Britain dispatched an expedition soon after the French-backed Batavian Republic replaced the allied Dutch government. London had accepted Dutch control of the Cape while the Netherlands remained friendly, but would not risk the colony becoming a French base. A hostile Cape could threaten the sea route to India and the trade moving along it. That urgency explains why the British force was already sailing in March 1795 while Batavian debate delayed a recovery expedition until the following February.
Notable Point · 25:20-28:20
Why Britain seized the Cape Colony in 1795
Britain moved against the Cape after the Dutch alliance collapsed because a French-aligned base there could threaten the route to India and British trade.