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One of the important questions in Portugue history is why Portugal did not become part of Spain with the expansion of Castille. All the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, both Morrish and other Christian states, did with the exception of Portugal. This came to a head in the late-16th and early-17th centuries. A young King Sebastian fighting the Moors in Morocco was killed (1578). His body was never found. He left Portugal without an heir to the throne. This resulted in a dynastic secession crisis. Sebastian's elderly granduncle, Cardinal Henry, was chosen as a care-taker king. Henry I died only 2 years later (1580), leaving the country without a monarch again. Portugal was a relatively recent creation as a nation and from an early point had to be concerned with the expanding Spanish kingdom of Castille. Philip II of a now united Spain was the most powerful monarch in Europe at the time with a vast empire. It was Philip who dispatched the Great Armada to conquer England. He also had a dynastic claim to the throne through his mother's side as the grandson of King Manuel I. Philip thus laid his claim to the throne. The leading Portuguese candidate was Ant�nio, Prior of Crato, the illegitimate son of one of the younger sons of Manuel I. Philip not only had a better dynastic claim, but he had the advantage of a powerfull army to enforce his claim. Philip invaded Portugal, making himself Philip I of Portugal (1580). The two countries were not unified, but they now had a single ruler. Many Portugese objected to Spanish rule. Antonio established himself in the Azores and held out there (until 1593). He died (1595). Portugal was disrupted by a series of impostors claiming to be the losdt King Sebastian (1584, 1585, 1595, and 1598. This became known as Sebastianism, a movement which would occassionaly spring up in Portugal from time to time. Portugal had led the European outreach, but as a small country did not have the capacity to compete with its larger European rivals once geographic secrets were out. Union with Spain began a long period of decline. Portugal with n the Spanish Empire became theoretically an autonomous state, but was essentially under Spanish rule as a kind of colony. The Consejo de Portugal was the principal administrative units used by Philip to rule the country. The Coinsejo was on the same administrative order as the Consejo de Indias. Spanish rule was at first light. Philip II and III maintained Portugal's separate status. They were careful to appoint Portuguese nobles to important posts. Portugal retained an independent legal system, currency and government. There was even talk of moving the Spanish capital to Lisbon. Madrid was a relatively recent choice as the Spanish capital.
Philip IV changed this. He moved to make Portugal a Spanish province. Portuguese nobles lost their power. This resulted in increased anti-Spanish feeling. At the same time, Spanish operations to supress Protestantism in the Spanish Nethelands (modern Belgium and the Netherlands) and participation in the Thirdtv Years War, placed enormous strains on the Spanish economy and royal finances. The Duke of Braganza in Lisbon was proclaimed king as John IV (1640). He came from one of the great Portugues nobel families and a descendant of King Manuel I. The Duke launched a Portuguese war of independence. against Spain was launched. Ceuta governors (in Morocco) did not accept John and remained loyal to Philip and Spain. Philip with a depleted treasury decided against another major war in Portugal. He did continue to assert his dynastic claims. Spain finally recognized Portuguese independence (1668).
One of the important questions in Portugue history is why Portugal did not become part of Spain with the expansion of Castille. All the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, both Morrish and other Christian states, did with the exception of Portugal. This came to a head in the late-16th and early-17th centuries. Portugal was a relatively recent creation as a nation and from an early point had to be concerned with the expanding Spanish kingdom of Castille.
Portuguese union with Spain could have resulted from the War of the Castillian Succession. The War of Castilian Succession divided the country. One faction supported Isabella de Trast�mara, daughter of King Enrique IV. The other faction supported Enrique's supposed daughter Juana / Joanna--La Beltraneja. The name rlated to the suspicion that her biological father was Beltr�n de la Cueva--the King's favourite. The neighboring kingdom of Arag�n joined Isabel's supporters. Portugal and France sided with Juana's supporters. Isabella after 4-years of fighting prevailed. The Treaty of Alca�ovas between Castile and Portugal ended the conflict (1479). The Treaty recognized Isabella and as sovereigns of Castile. Isabella and her husbnd Fernand of Aragon ruled as joint soverigns. The Treaty also granted Portugal hegemony in the Atlantic, with the exception of the Canary Islands. Juana lost her right to the throne of Castile and remained in Portugal the rest of her life. Another provision of the Treaty was that Isabel, the eldest daughter of Fernando and Isabel, was to marry Prince John's (future John II of Portugal) son and heir--Afonso. Isabel and Afonso did eventually marry and unlike many such arranged royal couples actually fell in love from the start. The Catholic Monarchs' heir, Juan, proved to be a sickly child that many nearly died. Isabel and Fernando were concernd that if Juan died, that their throne would end up in the hands of Afonso and Isabel, which would inevitably result in undue Portuguese influence in Castile. Afonso died in unexplined circumstances, with some blaming the Monarchs for arranging the then heir's death.
Another possibility of union came with the accession of Manuel I. Isabel after Afonso's death. She married King John II's cousin, who would bcome Manuel I of Portugal. She had wanted to become a nun. She became pregnant, but died in child birth--Miguel da Paz. Miguel fell under the care of his maternal grandparents, Isabel and Fernando. They made plans to groom him to become the future King of a united Aragon, Castile and Portugal, but with Castile as the heart of the united Iberin kingsom. Miguel tragically died at only 3 years of age,
A young King Sebastian who could have gauanteed Portiguese imndependence by producing a heir pursued a campaign against the Moors in Morocco and was killed (1578). His body was never found. He left Portugal without an heir to the throne. This resulted in a dynastic secession crisis. Sebastian's elderly granduncle, Cardinal Henry, was chosen as a care-taker king. Henry I died only 2 years later (1580), leaving the country without a monarch again.
Philip II of a now united Spain was the most powerful monarch in Europe at the time with a vast empire. Philip had married Queen Mary of England in an effort to both expand family power and and restore the Catholic Church. It was later Philip who at great cost dispatched the Great Armada to conquer England (1588). A campaign in Portugal would hav been much less expensive nd presumably more decisive.
Philip had a dynastic claim to the throne through his mother's side as the grandson of King Manuel I. Philip thus laid his claim to the Portuguesr throne. The leading Portuguese candidate was Ant�nio, Prior of Crato, the illegitimate son of one of the younger sons of Manuel I.
Philip not only had a better dynastic claim, but he had the advantage of a powerfull army to enforce his claim. Philip invaded Portugal, making himself Philip I of Portugal (1580). The two countries were not unified, but they now had a single ruler. This provided anothr opportunity, this timd by the Hapsburgs (Philip II. II, nd IV). The former had inherited the crown through his mother, Isabel of Portugal, after the last of the Avis monarchs, Henrique, died without issue (he was a cardinal), and was not allowed to drop his vows to have an heir.
Many Portugese objected to Spanish rule. Antonio established himself in the Azores and held out there (until 1593). He died (1595). Portugal was disrupted by a series of impostors claiming to be the lost King Sebastian (1584, 1585, 1595, and 1598. This became known as Sebastianism, a movement which would occassionaly spring up in Portugal from time to time.
Portugal had led the European outreach, but as a small country did not have the capacity to compete with its larger European rivals once geographic secrets were out. Union with Spain began a long period of decline.
Portugal within the Spanish Empire became theoretically an autonomous state, but was essentially under Spanish rule as a kind of colony. The Consejo de Portugal was the principal administrative units used by Philip to rule the country. The Coinsejo was on the same administrative order as the Consejo de Indias. The joining of the two Tpruguese crown with that of Spain crowns meant that Portugal no longer had its own foreign policy. Spain's enemies thus became those of Portugal. And as a result, Portugal could no longer pursue its own interests which were not identical with those of Spain. England was a primary issue. Spanish rule was at first light. Philip II and III maintained Portugal's separate status. They were careful to appoint Portuguese nobles to important posts. Portugal retained an independent legal system, currency and government. There was even talk of moving the Spanish capital to Lisbon. Madrid was a relatively recent choice as the Spanish capital and was inland at a time when rods were primitive.
Portugal developed a relationship with England during the late-Middle Ages The relationship began with
the Treaty of Windsor (1386). Spain's war with England led to an undermining of Portugal's relationship with England and the loss of Hormuz / Ormuz. Afonso de Albuquerque captured Ormuz (1507) only a few years after the Portuguese rounded the Cape of Good Hope and entered the Indian Ocean. Hormuz had given Portugal comtrol of the trade between India and Europe through the Persian Gulf. An Anglo-Persian force combined to attack the Portuguese garrison on Hormuz Island. The small Portuguese garrison, disparing of relief after a 10 week siege surrendered (1622). This opening up trade though the Persian Gulf with England which had been blocked by Hormuz. The Portuguese had held the srategic Castle of Hormuz for more than a century. The fall of Hormuz significantly altered the balance of power and trade".
The Portuguese as a result of the Iberian Union became involved with the Hapsburg attmpt to supress the Reformation in Germany and the related rebellion of the Dutch on the Spanish Netherlands. The Dutch counties in the Netherlands did not have the resources to resost the Austrian and Spanish Hapburgs, but with their fleet and maritime outreach, the Dufch dis resist and as esult of the Iberian Unon, Portuhguese possessionsalso became fair game. The English euatio is omplicted, someimes cooperating with the Dutch, sometimes competing with them. The result of the Spanish-Portuguese and Durch-Englih collision of interest was a world-wide conflict. It was fought throughout Asia including Jpan, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Both militay conflict and commercial competition was involved. For Portugal the mosr serious threat was the loss of their principal colony--Brazil. The Dutch seized Bahia which at the time was the capital of Brazil (1624). The Dutch then seized Pernambuco to the north (1630). For a time it looked like Brazil was lost. The Dutch intrusion into Brazil was long lasting and troublesome to Portugal. The Seven Provinces (the Dutch) captured a large portion of the Brazilian coast including Bahia, Salvador, Recife, Pernambuco, Para�ba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, and Sergipe, while Dutch privateers sacked Portuguese ships in both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. A peace treaty finally returned Pernambuco to Portuguese control (1624). Both the English and the Dutch continued to aspire to dominate both the Atlantic slave trade and the spice trade with the Far East. A major Spanish-Portuguese military operation resulted in substantial gains (1625). This laid the foundations for the recovery of remaining Dutch controlled areas. The other smaller, less developed areas were recovered in stages and relieved of Dutch piracy in the next two decades by local resistance and Portuguese expeditions.
Philip IV changed the era of light Spanih rule. He moved to eliminate Portugal's autonomus staus. He decided to move beyond a united cron and to make Portugal a Spanish province. Portuguese nobles lost their power. This resulted in increased anti-Spanish feeling. At the same time, Spanish operations to supress Protestantism in the Spanish Nethelands (modern Belgium and the Netherlands) and participation in the horfic Thirty Years War, placed enormous strains on the Spanish economy and royal finances.
The Duke of Braganza in Lisbon was proclaimed king as John IV (1640). He came from one of the great Portuguese nobel families and was a descendant of King Manuel I. The Duke launched a Portuguese war of independence against Spain. Ceuta governors (in Morocco) did not accept John and remained loyal to Philip and Spain. After the dissolution of the Iberian Union in 1640, Portugal would reestablish its authority over some lost territories of the Portuguese Empire. Philip with a depleted treasury, however, decided against another major war. He did continue to assert his dynastic claims, but did not attempt to clain it by force of arms. Spain finally recognized Portuguese independence (1668).
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