This is an accepted version of this page Status quo ante bellum The Kettle War (Dutch: Keteloorlog or Marmietenoorlog) was a military confrontation between the troops of the Holy Roman Empire and the Republic of the Seven Netherlands on 8 October 1784.

This gave an enormous impulse to the economy of the northern Netherlands (namely Amsterdam), but the southern cities were dislodged from their important trading position.

[2] In 1781 Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, taking advantage of the ongoing Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, demanded the final dismantling of the Barrier system, and in 1784, he demanded the return of territory in the Overmaas and States Flanders (roughly current-day Zeelandic Flanders), as well as Dutch evacuation of Maastricht and the reopening of the Scheldt.

Austrian forces invaded Dutch territory, razed a custom station and strongly occupied the old Fort Lillo, at the time used as a vegetable garden.

[citation needed] On 13 February 1785, the Dutch ambassador Van Berckel wrote an extended letter to John Jay, in which he explained the situation.

The war contributed to the decline and fall of Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg, advisor to the Dutch stadtholder, who was accused of favouring the enemy due to his familial ties to Joseph II.