How the Anglo-Portuguese Friendship Broke

In 1147, as part of the Second Crusade, the Crusaders laid siege to Lisbon, then under Muslim control. This particular Crusade was largely from northern Europe, consisting mostly of Englishmen, but also Scandinavians, Scots, Flemings, and northern Germans, and set out from Dartmouth. Unlike the first crusade, which was largely on foot, by horse and ox cart from France and central Europe, this one was by sea. On their way to the Holy Land by ship, they sailed past Lisbon, so they stoped along the way and drove the Muslims out of this city, handing it over to their Christian brothers the Portuguese and their King Alfonso I. It fits into the philosophy of the Crusades.

The siege was successful, Lisbon fell, and that year marks the beginning of modern #Portugal as a country, as you probably know if you've been there, the Portuguese love to put together a series of flags and coats of arms from Alfonso I in 1147.

The Crusade on #Jerusalem itself failed after that, but that important incidental success with #Lisbon remained.

Since a large part of the crusaders who conquered Lisbon were English, and the fleet with the crusaders set off from England, this began a centuries-old excellent friendship between the English and the Portuguese. Even during most of the colonial period, these powers did not enter into disputes. In this sense, the great difference in the relationship between Spain and England is noticeable - constant major or minor wars and conflicts, but the Spaniards, although the Portuguese are their closest brothers, could not count on them if the fight was against the English. The Portuguese were either neutral in these episodes, or quietly on the side of the English. They remembered the #liberation of Lisbon!

The Anglo-Portuguese friendship was further emphasized in the Napoleonic Wars, when the English helped defend Portugal, and specifically Lisbon, from the French invaders with their expeditionary forces. (The Spanish changed sides in the Napoleonic Wars, Portugal and England did not.) Portugal and England have never fought a war in history, nor have they been on opposite sides of any major conflict. Spain and England have fought many times.

But everything comes to an end, including that great friendship. Today, no one remembers the POR-ENG alliance or considers these countries friends. Why?

In 1888, Portugal controlled #Angola and #Mozambique. They thought it would be great to merge these two huge colonies into one Portuguese belt across the whole of Africa. This meant that they had to bribe the tribal chiefs in what later became #Zambia, #Rhodesia (#Zimbabwe) and #Malawi. They started making moves in that direction, but the English said - no way, it will be ours, Cecil Rhodes wants the Cape to Cairo. In 1890 they issued an ultimatum to Portugal, which was then militarily much weaker, was not in a position to risk war and gave up.

However, disappointment, anger and resentment towards the "brother English" who had so vilely humiliated them internationally remained. That was the end of the great friendship, although the two countries have not yet gone to war.

Realistically, the English had so much territory everywhere that they could have left part of it to Portugal, but then they would not have a belt running the entire length of Africa from north to south, which Cecil Rhodes had imagined.

Cecil Rhodes, probably the greatest colonialist of the 19th century, died in 1902 at the age of 48. Now the woke team is tearing down Rhodes' statues in England, they are ashamed of his legacy, and Rhodesia, the country named after him, has been gone for forty years....