Alternative History
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1250, Portugal conquered the Algarve. Now that the South was secured, in 1256 Portugal's capital moved to Lissabon.

In the year 1340, Portugal defeated the Moorish army together with Castille; this was the last time an Arab army landed on Iberian soil.

During the years 1350-75, Portugal (like other countries) extended fishery in the North Atlantic, going farther and farther west. Soon, tales of strange islands in the far west started to spread among fishermen and sailors.

1355, Portuguese king Fernando I was deposed because of unspeakable cruelty, and his younger brother Diniz II took the power.

In the year 1398, Portugal was struck by the Black Death.

Discoveries[]

Portuguese Flag   Colonial Empire of Portugal (Chaos TL)   Chain
Colonies

Arguim | Ceuta | Congo | Guinea


1381, Portugal conquered the city of Ceuta. They started exploring the West African coast, looking for a route to Mali with its famous riches of gold. In 1392, Portugal discovered and took claim of Madeira. (Well, it's very possible that the Genoese were there before...)

In the year 1410, Portugal had restarted its discoveries after the shock of the Black Death, reached Cabo Nao (important because the Arabs never sailed further south than here). 1418, Portugal discovered, claimed and later settled the Azores. In 1434, the Portuguese discoveries (which suffered due to the Civil War) were restarted again. At the moment, they had reached Cape Bojador, which was believed to be impassable.

During the 1440s, the Portuguese started slave trade between Africa and Atlantis, which became their quasi-monopoly. At this time, the slaves were mostly captured Muslims from Morocco.

In 1449, the Portuguese captains managed to sail around Cape Bojador, which was believed to be the last safe point you can sail to. Now they had proven the opposite; the way around Africa was opened. Since 1450, the invention of the caravel in Portugal further helped developing oversea trade and colonization.

1461, the Portuguese discoverers reached the Senegal river. King Pedro insisted that they'd try to find a way from here to the gold-rich Mali, which didn't work. However, they started to trade for gold (and slaves) at the Mauretanian island of Arguim.

In 1481, the Portuguese discoverers went further south, came to Guinea. The income of the Portuguese crown doubled within short time; the money was divided in three between the two Portuguese princes and the Castillian king, however. 1488, the Portuguese reached the mouth of Niger river.

In the year 1492 (SCNR), a Castillian expedition (well, it was funded by the Castillian king, and some of his people were on the ship, but since the Portuguese had insisted, the captain and all the sailors were Portuguese - Castillians weren't allowed to build caravels) crossed the Atlantic, made landfall in Florida (which was named the same way ITTL), claimed it for Castille-Portugal.

Under Castillian rule[]

After the death of Pedro II "the Cruel" of Portugal 1421, the country descended into Civil War.

1424, the Castillian king Pedro III interfered in the Portuguese Civil War, where the sons of Pedro II fought against each other. At the end, Pedro of Castille became new king of Portugal, and the two sons became princes of North and South Portugal respectively. By using this division, Castillian kings could keep Portugal under control, although they had to respect Portuguese rights.

1449 a revolt against the rule of king Pedro IV of Castille started in Portugal, but since the princes of North and South Portugal couldn't agree who should reign, Castille could impose its rule again in 1453 - although the king again had to swear to accept Portuguese rights.

In 1497, Pedro IV of Castille died without heir; Castille-Portugal was united with England-Scotland, forming the Quadruple Monarchy.

Under the Plantagenets[]

English Flag   Quadruple Monarchy (Chaos TL)   Spanish Flag
Nations Protectorates

Castille | England | Portugal | Scotland

Ireland | Marches

King: Edward V Plantagenet

Religion: Occidental Schism

Wars

Anti-Danish War | First Occidental-Seljuk War | Great Occidental War

Scottish Flag   Quadruple Monarchy (Chaos TL)   Portuguese Flag


Portugal from now on got involved in the greater politics of the Quadruple Monarchy, whether they wanted it or not. They saw the church's property nationalized when the Occidental church was set up, and also how it was abolished again after the council of Ghent. Portuguese troops fought in the Great Occidental War, and also later in the other wars the (now) Triple Monarchy fought.

In 1560, King Henry IV reordered his kingdoms. The two halves of Portugal were reunited under him as king.

Portugal also profited from the slave trade to Atlantis, for which they had a monopoly.

English Flag   Triple Monarchy (Chaos TL)   Spanish Flag
Nations Protectorates

Castille | England | Portugal

Ireland | Marches | Sicily

Plantagenet Kings

Edward V | Edward VI | Henry IV | Henry V | Henry VI

Wars

Second Occidental-Seljuk War | Great Seljuk War | English-Polish War

Portuguese Flag   Triple Monarchy (Chaos TL)   Welsh Flag


Independence anew[]

Under king Henry VI, the Castillians started an uprising that ended with the destruction of the Triple Monarchy of England-Castille-Portugal. In the ensuing Castillian Civil War, Portugal was supported by France. Miguel, former duke of Linhares, became new king and even managed to acquire Olivenca from Spain. However, in 1628, Florence bribed the Portuguese commander of the fortress Ceuta, so he gave them the city, which they kept.

For the help, Portugal had to allow French merchants to trade in their colonies in Africa. Even worse, when the anti-French War broke out, Portugal was overwhelmed by Spain and lost its independence again in 1694.

Under Spanish rule[]

Uprisings in Portugal in the 1710s were suppressed. Many Portuguese didn't want to suffer the new yoke, went to the "Ship Settlements" in the sea of Guinea instead. Portuguese men would have children with local women, and quite one of their sons conquered his own little kingdom in West Africa, with European weapons and tactics, like Joao de Gouveia or Raymundo Pires.

Another Portuguese uprising happened in 1725, which took Spain until 1728 to defeat completely.

The Earthquake of Lissabon on November 1st of 1755 broke the spirit of the Portuguese. Again, many left for Guinea instead of resisting further.

Things changed however in 1772 when the Portuguese saw that the new French republic had defeated Spain. After the second French Republican War, Portugal gained its independence in the peace of Basel. After the third French Republican War, they also received Galicia in the peace of Frankfurt.

Third independence[]

In 1787, Portugal tried to reclaim its former colonies in Guinea, where meanwhile a Portuguese-speaking Mulatto upper class ruled. The trial was not successful, but trade was reopened (no slave trade with Europe, though).

Spanish Flag   States on the Iberian peninsula (Chaos TL)   Spanish Flag
Nations

Andalusia | Aragon | Asturia | Castille | Granada | Navarre | Portugal | Spain

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