The Social, Economic and Political Consequences of the Napoleonic Wars in Portugal
The involvement of Portugal in the Napoleonic war was due to its
refusal to close its ports to the British, as it had declared a
‘position of inviolable neutrality’ regarding the war. This led to the
occupation of Lisbon by the French army on the 1st December 1807. The
royal family, the government and members of the royal court all fled
to Brazil causing a profound shift in the traditional balance of power
between Brazil and Portugal. The status of Brazil was raised until it
made a separate kingdom equal to Portugal, diminishing the status of
Portugal since the power base was now in Brazil.
Initially, Portugal was able to capitalise on its neutral status as
trade routes were becoming relatively limited. In 1803 Portuguese
exports to England were worth more than 10 million escudos, and the
average worth of exports per year between 1800 and 1807 was 8 million
escudos. Imports were also high, and part of these imports was sold to
France and Spain.
In 1810 a treaty was signed which opened the ports of Brazil to trade
with Britain. Portugal was therefore cut out of the ‘trade triangle’
that it had previously monopolised. This meant that Portugal no longer
distributed Brazilian goods, and also ceased to supply Brazil to the
same extent. The economy suffered greatly because of this, for example
Portuguese exports of cotton fell to less than a tenth of the levels
previously exported.[1] A gradual shift towards Brazilian independence
from Portugal was started, although it did not happen for many years.
When Spain and Portugal decided to revolt against Napo...
... middle of paper ...
...ore moderately than
before) until he died in 1826.
In conclusion the period of time following the Napoleonic Wars was one
of great turmoil. The war left Portugal’s land damaged, the economy
unstable and the people restless. If the treaty allowing trade with
Brazil had not been signed, then it is feasible that Portugal could
have recovered much more quickly. As it was, however, the loss of
income at a time when Portugal needed money most desperately, was a
serious blow. If the wars had not occurred, and the royal family had
not fled to Brazil, then the style of absolutist governing would have
lasted much longer, though the shift to constitutionalism may have
eventually occurred anyway.
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[1] H.V Livermore; Portugal, a short history. Page 136
Spain, who was an ally of France, disobeyed Napoleon's decree. Then in 1808 Napoleon overthrew the Spanish royal family and made his brother Joseph king of Spain. However, everything that Napoleon did such as put in a foreign ruler, take away noble privileges offended Spanish pride and created nationalistic feelings. The people of Spain revolted in 1808. The French troops stopped the riots, but the nationalistic spirit was not lost. For the next five years, there was warfare in Spain. British troops came to aid Spain. This led to the defeat of Joseph, death of thousands of French troops and it inspired patriots and nationalists of other lands to resist Napoleon. This war between 1808 and 1813 is called The Peninsular War.
... K. Manchester is an authority on the history of Brazil and its relations with Great Britain. In an article entitled, “The Recognition of Brazilian Independence”, Manchester argues, “the struggle for independence in Brazil was influenced decisively by the intimate and unique ties which bound Portuguese America to Europe.”; independence was ultimately won by diplomacy. In his letter to John Jay, Thomas Jefferson cautiously explores the possibilities of engaging in a war with Portugal for the independence of Brazil and recognizes that the colony cannot conduct a revolution without the help of a powerful nation. Brazil considered the North American revolution a precedent for theirs. Jefferson maintained that the United States was not in any condition to engage in war. Jefferson's letter helps discredit the United States as Brazil’s primary benefactor during this time.
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the island of Corsica in 1769. He was the third son and fourth
Bentley, J., & Ziegler, H. (2008). Trade and encounters a global perspective on the past. (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 182-401). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Napoleon was a great soldier that graduated from military school at the age of sixteen and quickly worked his way through the ranks. Napoleon was a brilliant leader in battle and consistently defeated armies larger than his own; including when he forced the Austrians to make peace after defeating four of their generals. In 1799 Napoleon and his colleagues overtook the French government and established power. He revised the constitution in 1802 to make himself consul for life, and then again in 1804 to make himself Emperor of France. Soon after Napoleon came to power he restructured the administration, simplified the court system, and began monitoring the schooling system; French law was also put in the Napoleon Code which guaranteed the rights and liberties that were gained through the revolution. Napoleons violent behavior caused war with Britain to break out, who allied with Russia and Austria. Prussia later allied themselves with Russia; creating a huge alliances against France and Napoleon. Napoleon successfully extended his reign over large parts of Europe and put each state under the Napoleon Code, which gave citizens new rights and privileges. In 1812 all of Europe turned against Napoleon, which lead to his exile in 1814. He regained power in 1815 just to loose it later that year. He died in exile in Saint Helena in 1821.
Russell-Wood, A. J. R. Portuguese empire, 1415-1808 a world on the move. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins UP, 1998. Print.
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Mitchener, Kris, J. "Politics and trade: evidence from the age of imperialism." Voxeu.org. CEPR, 11 April 2008. Web. 30 November 2013.
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