Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History / The Forty Conjured: Portugal's 1640 Coup Against Spain
Transcript
- Lucas: So far in this series, we've looked at Portugal's expansion overseas — the caravels, the spice trade, the conquests in Asia and Africa. But for sixty years, from 1580 to 1640, Portugal itself was not independent. It was ruled by the Spanish Habsburgs, in what's called the Iberian Union. Luna: Wait, I thought Portugal always stayed independent. How did Spain take over? Lucas: After the disastrous Battle of Alcácer Quibir in 1578, King Sebastian died without an heir. A succession crisis followed, and King Philip II of Spain — who was the nephew of the Portuguese king — invaded with an army and claimed the throne in 1580. The Portuguese Cortes accepted him as Philip I of Portugal. But resentment grew over the decades. Spanish officials took over Portuguese posts, and Portuguese trade routes were neglected while Spain focused on its own empire. Luna: So the empire started to crumble under Spanish rule? Lucas: Exactly. Portuguese possessions in Asia and Africa came under attack from the Dutch and English, who were at war with Spain. The Spanish crown didn't prioritize Portuguese defenses. By the 1630s, the Portuguese nobility — especially the Duke of Braganza, who had a claim to the throne — began to feel that enough was enough. Lucas: In 1640, a group of conspirators — known as the Forty Conjured — planned a coup. They were led by a nobleman named João Pinto Ribeiro and included figures like the Count of Évora. Their target was the Spanish secretary of state, Miguel de Vasconcelos, and the Spanish vicereine, Margaret of Savoy, who was ruling in Lisbon. Luna: A coup in the heart of the palace. That sounds like something out of a thriller. Lucas: It was. On the morning of December 1, 1640, a group of about forty nobles entered the royal palace in Lisbon disguised as ordinary citizens. They stormed the apartments of Miguel de Vasconcelos, dragged him out, and shot him. Then they threw his body out of a window as a signal. The vicereine was taken prisoner, and the conspirators proclaimed the Duke of Braganza as King John IV. Luna: Wait, the Duke of Braganza — was he in on the plot from the start? Lucas: He was hesitant. The Duke — his name was João — was a cautious man. He knew that if the coup failed, his whole family would be executed. But his wife, Luísa de Gusmão, a Spanish noblewoman herself, urged him to accept the throne. There's a famous line attributed to her: 'Better to be queen for a day than duchess for a lifetime.' Luna: Wow. So a Spanish woman helped put a Portuguese king on the throne. Lucas: Exactly. Luísa de Gusmão later became queen and regent, and she was a key figure in holding Portugal together during the war that followed. Because Spain, of course, did not accept this. King Philip IV of Spain — Philip III of Portugal — declared war on the usurper. The Portuguese Restoration War had begun. Lucas: Portugal was a small country with a population of about two million, facing the vast Spanish Empire. But they had advantages: popular support, a well-organized conspiracy, and a belief that they were restoring an ancient kingdom, not creating a new one. They called it the Restauração, or Restoration. Luna: How did they manage to win against Spain? Lucas: First, diplomacy. John IV immediately sought alliances with Spain's enemies. He made a treaty with England in 1642, and with France and the Dutch Republic. Even though the Dutch were attacking Portuguese colonies, they were willing to help against their common enemy Spain. Lucas: Second, the Spanish were distracted. The Thirty Years' War was raging in Europe, and Spain was fighting rebellions in Catalonia and the Netherlands. They couldn't commit full strength against Portugal. Luna: So Portugal struck while the iron was hot. Lucas: Exactly. The first major battle was at Montijo, in the Alentejo region, in 1644. The Portuguese army, commanded by the Count of Óbidos, met a Spanish army. It was a bloody draw, but the Portuguese held their ground. Over the next decade, there were many skirmishes and sieges, but no decisive defeat. Lucas: John IV died in 1656, and his wife Luísa became regent for their young son Afonso VI. Afonso was physically and mentally disabled, so power struggles ensued. But the war continued. In 1659, Spain made peace with France, and the Portuguese feared a full Spanish invasion. Luna: That must have been terrifying. Did they almost lose? Lucas: It came close. But then a new English alliance came through. In 1661, Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza, John IV's daughter, and the English provided troops and support. That turned the tide. The Portuguese won a series of victories at Ameixial and Montes Claros. Luna: So the English dowry included military help? I remember Catherine brought Tangier and Bombay as her dowry. Lucas: Yes, that was part of it. Catherine's dowry included Tangier, Bombay, and trade rights, and in return, England sent a contingent of soldiers. It's a classic example of how diplomacy and marriage were tied to war. Lucas: Finally, in 1668, Spain recognized Portugal's independence in the Treaty of Lisbon. Philip IV had died in 1665, and his successor Charles II was a child. The war was unpopular in Spain, and they gave up. Luna: So the Braganza dynasty was secure. And it lasted until 1910, right? Lucas: That's right. The Restoration had a profound effect on Portuguese identity. It revived the national myth of the Portuguese as a chosen people, reclaiming their destiny. But it also came at a cost. The war drained the treasury, and the empire continued to decline. Still, Portugal remained independent — a small nation that survived against a much larger power. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why we love digging into these episodes. It takes resources to produce these deep dives, and we keep the show ad-free thanks to listeners who chip in through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small but vital group that keeps us going. Luna: Yeah, it makes a real difference. And it lets us explore stories like this that don't get told everywhere. Lucas: So the Restoration wasn't just a coup — it was a turning point. Portugal regained its sovereignty, but it also had to redefine itself in a world where its empire was shrinking. The Braganza kings focused more on Brazil than on Asia, which eventually led to the gold rush and the rise of Rio de Janeiro. Luna: That sounds like a whole other episode. Lucas: It does. And we'll get to it. But for now, I think the lesson is that even a small nation can fight back if it has the will and the right allies. The Forty Conjured gambled everything, and they won.