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During the Fourth Dynasty, Portugal experienced a rebirth. This dynasty, also called
the House of Bragança, began in 1640 with the popular coronation of D. João IV and ended
in 1910 with the Republican Revolution. In 1641, the newly-crowned Portuguese king began
working actively in the defense of his country. He formed a permanent army, reorganized
the navy, developed the arms industry, fortified the frontiers, and restructured the
economy. Insisting in reclaiming Portugal, Philip IV of Spain invaded Alentejo, but was
repelled by the Portuguese. In 1644, the Battle of Montijo, the first of several battles
of the war for Restauração (Restoration) won by the Portuguese took place. This
war lasted 28 years. With the help of allies (England, Holland, Denmark and the Vatican)
Portugal regained its independence, and the control of some provinces in Africa and
Brazil. However, this freedom was curtailed by the French. Having refused Napoleon's
ultimatum to close its ports to England, Portugal was subjected to several attacks from
his armies. Disenchanted with the absolute power of the king and attracted to the new
ideas of liberalism that the French had helped spread throughout the country during their
invasions, many Portuguese people cried for reform. Some wished to stay loyal to the
monarch, however. This caused a party division. Two groups--the absolutists and the
liberals-- arose. They were unable to come to an agreement, and a civil war broke. The
liberals won, and the Républica was proclaimed on October 5 of 1910. For the first
time in its history, Portugal had a government elected by the people, but its economy was
depleted. During this two hundred and seventy-year period, Portugal endured a series of
misfortunes. It had costly battles with foreign countries (Spain, France, the Netherlands
and England) and within its borders, and lost control of Brazil and other territories
abroad. In addition, it experienced an earthquake that destroyed most of its capital. The
costs of the civil war and of the war against its European enemies had been more than the
country could bear. |
