The Dutch commander did not seek battle simply because an enemy fleet was offshore. De Ruyter preferred the defensive method used at Schoneveld, waiting for the allied force to enter waters where Dutch conditions were more favourable. William III, however, feared that continued allied control would allow the amphibious force to cross, so he ordered de Ruyter to sea. The decision exposes the civil-military balance behind Texel: operational caution had to yield when political leadership judged the strategic risk of inaction unacceptable.
Notable Point · 35:42-36:16
William orders de Ruyter to sea
De Ruyter preferred to wait in protected waters for the allies to attack, but William III judged the invasion risk too great and ordered the fleet out.