United Kindgom and Portugal '' the oldest alliance''

[DangerMouse]

I would like to know more about the supposedly oldest alliance in the world. From what I have read this alliance is 632 years old now and was signed in 1373. What were the cons and pros for both england and portugal ?

[Jehuty]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Portuguese_alliance

[<Gypsum Fantastic>]

I think it was more of an idea to stop two big colonial powers going to war over certain colonies. Benificial to both sides so they could concentrate on their own enemies.

[el borracho]

I've read somewhere that it stretches back to the 1100's...and it wasn't so much as colonial issues since during the 1100's (or 1300's for that matter) Britain and Portugal had yet to expand their empires. I believe the situation was that Britain needed ports closer to the Mediterranean, which France and Spain were unwilling to provide, and Portgual needed protection from it's neighbor who regularly tried to annex the fledgling kingdom.

[papatango]

Actually, Portugal and England were two relatively small European nations in the 14th century.
England had around 2.5 to 3 million people, and Portugal, something around 800.000 to 900.000. France had 9 million and Castile, around 5 or 6 million.

The alliance was an obvious way for two countries, which were basically islands, to open trade between them. Portugal didn’t have land trade routes with the other Iberian nations, (Castile, Aragon and Granada), therefore, trade was basically by sea.

The advantages were mutual, and as far as I know, both Portugal and England supplied troops to each other, in different periods. Being that England invoked the treaty more often than Portugal.

The treaty did not stop England from almost starting wars with Portugal, during the Cromwell period and in the 19th century with the “pink map” crisis, when the UK threatened Portugal with war, if Portuguese troops did not leave the current Zimbabwe and Zambia territories.

The UK invoked the treaty, to ask for the use of the Azores during World War II. Winston Churchill said that the treaty was really just history after World War II, but again during the Falkland war, the UK, invoked the treaty, in order to use the Azores to refuel planes.

Important to bear in mind, that there are various ways (and clauses) to ask for help from the other party.

The most known clause of the treaty, (rarely invoked) is the “Friends to friends and foes to foes” clause. Accordingly, any nation declaring itself as enemy of England, can be considered as enemy of Portugal (and vice versa), if any of the parties - Portugal or England - invokes that treaty’s clause.
Up to this day, all the clauses are technically still in force. The treaty will cease to exist, the day Portugal or England refuse to comply with the any of it’s clauses.

Regards

[Stolly]

Why didn't Portugal join WWII then ?

[Benny]

In my opinion, Portugal didn't entered WWII because neither side wanted that to happen. Wisely, Portugal sold strategic mineral to Germany and, when the tide changed in favour of the allies, accepted allied air bases in the Azores, to face the still serious U-boat menace.

Also, as long as Spain maintained its neutrality, Germany could not invade Portugal (which was completely useless unless Portugal allied itself with England). On the other hand, England had no interest in invoking the treaty, because that would almost certainly force her to commit some divisions (and valuable aircraft) in the defence of Portugal (I am speaking about the 1939-1942 period), which were badly needed in North Africa.

If Portugal entered WWII, probably the Greek scenario would be repeated again in the Iberian Peninsula. England would have to commit some simbolic forces to the defence of Portugal and then would be forced to retreat to the coast, losing all heavy equipment.

That would probably force Spain to enter the war on the axis side, thus menacing Gibraltar. Spain was still recovering from a devastating civil war, but had a experienced army and relatively well equiped. German assistance would also boost its effectiveness, of course.

And let's not forget that the Portuguese East and West African, and Indian colonies had no strategic value in WWII. The colonial issue was an important factor for the participation of Portugal in WWI, but those conditions no longer existed in the 1940's.

[Yosy]

^^^^don't forget the bad experience from WW1.

http://img56.exs.cx/img56/3542/ptflagman6da.gif