Anglo-Portuguese Alliance

Anglo-Portuguese alliance between the England (then the Great Britain and the the United Kingdom) and the Portugal is the oldest alliance in the world still in force. It was sealed in 1373. The alliance which plunges its roots in the Moyen-âge, overall served the interests of the two countries (independence of Portugal, English and British domination Atlantic and Indian), although much Portuguese complains that the English and the British benefitted from their weaker ally. That prevails only as from the 18th century, since to 16th Portugal was the most powerful ally. The two countries seem during this long alliance being gaining. This alliance played an important role in the European history in incentive the United Kingdom to be begun militarily against the Napoleonean invasions of the Iberian peninsula.

History

The Middle Ages

The assistance of the English to the incipient Dynastie of Aviz opens the way with a special co-operation with England, it constituted the angular stone of the Portuguese foreign politics during more than 500 years. In May 1386, the Traité of Windsor seals the alliance which had been inaugurated semi-officially in 1294 (treated commercial), and had been confirmed with the battle of Aljubarrota for the vacant independence of the throne of Portugal left with died of Ferdinand Ier with the pact of perpetual friendship between the two countries. The following year, Jean of Ghent, duke of Lancaster, wire of Edouard III, and father of Henri IV of England, unloads in Galicia with an army in order to assert himself like applicant on the throne of Castille with the support of Portugal. He does not obtain the support of the nobility of Castille and turns over to England with an important financial equalization on behalf of his rival to the succession. Jean Ier ensures, with the support of English mercenaries, the independence of his kingdom which it made recognize by Castille in 1411.

Jean of Ghent lets his Filipino daughter of Lancaster (Portuguese Filipa) marry Jean I in pledge of Anglo-Portuguese Alliance. By this union, celebrated in 1387, they becomes the parents of the " generation; sublime" sung by Shine of Camões, it will lead Portugal towards its Old of Gold, that of the maritime discoveries. Filipa introduced at the court of Portugal, the Anglo-Norman tradition of an aristocratic education to his/her children. It imposed on it a reform of the court and a rigorous morals. It supports the English economic interests, the traditional exchanges between the two partners took their take-off thus (cod, English textile against wine, cork, salt and oil Portuguese).

June 3rd 1661: Treaty of White-Hall. Renewal of English alliance by the marriage of the king Charles II Stuart with the infante Catherine de Bragance, sister of Alphonse VI of Castille. In addition to a splendid dowry, the princess brings to the English crown Tangier, Bombay and of the counters to the the Indies and the Brésil. N the other hand, England commits itself defending colonial Portugal and its territories against any aggression of a third country, in particular against the French and Dutch threats on the Portuguese possessions.

XVIIe century at the XIX century

In 1700 the France declares the war in the United Kingdom and orders in Portugal to close its ports with the British ships, Portugal reacted while being combined with the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in 1703 in a “Grande Alliance” against French and the Spanish dynasty of the Bourbons, thus reaching at the request of the British emissary John Methuen.

In 1703, the Traité of Methuen seals a commercial alliance with England: n the other hand of the insurance to easily sell its wines in London - with the detriment of the French wines and the support of the Royal Navy, Portugal and Brazil opened largely with the English manufactured goods. (example of David Ricardo on the comparative advantages is drawn from this treaty)

1762: With the favor of the War Seven Year old, France promises with the Spain that it could recover at the end of the conflict Portugal which has just rejoined the camp of Great Britain, but the unhappy exit of the war, concluded by the disastrous treated bets, preserves Portuguese independence

One of the episodes most outstanding of this alliance is the intervention of the United Kingdom at the time of the Napoleonean Guerres.

1801: From now on allied of republican France, Spain invades the Alentejo with the support of the French task force of the general Leclerc. An intervention which aims especially D `to oblige Lisbon to break its bonds privileged with the United Kingdom. After having undergone the defeats of Aronche and Campo-Mayor, Portugal is constrained to require peace on June 8th, 1801. This war is called the “Guerre of the Oranges” because the victorious Spanish avant-garde offered to its chief, the Prime Minister and généralissime Manuel Godoy, two branches of orange trees gathered in the gardens of the place of Elvas remained with the capacity of the Portuguese until the end of the conflict. By the peace of Badajoz (June 6th), Portugal was constrained to close itself with the British, due to pay an allowance with the French and to accept their fabrics and to yield to the Spaniards the district Olivenza which it will never recover, even after the treaties of 1815 which however envisaged its retrocession by Spain

1804: Napoleon sends to Lisbon as ambassador the general Andoche Junot, future duke of Abrantès, which was more a man of war which a diplomat and who give up his station since 1805 to go to be used in the victorious Large army for Austerlitz.

In November 1807, the armies of Junot invade the country, opposite with the continental Blocus, and the Maison of Bragance left to find refuge with the Brésil under escort of the British fleet. However, like the Spaniards, the Portuguese revolted against the French occupants who were driven out in 1811 thanks to the intervention of the British. Jean VI prefers to remain in Brazil and entrusted the administration of Portugal to the Duc of Beresford.

On the colonial level, a dispute opposes Portugal and the United Kingdom in connection with the domination on Africa known as “southernmost”. According to a expensive project with his father, Charles Ier wishes to build a homogeneous block of Lusitanian influence from Angola (west coast) to Mozambique (east coast). This project known as of the “pink Carte” is opposed to the ambitions of the British who wish to establish a junction between Cairo and the Cape. In a climate of strong tension and after several skirmishes in 1889 and one English ultimatum, Charles Ier is constrained to accept a compromise: there will not be a “pink chart” and the British offer to him, n the other hand, of the territorial compensations which safeguard very partially imperial prestige of a country having lost the majority of its colonies since the beginning of the century (especially Brazil). It is on this occasion that was made up the Portuguese national anthem.

XXe century

During the 20th century the treaty of friendship was called upon on several occasions.

The entry of Portugal in the First World War at the side of its British ally. Basically the strategic choice of the Portuguese government was the belligerency under cover of British alliance, to defend its colonies, to guarantee the recognition of the young republic and to take its place in the concert of the European nations. Opposed to the engagement of the Portuguese troops, the United Kingdom recommended to Portugal anything to make which is contrary with its neutrality. However, in 1915, the need for ships of supply became so urgent that on request express of the United Kingdom, the Portuguese government requisitions the German ships wet in the Portuguese ports and, in spite of the attempts at mediation, the Germany yielded to the provocation and declares the war in Portugal on March 9th, 1916.

Salazar also maintains commercial relations with the two forces, which profits with Portuguese industry. It provided some rare metals to the Nazi regime and on another side, it makes it possible the Allies to install a military base in the Azores to supervise the Atlantic and to fight against the U-Boots. In 1945, at the time of the advertisement of died of Hitler, it makes put the flags in Bern. The neutrality and the ambivalence of Portugal remain a historical enigma, several in particular advanced assumptions of its military weakness vis-a-vis a hypothetical invasion of its Spanish neighbor.

In 1961, after the invasion of Portuguese India of the possessions with Goa, Diu and Daman, Portugal required the assistance of the British (little effect).

During the War of the Falklands in 1982, Portugal offers the installations of the Azores to Royal Navy.

Topicality of Alliance

The two countries are members of the European Union and of NATO, their relations are thus coordinated inside its institutions but also by the old treaties of alliance previously evoked.

Bonds

History of alliance by the British embassy of Lisbon

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