Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762)
Encyclopedia
The Spanish invasion of Portugal, between 9 May and 24 November 1762, was the principal military campaign of the Spanish–Portuguese War, 1761–1763
, which in turn was part of the larger Seven Years' War
. It initially involved the armies of Spain
and Portugal
, before the French and British intervened in the conflict on the side of their respective allies.
Spain had enjoyed good relations with the British, and so did not join with their traditional allies France against the British. This changed with the succession of a new monarch, Charles III
whose government switched to a more pro-French policy and in late 1761 the two states went to war.
and then to advance towards the Alentejo and Lisbon
, but after the Marquis of Sarria
had been appointed commander-in-chief he decided to begin by an attack in the north with Porto
as its aim. This would deal a hard blow to the British, who had large commercial interests in Porto, and would also be agreeable to Elisabeth of Parma
, the Queen Mother, who was still very much a power behind the Spanish throne and wished to spare the position of her daughter Mariana Victoria
, the Queen Consort of Portugal.
In any case there was no point in antagonising the Portuguese unduly, and if they were not attacked in their capital they might be readier to give in.
and also Miranda do Douro
, which was fortified but capitulated at once after an accidental explosion had made a large breach in the walls. They then overran the Trás-os-Montes plateau as far as Torre de Moncorvo, which was also an open town though the Spaniards expected it to be defended, and where they found a large number of guns and munitions.
The attack on Porto came to a standstill, because the Spanish did not realize the difficulties of the country to be traversed. A further delay was caused by the fact that the main body of Spanish troops at Zamora
, intended for Almeida, were held up by the flooded River Esla, a northern tributary of the Douro
, which they could not cross until a pontoon-bridge had been laid across it. France also sent some 12,000 men, but this force was decimated by disease and never used on the field, because their relations with the Spaniards were difficult. The Marquis of Sarria lost precious time and was replaced by the Count of Aranda
by mid August.
from the occupied island of Belle-Ile off the coast of France. They arrived in Lisbon in the third week of July. It was decided that the Earl of Loudoun would be second-in-command and that the German Wilhelm, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe would take over the command from the sick Baron Tyrawley.
, occupied Castelo Rodrigo
and besieged and took
the key border fortress of Almeida
on August 25.
Lippe had decided he would relieve the pressure on Almeida and Porto by organizing a counter-attack. A task force under John Burgoyne
supported by a sizable body of Portuguese infantry crossed the Tagus
and on August 27 took the Spanish city
of Valencia de Alcántara
by surprise. They cleared the neighbourhood of the Spanish troops, taking a number of prisoners including a Spanish general and returned with a ransom of a year's taxes paid in corn. This victory raised Portuguese moral and Burgoyne was given a large diamond and the Spanish Colours captured.
Lippe then organized a defense along the Zêzere River, and spent the summer studying the Spanish positions and thinking up counter-measures, directing his troops in many marches and counter-marches. He prevented the Spaniards from crossing the Tagus at Vila Velha de Ródão
, and on October 7 Burgoyne defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Vila Velha
and put out of action a battery of guns which were about to be emplaced, and safely crossed the river again. By half October the rains had swelled the Zêzere to render it impracticable. In November the Spanish attacked two small places, Marvão
and Ouguela
, but both cities were successfully held.
On November 24 the Count of Aranda informed Lippe that peace preliminaries had been signed, emissaries were exchanged and an armistice agreed.
The conflict is portrayed in the novel Absolute Honour by C.C. Humphreys, where the hero Jack Absolute serves with the British Light Dragoons under the command of Colonel John Burgoyne
, later to be famous for his entrapment at Saratoga
.
Spanish–Portuguese War, 1761–1763
The Spanish-Portuguese War between 1761 and 1763 was fought as part of the Seven Years' War. Because no major battles were fought, even though there were numerous movements of troops, the war is known in the Portuguese history as the Fantastic War , or War of the Pacte de Famille.When the Seven...
, which in turn was part of the larger Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. It initially involved the armies of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, before the French and British intervened in the conflict on the side of their respective allies.
Background
Spain and Portugal had both remained neutral in the Seven Year's War which had been officially declared in 1756. Under Ferdinand VIFerdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
Spain had enjoyed good relations with the British, and so did not join with their traditional allies France against the British. This changed with the succession of a new monarch, Charles III
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
whose government switched to a more pro-French policy and in late 1761 the two states went to war.
Prelude
The original Spanish plan was to take AlmeidaAlmeida
Almeida is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 518 km2 and a total population of 7,784 inhabitants. Located in Riba-Côa river valley, Almeida is an historic town in Beira Interior....
and then to advance towards the Alentejo and Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, but after the Marquis of Sarria
Marquis of Sarria
Nicolás de Carvajal y Lancaster, Marquis of Sarriá was a Spanish noble and military figure from the 18th century.He was the son of Bernardino de Carvajal y Vivero, second count de la Quinta de la Enjarada, and Maria Josefa de Lancaster y Noroña. His mother was a descendant of Jorge de Lancastre, a...
had been appointed commander-in-chief he decided to begin by an attack in the north with Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
as its aim. This would deal a hard blow to the British, who had large commercial interests in Porto, and would also be agreeable to Elisabeth of Parma
Elisabeth of Parma
Elisabeth Farnese , the daughter of Odoardo Farnese and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg, was Queen consort of Spain who exerted great influence over Spain's foreign policy.-Parma:Elisabeth was born at the Palazzo della Pilotta in Parma, the capital of a duchy which had been ruled by...
, the Queen Mother, who was still very much a power behind the Spanish throne and wished to spare the position of her daughter Mariana Victoria
Mariana Victoria of Spain
Mariana Victoria of Spain was an Infanta of Spain and Queen consort of Portugal as wife of King Joseph I. The mother of Queen Maria I of Portugal, she also acted as Regent of Portugal during the last months of her husband's life and advisor to her daughter during her reign.-Background:Mariana...
, the Queen Consort of Portugal.
In any case there was no point in antagonising the Portuguese unduly, and if they were not attacked in their capital they might be readier to give in.
The Spanish attack
In the beginning of May, the Spanish troops from Galicia crossed into Portugal and easily took the undefended towns of Chaves and BragançaBragança (Portugal)
Bragança is a city and municipality in north-eastern Portugal, capital of district of Bragança, in Alto Trás-os-Montes subregion of Portugal. In 2001, the population of the municipality was 34,774, in an area of 1173.57 km².-History:...
and also Miranda do Douro
Miranda do Douro
Miranda do Douro or Miranda de l Douro , is a city in Miranda do Douro Municipality, district of Bragança, Portugal.The city has a population of 1,960.-General information:...
, which was fortified but capitulated at once after an accidental explosion had made a large breach in the walls. They then overran the Trás-os-Montes plateau as far as Torre de Moncorvo, which was also an open town though the Spaniards expected it to be defended, and where they found a large number of guns and munitions.
The attack on Porto came to a standstill, because the Spanish did not realize the difficulties of the country to be traversed. A further delay was caused by the fact that the main body of Spanish troops at Zamora
Zamora, Spain
Zamora is a city in Castile and León, Spain, the capital of the province of Zamora. It lies on a rocky hill in the northwest, near the frontier with Portugal and crossed by the Duero river, which is some 50 km downstream as it reaches the Portuguese frontier...
, intended for Almeida, were held up by the flooded River Esla, a northern tributary of the Douro
Douro
The Douro or Duero is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province across northern-central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto...
, which they could not cross until a pontoon-bridge had been laid across it. France also sent some 12,000 men, but this force was decimated by disease and never used on the field, because their relations with the Spaniards were difficult. The Marquis of Sarria lost precious time and was replaced by the Count of Aranda
Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, Count of Aranda
Don Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea y Jiménez de Urrea, 10th Count of Aranda , was a Spanish statesman and diplomat.-Early life:...
by mid August.
British entry into the war
This delay gave the British the time to bring over five regiments under John Campbell, 4th Earl of LoudounJohn Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun
Major-General John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun was a British nobleman and army officer.-Early career:Campbell inherited the peerage on the death of his father in 1731, becoming Lord Loudoun. The earl raised a regiment of infantry that took part in the Jacobite Rising of 1745 on the side of the...
from the occupied island of Belle-Ile off the coast of France. They arrived in Lisbon in the third week of July. It was decided that the Earl of Loudoun would be second-in-command and that the German Wilhelm, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe would take over the command from the sick Baron Tyrawley.
Siege of Almeida
In mid-August the new Spanish commander-in-chief, Conde de Aranda, crossed the Côa riverCoa River
The Côa River is a tributary of the Douro River, in central and northeastern Portugal. It is one of the few Portuguese rivers that flows south to north...
, occupied Castelo Rodrigo
Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo
Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 508.6 km² and a total population of 6,884 inhabitants.Located in the Riba Coa , just like other municipalities around Riba Coa, such as Almeida, Meda, Pinhel and Sabugal...
and besieged and took
Siege of Almeida (1762)
The Siege of Almeida took place in August 1762 when a Spanish force besieged and captured the city of Almeida from its Portuguese defenders during the Seven Years' War. The city was taken on 25 August as part of the invasion of Portugal by a Spanish army commanded by the Conte De Aranda.The force...
the key border fortress of Almeida
Almeida
Almeida is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 518 km2 and a total population of 7,784 inhabitants. Located in Riba-Côa river valley, Almeida is an historic town in Beira Interior....
on August 25.
Lippe had decided he would relieve the pressure on Almeida and Porto by organizing a counter-attack. A task force under John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
supported by a sizable body of Portuguese infantry crossed the Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
and on August 27 took the Spanish city
Battle of Valencia de Alcántara
The Battle of Valencia de Alcántara took place in August 1762 when an Anglo Portuguese force led by John Burgoyne surprised and captured the town of Valencia de Alcántara from its Spanish defenders during the Seven Years' War...
of Valencia de Alcántara
Valencia de Alcántara
Valencia de Alcántara is a Spanish town near the Portuguese border . It is located in Cáceres province.Nuestra Señora de Rocamador is the most important church...
by surprise. They cleared the neighbourhood of the Spanish troops, taking a number of prisoners including a Spanish general and returned with a ransom of a year's taxes paid in corn. This victory raised Portuguese moral and Burgoyne was given a large diamond and the Spanish Colours captured.
Lippe then organized a defense along the Zêzere River, and spent the summer studying the Spanish positions and thinking up counter-measures, directing his troops in many marches and counter-marches. He prevented the Spaniards from crossing the Tagus at Vila Velha de Ródão
Vila Velha de Ródão
Vila Velha de Ródão is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 329.9 km² and a total population of 3,802 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 4 parishes and is located in the district of Castelo Branco....
, and on October 7 Burgoyne defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Vila Velha
Battle of Vila Velha
The Battle of Vila Velha or Battle of Vila Velha de Ródão took place in October 1762 when a British-Portuguese force led by John Burgoyne and Charles Lee surprised and recaptured the town of Vila Velha de Ródão from Spanish invaders during the Seven Years' War as part of the Spanish invasion of...
and put out of action a battery of guns which were about to be emplaced, and safely crossed the river again. By half October the rains had swelled the Zêzere to render it impracticable. In November the Spanish attacked two small places, Marvão
Marvão
Marvão is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 154.9 km² and a total population of 3,739 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 4 parishes, and is located in Portalegre District....
and Ouguela
Campo Maior
Campo Maior , is a municipality in the Portalegre District, Alentejo Region, Portugal.The municipality has an area of 247,26 km² and a population of 8359 . It is divided into 3 parishes . It is bordered by Spain on the North and East, by Elvas Municipality on the Southeast, and by Arronches...
, but both cities were successfully held.
On November 24 the Count of Aranda informed Lippe that peace preliminaries had been signed, emissaries were exchanged and an armistice agreed.
Aftermath
The British and Portuguese had success by adroit marches and counter-marches, so that the Spaniards, although hugely superior in numbers, were always confronted by defenders in a good position and never dared to risk an all-out attack. There were few deaths in battle, but many soldiers on both sides died from sickness. A number of British and Spanish soldiers later to become notable in the American War of Independence served in this campaign. It has largely been ignored from public attention, perhaps because no major battles took place, it was overshadowed by other theatres of the war, and because it took place so close to the conclusion of the Seven Years War.The conflict is portrayed in the novel Absolute Honour by C.C. Humphreys, where the hero Jack Absolute serves with the British Light Dragoons under the command of Colonel John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
, later to be famous for his entrapment at Saratoga
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
.