Your challenge as mentioned in the title, is to ensure the personal union of Portugal and Brazil lasts to the modern day from a PoD of around 1500. Bonus points if this state becomes the precursor to a Portuguese variant of the Commonwealth of Nations.
AHC: Maintain the Portuguese-Brazilian Union to Modern Day
- Thread starter Noblesse Oblige
- Start date
The hardest part will be having Portugal 'okay' with being the tail to the Brazilian dog. Over the course of history from your POD date, Brazil is only going to grow in importance, while Portugal will shrink. You'd probably end up with movements calling for the independence of Portugal from Brazil.
Well, you can always use the alien space bats to teletransport Portugal to Brazil.
Or you can make Portugal a Brazillian colony.
Whatever, Portugal is not UK, there is no way they remain united, except if they both remain monarchies with the same royal families and are later on re-united.
Or you can make Portugal a Brazillian colony.
Whatever, Portugal is not UK, there is no way they remain united, except if they both remain monarchies with the same royal families and are later on re-united.
The easiest solution would probably be a shared monarch, with a shared currency. The ministries of foreign affairs, defence and finance would be under the King as well. A shared monarchy where each kingdom retains a separate parliament, which would send a committee to renegotiate the terms of the union periodically, this of course would be overseen by the monarch. Despite a common currency, fiscally each kingdom remains independent, under a customs union.
Of course this would require a stronger monarch than Joao VI, perhaps he is poisoned earlier, as many believe he was poisoned by arsenic. With a strongman like Pedro I/IV at the helm, he could probably make a union of some sorts work.
Of course this would require a stronger monarch than Joao VI, perhaps he is poisoned earlier, as many believe he was poisoned by arsenic. With a strongman like Pedro I/IV at the helm, he could probably make a union of some sorts work.
guinazacity
Banned
Maybe a parliament in every kingdom and a joint senate/great courts with an equal number of representatives for each kingdom? make an american-inspired constitution and let the other issues be discussed by the individual parliaments.
Perhaps something similar to the Austro-Hungarian Ausgleich could work here. Give Brazil and Portugal control of most of their internal affairs and keep a few common ministries. I'd also have members of the Royal family present in each "kingdom" to act as Regents, similar to what the Habsburgs did for their sprawling empire. But the real key would be to remove British control of Portugal after 1814. Portugal's transformation into a British protectorate was the immediate cause of the 1820 revolution.
Well it is an intriguing concept to say the least. But what is to stop one or the other from terminating such a long-distance relationship?
The declaration of Brazilian independence happened in 7 September 1822. In 21 February 1823 the Vilafrancada, an absolutist movement in Portugal, exploded under the leadership of D. Miguel. If you manage to postpone the Brazilian independence, you can have D. Pedro declaring himself in support of the Parliament in Lisbon in exchange for more autonomy and representation to Brazil.
One can wonder how long a Brazil-Portugal union would last with the former developing in an economic powerhouse in comparison to the latter, but we should also remember that the North and South of Brazil did not feel represented by Rio de Janeiro, and could advocate more autonomy for themselves inside the Union. For example, modern Uruguay and Rio Grande do Sul had more in common with themselves than with Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo. The Northeast had tried secession two times. And Pará is far away. I could see these regions seeking the status of kingdoms.
One can wonder how long a Brazil-Portugal union would last with the former developing in an economic powerhouse in comparison to the latter, but we should also remember that the North and South of Brazil did not feel represented by Rio de Janeiro, and could advocate more autonomy for themselves inside the Union. For example, modern Uruguay and Rio Grande do Sul had more in common with themselves than with Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo. The Northeast had tried secession two times. And Pará is far away. I could see these regions seeking the status of kingdoms.
If OP is interested in an earlier POD around 1500, D. Henry I (reigned 1578-1580) considered transfering the court fom Lisbon to Brazil in order to flee Spanish influence. From this point you could've a virtual kingdom of Portugal developing in the New World, and later becoming a sort of Commonwealth.
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In another world, 200 years later in North America, American colonists are tiffed that the British monarch refuses to follow the Portuguese model and relocate to the colonies.
guinazacity
Banned
Well, this coupled with a wave of immigration might make the world see a monarchist, catholic version of the USA 200 years before the USA
