▁Lieutenant - Ad mir al ▁Mich iel ▁de ▁R uy ter ▁of ▁plot ting ▁to ▁bet ray ▁the ▁Republic ▁to ▁the ▁French . ▁The ▁Or ang ists ▁themselves ▁were ▁in ▁fact ▁subs id ised ▁by ▁the ▁English . ▁Both ▁England ▁and ▁France ▁hoped ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁Dutch ▁pu ppet ▁state , ▁using ▁the ▁enorm ous ▁Dutch ▁merc ant ile ▁assets ▁to ▁gain ▁world ▁trade ▁domin ance , ▁each ▁expecting ▁that ▁any ▁moment ▁the ▁Dutch ▁might ▁surrender ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁them , ▁but ▁fear ing ▁not ▁being ▁the ▁one ▁chosen . ▁Therefore , ▁during ▁the ▁batt les , ▁mut ual ▁susp icion ▁between ▁the ▁French ▁and ▁the ▁English ▁was ▁considerable . ▁This ▁reflected ▁political ▁divisions ▁within ▁the ▁Dutch ▁fleet . ▁De ▁R uy ter ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁pro - F rench , ▁while ▁Lieutenant - Ad mir al ▁Corn el is ▁T rom p , ▁read m itted ▁to ▁the ▁Dutch ▁fleet ▁early ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 3 , ▁was ▁a , ▁tradition ally ▁pro - English , ▁Or ang ist . ▁William ▁had ▁asked ▁De ▁R uy ter ▁to ▁pur ify ▁the ▁fleet ▁from ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁States ▁regime , ▁but ▁the ▁adm iral ▁refused . ▁De ▁R uy