The Portuguese Navy That Ruled the Atlantic

The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History · Sep 24, 2026 · 7m · transcript

Long before the Spanish Armada, Portugal commanded the seas with a fleet that connected Lisbon to Brazil and beyond. This episode explores the Estado do Brasil, the maritime bureaucracy that kept the empire running when kings were far away. We look at José de Mascarenhas, the Count of Sarzedas, who modernized naval logistics and defended trade routes from French privateers. You will hear about the Carta Régia, the royal decrees that standardized shipbuilding and crew recruitment across the Atlantic. We examine how the Ministério da Marinha emerged as a powerful institution, ensuring that…