History of the Relations between Portugal and England
Middle Ages
The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance between England and Portugal is the oldest alliance in the world which is still in force. This Alliance, which goes back to the Middle Ages, has served both countries and has been very important throughout history, influencing the participation of the United Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsular War (the UK's major land contribution to the Napoleonic Wars), among other things. In 1147 English Crusaders were instrumental in aiding the Portuguese in the conquest of Lisbon from the Moors. There followed considerable mercantile trade between the two countries and commercial treaties were agreed, the first by the Portuguerse King Don Dinis in 1308 and the next by Edward III in 1353. The first formal political treaty of alliance was concluded in 1373 in St Paul’s Cathederal by Edward III and envoys of King Dom Fernando; it was agreed that English archers would go to Portugal to ward off attacks from Castile. In August 1385 the Portuguese with the help of the English archers overwhelmingly defeated the invading Castilian forces which greatly outnumbered them at the Battle of Aljubarrota. English aid to the Royal House of Aviz set the stage for co-operation with England that would be the cornerstone of Portuguese foreign policy for more than 600 years. In May 1386, the Treaty of Windsor, concluded in the Chapter House of St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, sealed by Richard II and the envoys of King John I of Portugal was the start of this great alliance and pact of perpetual friendship between the two countries. In 1386, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of king Edward III of England and father of King Henry IV, landed in Galicia with an expeditionary force to press his claim to the Crown of Castile with Portuguese aid. He agreed that his elder daughter Philippa would marry king John I. By the marriage of Philippa and John I of Portugal, celebrated in 1387, John I became the father of a generation of princes called by the poet Luís de Camões, the "Renowned Progeny", who led Portugal into its golden age, during the period of the Discoveries. Her eldest son Duarte, authored moral works and became king in 1433; Pedro, who traveled widely and had an interest in history, became regent when Duarte died of the plague in 1438; Fernando was the youngest, participated in the attack on Tangiers in 1437 with his brother Henrique --- Prince Henry the Navigator --- Master of the Order of Christ and the instigator and organizer of the early voyages of discovery. Philippa brought to the court the Anglo-Norman tradition of an aristocratic upbringing and gave her children the highest education. Her personal qualities were remarkable and she reformed the court and imposed rigid standards of moral behavior. Philippa provided royal patronage for English commercial interests that sought to meet the Portuguese desire for cod and cloth in return for wine, cork, salt and oil shipped through the English warehouses at Porto.
Portugal went on to produce great navigators, explorers and traders during the Discoveries, during which Portuguese-speaking colonies were founded in Brazil, Madeira, Azores, Angola, Mozambique, China, India and East Timor. England went on to forge colonies in North America, Africa, India, China, New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific. The two countries often acted as allies in opposition to Spain and France. During the 16th Century, the English experienced the English Reformation during which England separated from the Roman Catholic Church. This left the English unpopular and with enemies across Western Europe and the Roman Catholic World. The English crown needed allies. In 1580, Spain invaded Portugal, and within a year, Portugal was forced into a Union with Spain that lasted for 60 years. This period saw a Spanish ruled Portugal losing control of many of its former dominions. In 1640 the Duke of Braganza asked for the Pope’s assistance to the Portuguese crown but failed to gain that support. The Duke then turned towards the English for help. A fresh treaty was signed between England and Portugal in 1642. This was cemented by the marriage of Catherine of Braganza to King Charles II of England. The alliance defeated the Spanish and guaranteed future Portuguese independence from Spain.
17th to 19th Centuries In the War of Spanish Succession, Portugal together with the Duchy of Savoy initially sided with France but after the Battle of Blenheim reunited with its ally (England). In the early 18th century France declared War against England and demanded that Portugal closed its ports to the English. Portugal responded by joining the British and the Netherlands in an alliance against Spain and France. The war with France deprived the British of their favourite source of wine so wine traders turned to Portugal to replace this source. English merchants operating in North Portugal started adding brandy to barrels of wine to help stabilise them and Port - the fortified wine produced specifically for English tastes - was born. The Methuen Treaty, signed in December 1703, protected the trade of wine from Portugal to Britain and the importation of British textiles into Portugal. Throughout the 18th Century the Alliance continued to hold strong and the two countries supported each other against France and Spain.
The French Revolution of 1789 had repercussions in Portugal throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, as ideas of democracy and republicanism slowly took root in Portuguese society. In 1807, Napoleon delivered an ultimatum to Portugal when he declared war against Britain and demanded Portugal to close its ports to British shipping. Portugal refused to break its treaties with Britain and the Portuguese Royal Family, aware of the consequences of their decision, fled to Brazil under the escort of the English fleet. Napoleon and his French army invaded and captured Lisbon. The British came to their aid in 1808, and the Peninsular War against the French ensued for six years (1808-1814) and culminated with the defeat of Napoleon. However, the British occupation of Portugal was marked by the first signs of any breakdown in friendship between the two countries, with some Portuguese feeling that the relationship was becoming uneven, with the British exercising too much control over Portugal and its colonies. The politics of Portugal were complex during the 19th Century with the bitter Civil War of the Two Brothers between the reigning King Dom Miguel and Dom Pedro, the deposed first Emperor of Brazil and with struggles between the Liberals and the Traditionalists which culminated with the victory of Constitutional Monarchy in 1834. Brazil had become independent in 1822. Britain continued to exercise great influence over Portugal's foreign interests and there were clashes of interest between the two old allies over territories in Africa. The 19th Century ended with the bankruptcy of Portugal, and the Republicans preparing to take over power.
20th Century In 1910 Portugal became a Republic and abandoned its monarchy. In 1916 Portugal joined Britain and the Allies in World War I and sent a contingent of troops to France. In 1928, Portugal fell under the long dictatorship of the authoritarian Antonio Salazar. The relationship between the two countries faded, as a result of the isolationist policies of Salazar. However in World War II Portugal was neutral and although Portugal continued to trade with Nazi Germany, Salazar also allowed the Allies to use the bases in the Azores Islands after the Alliance was invoked by the UK. Salazar focused much of his efforts into retaining the African colonies, including Mozambique and Angola. African liberation movements developed in both countries as a result of heavy-handedness by the Salazar Regime. Long and bloody civil wars ensued in the African colonies during the 20th Century Salazar died in 1970 but his regime continued until the 25th April 1974, when the ‘Carnation Revolution’ took place. Negotiations were quickly held with African Nationalists and in 1975 Angola, Mozambique and several other colonies were granted independence. This sparked a wave of panic in the colonies and the
Portuguese evacuated Africa almost overnight with Portugal witnessing the sudden return of a half million colonists. Their peaceful absorption is one of Portugal’s lesser known modern successes. A new Constitution was promulgated in 1976 which established today’s parliamentary democracy. During the 1982 Falklands War the facilities of the Azores were oce more requested by Britain for use by the Roal Navy and the Royal Air Force, which was granted again after the Alliance was invoked. By 1982, democracy had been fully restored. Portugal had become the poorest country in Western Europe and had to work hard to try and catch up with the prosperous economies of its neighbours.
In 1986, it joined the United Kingdom in the European Community. Since then Portugal has benefited greatly from its membership of the EU with significant funding being provided to modernize all aspects of the infrastructure particularly roads, railways, schools and hospitals. By 1997, its economy was strong enough to qualify for Portugal to join the Single Currency. In 2002 the Portuguese Escudo was officially replaced by the Euro. Since joining the Single Currency the economy has suffered a setback from rising costs, the closure of traditional industries - notably textiles - and a lack of inward investment into new industries. With few natural resources to underpin the economy tourism in all its forms has been identified as the way ahead with significant investments in new resorts, hotels and golf courses. Unlike Britain, there has been little national resistance to European integration. The 20th Century was a century of political, economic and social turmoil for the Portuguese people. The dictatorship of Salazar, the African Wars, the Revolution, and above all, the poverty of the Country drove millions to emigrate, especially to Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, USA, Canada, UK, France and South Africa.
The last 30 years since the Revolution have seen a major change to the country as it strives to redirect its economy through improving education, better health care and the modernization of its industries and businesses to enable it to compete on the world scene.
Today as both countries are members of the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) their relations are coordinated through those institutions rather than by the provisions of the many treaties forming the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance. Anglo-Portuguese Society London June 2007