How did Portugal resist the three Napoleonic invasions? Rui Cardoso, journalist and author of “Mapa Cor de Sangue”, joins the conversation
At the end of 1806, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte controlled continental Europe but did not have a naval fleet capable of rivaling the British. Thus, he decided to block continental ports from British trade. Portugal was then faced with a difficult dilemma: if it closed its ports to British trade, it risked losing Brazil to the United Kingdom; If he didn’t do so, he risked being invaded by the Napoleonic army. As Portugal did not join the continental blockade, the country was invaded in November 1807 by a French army commanded by General Junot. Days before, the Royal Family, the Court, the government, and part of the administration, had hurriedly embarked for Brazil.
From June 1808 onwards, the French invader encountered strong resistance from the Portuguese, with the proclamation of the “Provisional Board of the Supreme Government of the Kingdom” and the action of the guerrillas. The failure of the three Napoleonic invasions was not due solely to the British army, which first landed in Portugal in August 1808, but also popular resistance, in its multiple facets, and the Portuguese army, then reorganized under British command.
Rui Mirama for the Humor À Primeira Vista podcast
Matilde Fieschi
A relaxed dialogue around History, its greatest characters and events. ‘History repeats itself’ is not a class, but it aims to arouse curiosity about the past and build bridges with the present. Every week Henrique Monteiro and Lourenço Pereira Coutinho start from a point that can lead to many others… That’s what good conversations are like. Listen to other episodes here:
