The Acclamation War And the first Peninsular Army

For the next 20 years, Spanish armies would at various times attempt to reconquer Portugal, but as they were waging war with France at the same time in the much bigger struggle of the 30 Years War, so they never quite had the resources to put down the rebellion. For years, Cardinals Richelieu and later Mazarin of France would happily send arms and money to Portugal in order to divert the Hapsburgs from their wars in France and the Netherlands, and create a ‘second front for the enemies of France

Spain and Portugal in 1590 – just after the forced Reunification

King John IV had died in 1656, and the new King Alfonso VI was just a child. Therefore, in 1660, the Queen Regent, Luisa, started to negotiate with the newly restored King of England – Charles II. This led to King Charles agreeing to marry Alfonso’s sister, Katherine of Braganza, and for the recruiting of 4,000 English, Scottish, and Irish soldiers to fight for the Portuguese. All in return for Trading Privileges, a large sum of money, and the port of Tangiers in North Africa. The soldiers were mainly veterans from the English Civil Wars, and brought with them many of the fighting techniques gained in that long and ruinous struggle.

Spanish armies were now free to invade Portugal with no distractions from France. However, their invasion attempts were foiled by the international army of British, French, Swedes, and Portuguese, led by Marshal Friedrich Shomberg. Shomberg had previously been in the service of the French, and in fact Cardinal Mazarin forbade him from serving the Portuguese. Shonberg ignored him, and went anyway. It was fortunate for the Portuguese that he did so.

Shomberg and his British Army arrived just in time to reinforce the Portuguese forces and to be launched into the attack at the Battle of Ameixial on June 8^th 1663, where they smashed through the Spanish defences inflicting 4000 dead, 2500 wounded, and 3500 prisoners. Nevertheless, the War continued for another two years until the decisive ‘Battle of Montes Claros’ on June 17^th 1665,where Shonberg and his ‘Anglo-Portuguese’ Army cut down wave after wave of brave, predictable, and rather stupid, cavalry charges from Spanish Caballeros ordered by the Spanish Commander, the Marques of Caracena. There are accounts of the British Soldiers for the first time adopting a new formation in battle and ‘forming Squares’, as they would continue to do against cavalry attack until the late 19^th century. Afterwards, the war faded away as the Spanish just gave in. At about the same time, the Dutch slunk off also, having worked out that the game was up.

Peace was signed in 1668 at the Treaty of Lisbon, and Spain and Portugal went their separate ways. By then, King Phillip of Spain was dead, and the government of his Empire left in the sickly and incompetent hands of his young son, King Charles ‘The Bewitched’. Alfonso VI of Portugal was deposed as King by his brother Pedro, due to Alfonso’s insanity. Pedro would rule as Regent until 1683, when he ascended the throne as Pedro II. Marshal Shonburg continued to carve a reputation as a General within various European Armies, he even carried on soldiering for the French as well as the British He died Sword in Hand leading an Infantry assault at the Battle of the Boyne in 1689 .

The English Government continued to treat Portugal as a close ally and trading partner for many years, until the country was invaded by Napoleonic France in 1808. And so another Peninsular Army of Redcoats led by the future Duke of Wellington was despatched to repel the invaders, save Portugal, liberate Spain, and eventually invade France itself. That epic struggle is, however, another story…