Rebirth of an Empire "O Renascimento de um Império" v2.0

[Lusitania]

Good update.

This TL will be the size of a doorstopper in no time...

We are talking size of library, the Rebirth of Empire I (1750 -1777) v1 was 60 pages when we first starting updating it we revised it to 98 pages in v1.1. Then we completely re-wrote it with Thrudgelmir2333 taking the lead in the revision. The current version (v2.3) is 341 pages. Currently we are writing Rebirth of Empire II (1750 -1799) and it will be more complete and in depth and will actually be larger than current Rebirth of Empire I this is due to the in depth wars and battles that occurred and is depicted.

 

[The Merovingian]

So all this has me wondering, will Brazil and Portugal stay united? Bigger question yet, will Portugal be allowed/have the muscle to keep Macao?

 

[Lusitania]

So all this has me wondering, will Brazil and Portugal stay united? Bigger question yet, will Portugal be allowed/have the muscle to keep Macao?

The answer to both is yes. While the short answer is yes each one is complicated.

The relationship between Portugal and Brazil was forever changed with king Joseph I proclaiming Brazil as equal partner in the empire. This was done prior to American and French revolutions while iOTL only done in 1807 with the relocation of Portuguese court to Rio. This new "equal" relationship will change over time and there will be tensions but they will also be shared bonds and relationships. We will be writing more on its evolution in the Ministry of Navy and Colonial Affairs as well in future sections.

As for Macau, iOTL its existence was always at the discretion of the Chinese with Portuguese only receiving actual ownership of Macau in the late 19th century. Till then it was owned by China and administered by Portugal. In addition it was last overseas possession to be returned (1999) but that had more to with the Chinese wanting to make sure that the transfer of the richer and more important Hong Kong was not jeapordized by negative reaction to their rule of Macau. ITL Portuguese economic fortunes will be stronger so the challenge will not be to maintain Macau but to make it economically stronger and not be overshadowed by Hong Kong and if feasible expand its size.

 

[Lusitania]

Rebirth of the Empire (Part 1 of 2) (cont)

Pombaline Cabinet (1762 - 1777) (Cont)

Ministry of Army & Foreign Affairs (6 of 6)

Fortress & Cartography Acts​

In the early years of his mandate, when the Count wasn’t battling to reform and rebuild the army, he conducted trips around the Continental territory both for inspection purposes, research and personal joy. William often left Lisbon to pass through the outposts in Alentejo, Beira and Douro, taking close looks at the recruitment operations and training. This allowed him to enhance his position in the national mindset as an inspiring figure even more.

One of the more urgent subjects he overlooked in these trips was the fortifications. As a military theorist with a particular interest in defensive warfare, Lippe was fascinated by the role of fortresses in war and how they could be used to tip the balance of the war not through sheer defensive power, but position and distribution.

Along with the stronger emphasis on light combat, William believed the Portuguese Army fought its best through defensive methods. Even counter invasions were just a method to obtain more favorable positions with which to stand its ground against the enemy. This prolonged the conflict, but minimized casualties in what was a small European army with a lot of strategic friendly positions to make use of around the globe.

The Army Minister wished to pass on his thinking to the army as well as provide it with the best tools to walk the path of defense.

One of the controversies around the Royal Road project was the belief that land invaders would make use of the roads in their favor to more rapidly and safely reach important targets in Continental Portugal. William, however, advocated that any intelligent invading General would think twice before making leisure use of them, as they were purposely designed to not only be fast, but also vulnerable to attack. An army prepared to make smart use of maps, fortifications and traps could turn the Royal Roads into living nightmares, as even if the enemy travelled faster, they also did so out in the open between forests and mountains riddled with strong defensive positions and hidey-holes that any force could make use of to outflank or harass the exposed enemy. Moreover, some major junctions in roads coming from Spain were so far apart that blowing up a single bridge was enough to force the enemy to take a much longer road through a strategically dangerous path.

Starting from 1769, after the economic situation had solidified itself strongly enough, the Count conducted restoration and fortification projects to place new, modern fortresses in tactical points in Portuguese territory. His placement strategy was a direct contrast to Vauban’s famous system; rather than making points that were already strong unassailable, Lippe chose the placement of fortresses based on terrain vulnerability and supply routes.

Center: Lippe’s Fortress notes
Sides: Lippe Forts across Portugal​

Making use of the contemporary star-fort design, Lippe placed fortresses in Alentejo to drive the invading enemy southwards from the path to Lisbon. The idea was that ignoring a fortress to the south, even if out of the way, would leave the enemy vulnerable to have its supply lines cut (just like it happened to the Spanish in the Fantastic War), so the invader was forced to attack the fortress before turning to Lisbon. Any general knew, however, than any fortress that wasn’t unassailable like Vauban’s was a simple matter of sieging plus time. Lippe, however, only meant to use the fortresses as retreat points; once the enemy was driven to them the Portuguese Army would then have to maneuver into a position that was highly advantageous but not constricting like that of a fortress.

This sort of tactic required superior reconnaissance, light troops, great deal of bravery and superior defensive army power for success, as it was not only necessary to find out where the enemy was, but also lure/harass it into the Portuguese Army’s direction and then have the steel and lead to fight it off. Fortunately, the Portuguese army had plenty of these. The most famous battle of the 1801 Medal War, the battle of Abenrey, made use of this mentality to astonishing effect; lead by Manuel de Godoy who was very savvy of the Fantastic War’s results (having written whole books about why the Spanish lost), the Spanish were lured southwards by the presence of a Portuguese force near the Évora star fort and dragged to a fight that, though not unassailable, granted the Portuguese a very strong defensive advantage. The false sense of security in the Spanish as a result of the open position led to a prolonged fighting and the ensuing tactical traps employed by the Portuguese would pincer the Spanish, proving the validness of Lippe’s mentality.

This did not mean that the Count ignored the regions north of the Tagus. In the Beira, Braganza and Minho regions, the Count followed a more classical style of thinking and placed smaller fortresses designed to make the mountainous paths death traps. The eastern entrance of the Douro Valley, however, was less fortified so as to lure invaders where they could be ensnared.

The Count’s defensive doctrines, however, as stated above, required a great deal of skill, knowledge, bravery and tools to be successful. Squadrons and Battalions had to know exactly what and where to do to accomplish the major strategy. As such, the Count worked to lay the groundwork for superior fortification and siege knowledge in the country.

In 1771 the Royal Academy for Military Fortification was opened. This academy became one of the principle learning centers for modern siege warfare, army engineering work and military fortification in Portugal. The knowledge Portuguese Artillery Officers would gain at this academy would serve Portugal numerous times throughout the empire, but especially during the grueling Peninsular Wars.

The colonial armies were rearmed with arms and artillery manufactured in the growing Portuguese armament industries. Border forts were also established in areas that both protected and extended Portugal’s control of its provinces. The La Plata border received special attention, as it was the main fighting ground the empire concerned itself with at the time.

The other side of the coin of Lippe’s defensive reforms was the extensive research done on land mapping and cartography. To further the efficiency of defensive maneuvers, scouts, mappers and cartographers, some of who had worked in the new Lisbon street layout, were hired to conduct new sweeps on Continental and Oversea key territories. Pertinent documents containing route, terrain and supply information were then handed out to barracks, fortresses and brigades to equip them with everything they needed to plan important tactical moves.

Manuals, Street layouts and terrain maps handed out to Brigades.

Death & Legacy

“He wasn’t born in our land, wasn’t taught our history and never considered our king his own. He frowned at our sloth, despised our music and often said we drank too much. Worst of all, he hated cod, proof there wasn’t an ounce of Lusitanian fiber in his soul. Yet, despite every reason in the world to not do so, he dedicated the last years of his life to the resurrection of our empire, small as it may be. For everything he has done, for bringing back the flame to the heart of our people, not just me, but three million people thank him. We are but small Einherjar; but Frederick was an Aesir!”
-Duke John of Lafões, at Count William’s funeral​

Though he was not the oldest of the original cabinet members, the Count of Lippe would be the first to perish. In September 1777, during a hunting trip in Portugal, the Count felt suddenly ill and retired to his personal cabin. He passed away a few days later, aged 53.

Being at the end of his career, the loss of the Count was not particularly destabilizing as it was unexpected. Most of his important measures were already being played out and the role of Army Minister was already about to be succeeded by Marshall Alvito. Even so, being regarded as a national hero, the German count’s death came at a shock to many of his followers in the army and fellow cabinet members.

Perhaps the most affected figure was King Joseph II, who had risen to power after the death of his grandfather not but eight months before. Traumatized by the events of the Order of Christ conspiracy where he saw his family torn apart and his mother burned alive, the new young monarch was unready to see one of his mentor figures pass away so soon in his term as leader of the nation, especially in the midst of the conflicts with the Maratha and the Dutch.

His legacy was described as one of revitalization of the national fighting spirit. Despite being a foreigner, the Portuguese Armed Forces had much to thank the Count who not only rebuilt the regiments but made them stronger than ever. Shortly prior to his own death, King Joseph I awarded the Count for his efforts with six cannon figures of solid Brazilian gold, Grand Collar of the Order of Tower and Sword and the title of ‘honorary Field Marshall’ of the Portuguese Army.

The Count’s illegitimate offspring in Portugal, Joseph and Olympia, were held in honor as official Portuguese aristocracy. Joseph, who would follow his father in the Portuguese military, was granted the vacant title of Duke of Castelo Branco, something that was not seen kindly by the legitimate children in Schaumburg since the title was much higher than theirs. Olympia, who distinguished herself as one of Portugal’s first doctors, was given the title of Countess of Atouguia.

Despite the many Portuguese honors, the Count’s body was transported by the Duke of Lafões to Buckeburg for funerary rites and burial. As a good friend of the Count and representative of the Portuguese state, the Duke dedicated final words and a poem of gratitude to the deceased in the funeral. The legendary general was then immortalized in the Walhalla Temple with a memorial bust as one of the greatest figures of German history.

Count William’s bust in Walhalla​

In 1807, following the outburst of nationalism in Portugal, Joseph II made one final gesture of honoring by purchasing the manuscripts of the Count’s work in Portugal, as well as several other similar documents, honors, medals and memories, and had the entire collection compiled into a massive exhibit in the Portuguese Pantheon he erected at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. He remained a figure of inspiration and reference in the armed forces for centuries to come.

The Count was remembered not just for his military contributions, but also for kick starting the military emancipation plan that would become one of the most defining policies of the new Portuguese Empire. For good or bad, this policy would trigger important developments in social, cultural, economic and military evolution in the country, from dramatically changing colonial demographics to triggering the deadly ‘Guinean Flu’ that nearly broke out across the Empire.

Note:
As mentioned before the Ministry of Army and Foreign Affairs section deals with several important topics that were fundamental to the modernization of the Portuguese armed forces not only within Metropolitan Portugal but the Empire as well, (note Navy is under Ministry of Navy and Colonial Affairs) to that effect we are posting it in six separate posts. This post not only deals with the last of Lippe's legacy, that being numerous forts throughout Portugal and also in strategic locations throughout the Empire. Lastly we deal with the special way Portuguese during the late 18th century felt about Lippe but also how Portuguese history has dealt with country's true Ministry of Army. What is not mentioned is that the information in these 6 posts are a summary of the dozen or so historical books and two dozen or so research papers on Lippe and his impact to the Empire. Lastly almost every Portuguese has seen one of four movies on Count William but most detailed of all was the 36 episode TV special called Undeclared War. Note we will summarize the conflict in detailed following the government ministries posts. Comments / questions???.

Please return Thursday May 10 as we introduce the Ministry of Navy & Colonial Affairs and post the first chapters of the Ministry.

 

[The Merovingian]

Nice, keep en coming.

 

[Unknown]

Good update.

We're finally getting more hints on the Order of Christ conspiracy and other details (the new king's mother was burned alive?!? How did that happen), especially the Guinean flu (is that Ebola, BTW)...

 

[Lusitania]

Nice, keep en coming.

Thank you, More to follow

Good update.

We're finally getting more hints on the Order of Christ conspiracy and other details (the new king's mother was burned alive?!? How did that happen), especially the Guinean flu (is that Ebola, BTW)...

So for those wondering about the order of chapters as found on Post #1 we are leaving the details of the Order of Christ Conspiracy and the events that led up to it to the later part of the book, but due to so many things happening at same time we need to provide the readers with detailed information about what was happening in Portugal at time and what led to the Conspiracy. It is the same thing with the Ministry of Army, we needed to show the detail of reforms in order for the three major "wars" make sense, just like Ministry of Finance and Prime Minister sections that showed Portuguese economic and political changes. As for details about the Conspiracy we continue to ask your patience as we still have several important areas of reform and change to post. That does not mean over time we will not continue to tease and drop additional hints and references to the conspiracy and other end of reign (Joseph I) tidbits. As for the Guinea Flu we will be covering that in the Ministry of Navy and the Ministry of Health areas posts.

 

[Lusitania]

Rebirth of the Empire (Part 1 of 2) (cont)

Pombaline Cabinet (1762 - 1777) (Cont)

Ministry of Navy & Colonial Affairs (1 of 6)

“Let he who’s blessed with this lot carry out our destiny; we are people of the ocean and we shall not hesitate to travel the dark realm of Poseidon. His shall be the honor to hold the sea banner and ascertain the liberty and pride of our diaspora. Centuries of imperial glory look down on him and await another chapter to be written in its pages.”
-King Joseph I, proclaiming the new reformed Ministry of Navy & Colonial Affairs​

The Portuguese Navy was perhaps the oldest organized naval military branch in the world. Dating as far back as the reign of Alphonse I when it began its early days fighting off pirates, squabbling with Moorish squadrons and stubbornly trying to conquer distant Ceuta under Knight Sir ‘Fuas Roupinho’, it obtained a permanent designation and structure under King Denis after its importance in conquering Moorish towns and outflanking the Castilians was proven. The pursuit of naval technology had been one of the few ambitions not chained back by the country’s scientifically decadent mentality, but the fleet was still retained only a shadow of its former strength.

Having once been made an integral part of the Spanish Armada and been at the forefront of Europe in terms of squadron size and ship design, the Navy was obviously Portugal’s strong point but by the mid-18th Century its size was mediocre. John V had invested some of the Brazilian treasury in reviving the Armada, but Portugal’s limited shipyard industry could only channel so much gold into wooden fortresses. Portuguese sailors were also some of the best in the ocean, frequently taking part in British incursions to stay at the top of their game, but once again the limited manpower and training capacity held back the full Portuguese potential.

Between 1755 and 1762, the Navy was subject of mild interest by the future Count of Oeiras, Prime Minister Sebastião Melo. Unlike with the army, he fully recognized the importance of a powerful fleet and often wished to he could afford more investment in the Fishing Companies and shipyards, but the focus he felt was necessary to put into the economy and administration prohibited such adventures.

On the other hand there was the primary interest the navy defended; the colonial empire. Being in the latter half of the 18th Century, Portugal faced very serious challenges regarding not only Brazil, but the rest of its overseas patrimony. Warfare was evolving in a manner that would soon open the door to more daring European enterprises in India and Portugal could lose its opportunity to ascertain itself in Goa should it not have the proper naval and colonial tools to help. The possessions in the Far East and Spice Islands were becoming increasingly vulnerable and stagnant, especially with the decline in the Spice trade profitability and the looming Dutch presence. African territories, on the others hand, faced production and diplomatic issues as slave trade was abolished that could dangerously compromise their worth and safety.

By far the biggest thorn was Brazil, whose sheer size, proximity to Spanish interests and staggering social make up threatened to explode at any minute. The ongoing unrest in the Thirteen Colonies not far above it also provided a bad example to the Brazilians, who were starting to pay just a little too much attention to the so-called Patriots’ rants, martyr acts and aspirations. The man who could balance these issues would require a deep understanding of colonial matter, citizenship and the slave dilemma to deal with them.

Luckily for Portugal, it had three small secret weapons gained during Pombal’s early stage of government to come to its aid; an improved industrial economy, a renewed cabinet of bright ambitious ministers, and the Colonial Profit Doctrine. The set of laws passed by King Joseph I in Brazil had opened the way to a new path of political science that promised new solutions for Portugal’s approaching colonial crisis. It all depended on whether or not the new Navy Minister was clear minded enough to see them and if could create the conditions to implement the plan he would lay out.

The Former Viceroy ​

Chosen for this gargantuan task was a man who took part in the negotiations of the treaty of Fontainebleau of 1763. Upon returning to Portugal from his role as director of the “Pará & Maranhão” Colonial Company, he was recruited by Pombal as a diplomatic advisor to help him secure reparation from the Spanish and a secured peace for Continental Portugal (emphasis on Continental). He was none other than Ambassador Castro.

Martinho de Melo e Castro
Born 11th November 1716
Died 24th March 1795
Diplomat, Ambassador, Statesman, Colonial Company Director, naval reformer and political theorist​

Much like the Duke of Lafões, Ambassador Castro was an incredibly talented man of noble birth, diverse career, array of academic accomplishments and prior history of having been almost doomed by his family to an ecclesiastic career. He was a polyglot man who studied in the universities of Coimbra and Évora and known for his enormous experience in administration, politics and diplomacy. The Prime Minister had initially intended to recruit him for Count William’s new diplomatic corps but the good relationship the two of them enjoyed (one of the biggest contrast between the Ambassador and the Duke of Lafões) syphoned him into the reformed role of Minister of Navy and Colonial Affairs.

A true gentleman at heart and one of the most silvered tongues in the cabinet, he was perhaps the most popular Minister with the aristocracy due to his many accomplishments both during and prior to his term. Even Count William, who spent years struggling with the Ambassador for dominance over Portuguese resources, was deeply charmed by the ambassador’s gregarious nature and burning ambition to promote the Navy. Saint Louis Verney, future head of the religious council, described him as “a soul of charismatic thoughts and ideas, magnetic to poor and wealthy alike, endlessly dreaming of fantastic glory while sobered by the constraints of reality and of men’s cruelty”. His work was the closest, however, with that of Jacques Rattan, who participated in his shipyard multiplication program by tying several attached manufactories to it and created the twin Chambers of Commerce Castro used to further his own ministry’s goals.

His unique take on colonial matters as a result of his experience enforcing the Colonial Profit Doctrine in Brazil also made him a match in political talk to his fellow Minister of Agriculture and Health Aaron Lopez, who witnessed the early stages of the Thirteen Colonies uprising. He many times cited in his works Aaron’s opinion and experience with British colonialism whenever arguing for a more comprehensible oversea state model.

His enormous set of talents and activities required an energetic and curious heart; the Duke of Lafões often expressed admiration towards the Ambassador’s intelligence, having more than once invited him to become part of the Academy of Sciences in Lisbon. The Ambassador, however, preferred the hustle and bustle of the Lisbon Chamber of Commerce, where he would often attend and participate in hearings with the infant capitalist class of Portugal. After the Mariner Act, Minister Castro started working a lot more closely with Count William, who had until then been a thorn but turned by the conjoint contribution into a close collaborator in the army and fleet programs.

His past as Vice Roy and Colonial Company director in Brazil directly educated him in colonial nuances few understood in his age; he had a very strong insight of the growing Brazilian culture and the proper way to manage colonial territory, giving him an edge on colonial politics few had at the time. He was, simultaneously, a strong voucher and a deep critic of the Colonial Profit Doctrine, which he regarded as an important first step in the new reformed build-up of a proper over sea state as the Portuguese would define it by the end of the century, but also stressed the doctrine should be temporary and backed up by further advances in indirect administration and emancipation.

Not only was he deeply active in his job, but Castro would establish a true record in Portugal with the length of his role in the cabinet; he served the state up until the day of his death in 1795, totaling almost 33 years of consecutive service to King Joseph I, King Joseph II, the Portuguese Navy and the Colonial Empire. He was by far Pombal’s favorite Minister, who often backed up his measures provided they coincided with his own style of business politics, and would become one of King Joseph II’s most defining mentors, imbuing the then Prince of Brazil with a liking towards Free Trade and colonial studies.

Naval Architecture Reform – The Castro Model​

As already stated multiple times, the first few years of work in the renewed Ministries of Army and Navy were characterized by mutual head-butting and competition. Count William, however, held the advantage of King Joseph I’s concerns with the Army and so won many battles against Castro for the priority of the state’s budget. Minister Castro was not, however, a man of folding arms in times of frustrated goals and sought out to prepare his plans for redefining the Portuguese naval forces until he enjoyed a better position in the cabinet.

At the time of Castro’s appointment, the Portuguese Royal navy possessed a small number of warships such as frigates and low-rate ships of the line, and a moderate number of light ships such as sloops and brigs. The country could not afford to mimic the Royal Navy by obsessively producing first rate ships as they cost a fortune in time and money to build and maintain. Not only that, but there was the possibility Portugal had no need to focus on firepower; being so strongly allied to the English reduced chances that the Portuguese would have to compete with the Royal Navy to almost zero. There was also the issue of an overly strong navy in Portugal possibly antagonizing British interests and perceptions, which could bring the whole alliance down. Finally, most of Portugal’s traditional enemies, such as the French and Dutch, favored speed and tactical fire especially chosen to overwhelm heavy ships.

There was no denying, though, that Portugal needed many more warships than it had, especially of politically and militarily pertinent design. Before he could start on promoting the shipyard industry, Castro realized that he had to come to a decision regarding the decisive Portuguese choice of ship so time and money would not be wasted. Repeating historical mistakes against the Dutch was not an option either.

Starting from 1763, Minister Castro recruited a number of naval architects, thinkers and theorists from all over Western Europe, especially France and the Netherlands. The reason for picking French advisors over British ones was the fact that the Royal Navy, albeit powerful, was heavily conservative and bent on promoting firepower over agility. Between the 1600s and 1800s, it was actually the French who experimented the most with ship design and cannon numbers, imbuing French naval officers with a deeper insight on what could possibly go wrong with adding or taking features in a ship. British were more apt in coming up with better way to strengthen and arm the ship, which was also an important factor but not the one immediately at play in Castro’s calculations.

By February 1764, a new set of ship architecture points were defined by Castro under extensive advice of the naval officers, boat sages and sailors he consulted:

• Third Rate Focus: Though extremely powerful, first rates were deemed tactically inefficient by Castro, who chose to favor the construction of the more modest but far more balanced 3rd Rate ship, typically armed with something between 64 and 80 guns. Some 2nd Rate Ships were still built for the sake of leadership, offensive operability and tactical versatility, with up to 90 to 100 guns, but were few in comparison to the 3rds.
• Technological Compensation: Effort would be put to arm ships with superior cannons to compensate the loss in firepower and introduce copper hulls to maximize durability. Castro wished to allow Portuguese 3rd Rates to not only surpass the enemy equivalent, but have a fighting chance against superior 2nd and 1st rates. This was more of a progress strive than an actual fundamental point of Castro’s model.
• Focus on Ranked Speed Design: The capacity to hold cannons properly was held in second priority; the important thing was to improve lengths, weights and measures to allow the Portuguese warship to be faster, even if only slightly, than equally ranked ships.
• Focus on Unranked Firepower Design: Unranked ships, which existed to fight off corsairs and patrol waters, would follow the opposite direction and focus on their larger, more powerful alternatives. The brig and the corvette, both which carried 15 to 25 guns and had a considerable level of structural strength, were particularly favored.
• Squadron Make up: The typical isolated war squadron guarding a theater was to be made up primarily of 3rd rates. 2nd rates were reserved almost exclusively for offensive maneuvers and small-scale wartime blockades.
• Secular Baptism: Ships were to be named after historical, mythological and geographical figures instead of Saints. The Merchant Navy would continue the old practice, but the Portuguese Navy ships ceased the religious nomenclature almost entirely.

Minister Castro also oversaw the defining of several important design details that would help turn Portuguese more distinct and adapted to national capacities. Even the focus on third rate, however, was ambitious of his part as Portugal was having a tough time putting out inferior ranks as it was. This still allowed him to then layout reformed shipyard designs that, unconcerned with the possibility of having to build the colossal first rates, were allowed to be built smaller, cheaper, faster and more efficient.

The Minister’s new naval architecture doctrine was then remarked by a bizarre balance between ambition and sobriety, much like the Minister himself. The fact that the Portuguese put aside any dreams of having a beautiful first rate sailing the seas allowed them to focus on more grounded roles, meaning a proper flagship for the Navy was not constructed until the legendary HMS Adamastor that took part in the Battle of Wadden Sea was launched in the 1790s. As the Portuguese economy finally started building up girth, as naval infrastructure started mushrooming and as the capture of enemy ships piled up, the Navy would see a much faster multiplication of ranked numbers that, though still a very arduous and long process, would lead to a rather radical swelling of Portuguese ship numbers.

Another particular point was the shortened deck heights. Short decks were considered a dangerous design detail because they were particularly vulnerable to enemy medium-to-close-range fire; one of the favorite tactics the British would employ against the French was to fire carronades right on top of the enemy deck using their taller cannon positions. Even so, Portuguese ship design plans were remodeled to have shorter deck sizes for improved speed and cost. In return, the length and thickness of the ship were altered for a more ‘cutting’ thinness.

Portuguese Third Rate HMS Viriatus Stamp​

The HMS Viriatus, originally known as the ‘Beira Prince’, a third rate ship launched in Lisbon in 1780, was the first perfect example of Castro’s model, incorporating most of the sleek innovations he wanted without sacrificing firepower. Though many ships following his doctrine had been built until then, the HMS Viriatus was the first ship considered the idealized model. It was able to carry up to 72 guns across two lower decks and the top exposed one and could still sail faster than most enemy third ranks. It would gain fame in the Spice Island and Far East theaters fighting important naval combats against the Dutch, protecting Portuguese interests from Timor to Macau.

Note:
The Ministry of Navy and Colonial Affairs section deals with several important topics that were fundamental to the modernization of the Portuguese Navy and development of the Portuguese colonies or as they became developed overseas provinces to that effect we are posting it in six separate posts. This post explains the challenges facing the Portuguese navy and empire in the 1760s and the person selected to lead the Ministry. IOTL Minister Castro was the Minister of Navy during Pombal's government and successors, performing exceptionally well and able to rebuild the Portuguese Navy to the point it became one of Napoleon objectives during the invasion of Portugal. In the 2nd chapter we discussed the Navy's strategy and focus in the first 20 years of Minister Castro's tenure and how this led to a much larger and powerful shipbuilding industry in Portugal. Comments / questions???.

Please return Sunday May 14 as we post the next 2 chapters in the Ministry of Navy & Colonial Affairs "Naval Ordinance Advances" & "Sailor Training, Recruitment and Diet".

 

[The Merovingian]

A new naval power enters the stage, are Britain & France going to have anything to say about this new development? Also Great update.

 

[ruisramos]

Drooling: "More please!"

 

[Lusitania]

A new naval power enters the stage, are Britain & France going to have anything to say about this new development? Also Great update.

Thanks

Yes, the Portuguese Naval power growth was impressive, like iOTL Portuguese naval resources were not sufficient to meet the growing demand for cargo space and to protect Portuguese commerce and coast. So in the TL the changes started out similarly except the capacity and infrastructure was greatly expanded. As for reaction from the great powers Britain and France, they reacted differently as the Portuguese navy size and strength during the Joseph II reign exploded. At that time diplomatic situation puts the larger Portuguese navy in the cross hairs of one of the great powers (like iOTL) while the other was grateful for the added Portuguese strength. Can't really say more since a lot of what you are asking will be posted in the Joseph II posts but what we can say is that Portuguese diplomatic and naval engagements will follow iOTL for most part in the late 19th century against these two powers. This post really deals with the laying the foundation of increasing the infrastructure so the growth for both the Portuguese Navy and Portuguese Merchant Marine was much higher. iOTL one of Napoleon's demands to Portugal in 1807 was for us to turn over the Portuguese navy to the French. He hoped that by clobbering together French, Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese fleets would lead to France wrestling control of the seas from the British. Here our navy will be even more a prize.

 

[Sceonn]

The British would obviously appreciate the naval growth at this point, with France making noises. However it is the British that would be pulling hairs out by the early to mid 19th century.

Will Portugal reclame the Cape Colony from the Batavian Republic?

 

[Lusitania]

The British would obviously appreciate the naval growth at this point, with France making noises. However it is the British that would be pulling hairs out by the early to mid 19th century.

Will Portugal reclame the Cape Colony from the Batavian Republic?

The ties between the British and Portuguese crowns were strengthened during king Joseph II reign and just as Portuguese navy strength started being felt and noticed other more pressing political and diplomatic problems had emerged and British ignored growing Portuguese naval strength. Glad it was on their side. But as you indicate attitudes will change following Napoloenic wars.

As for the cape colony we never really claimed it other than a supply base but no settlers. In the 16th century The wealth lay in India and Indies not in Africa. Even Brazil was not center of focus. As for cape colony and other Dutch colonies what we can say is that resentment on the Dutch side regarding growing Portuguese strength and new political alliances will bring the two to major blows during the late 18th century. As for the various colonies' disposition we will need to wait for the Portuguese -Dutch war of 17XX to be posted during the reign of Joesph II.

 

[Lusitania]

Rebirth of the Empire (Part 1 of 2) (cont)

Pombaline Cabinet (1762 - 1777) (Cont)

Ministry of Navy & Colonial Affairs (2 of 6)

Naval Ordinance Advances​

While the new naval architecture standards were set, no new ship construction program began until resources could be allocated from Portugal’s ongoing conflicts in South America. Castro immediately set out to prepare another important fundament for what would become the new Portuguese navy; the weaponry. Cannon technology was always an important race in Europe, subject to the whims of the slowly advancing industrial and precision engineering fields, so significant improvements in heavy guns were far between. Moreover, ship weaponry was fundamentally different from land guns in the sense it was held in a wheeled cart and favored range above all.

Thus, naval artillery, which required reduced protection and greater firepower, was usually consisted of heavier pieces than the ones found on the battlefield and the reloading process was a multi-staged conundrum of safety procedures, refills and positioning that usually required whole teams of strong men per cannon, as well as the occasional powder boy. The muzzle-loading was the source of many reloading problems, but limitations in cannon construction would force the Europeans to rely on it until someone found a way to securely bolt and seal a breech opening, something that would not come until the mid-19th century.

The Minister still sought to reform naval artillery in three points:

• Optimize reload process: steps had to be taken to reduce the number of steps, improve ignition, and cut the time and effort taken to put the cannon in position and firing.
• Land & Naval cannon approximation: research had to be done in the possibility of making sea and land cannons more similar to each other so guns could be transferred between ships, fortifications and armies.
• Shot/Ammo Specialization: new possibilities in superior shot weights, types and ammo quantities had to be explored.

In order to seek out these three objectives, technology was researched, sailor and Mariner trainings were modified and experimentation was done, all with varying degrees of success. The South American conflicts offered plenty of trial ground with Portuguese warships trying out their new methods against the Spanish.

Before any additions were made to the reload process, military engineers and industrialists were recruited to try to come up with a cannon frame that compromised the wheeled trunnion of the land cannon with the carriage of the naval ordinance. The ultimate goal was to either make a uniformed mix cart or make it possible to take a gun off a trunnion and install it on a naval ordinance carriage. Ship cannons, however, were tendentiously much larger, some almost as big as bombards, so many were skeptical of the possibility of unifying sea and land cannon resources.

Many frame designs were proposed along the 1760s and 1770s, with the Navy and Army Ministries ultimately agreeing on one method; by altering the ship carriage frame into a chassis, it became possible to slide wheeled trunnion cannons into it so as to form a single naval ordinance set. The fixed trunnion would then be able to operate on the sailing ship fixed to a frame resistant to the effects of the ship’s wobbling. This allowed Mariner brigades supplied with cannons to not only sail the ship, but arm it with their own heavy weaponry and then carry it back into land to continue their operation fully armed.

This also allowed more easily taking a naval ordinance off a ship and loading it into a fortress. Ordinance transfer orders started being formed between ships and forts on necessity, allowing a more interchangeable armament between sea and land.

This did not change the fact, however, that land cannon pounder weight was significantly inferior to naval one. While land cannons at the time had shots from 3 to 12 pounds, ships were armed with cannons ranging from 6 to a whopping 42 pounder. This meant that the few land cannons a Mariner crew transferred to a ship to fill the remaining gun ports were almost always underpowered. In reverse, naval ordinances also could not be used to substitute land cannons as they were of highly unwieldy design. There was also the matter of positioning the cannon at the gun port with appropriate angle depending on deck and strategy, something that required adequate parts to do so properly.

Even so, the state was ultimately successful in making it possible to arm ships with fortress and land guns, something that allowed the first new generations of ships and Mariners to fight at full power despite their infancy and lack of technology. By the 19th century, however, not only was Portuguese armament supply much stronger (minimizing the need for half-baked cannon armament) but ship armor technology had advanced enough to restrict naval warfare to guns that couldn’t possibly be used in land due to sheer size and firepower.

In terms of the reload process itself, the first adopted measure was to substitute the clumsy, dangerous and long linstock process and install gunlocks on naval cannons. Flintlocks had been in use by the Royal Navy since 1745, but found little to no spread to other navies because they could not be retrofit on older guns. The Portuguese navy was in an expansion process, not a substitution one, so its filled coffers allowed the new gun manufactories to adopt the technology. The flintlock ignition practically eliminated the delay between itself and the actual shot, allowing sailors to instantly time the aim to the target, not to mention eliminating some of the tedious and risky steps of the former method.

Ship shooting was made, then, much faster and safer in the Portuguese Navy. Personnel operating each gun were reduced, linstock was retained as a backup and line slots were carved into gun position floorboards in the lower decks to help the crew control the recoil of the weapon. The fitted wheels were allowed to move back by the slot’s length, but its slope absorbed the recoil movement without damaging the gun wheel, allowing quicker repositioning and reducing the chances of the heavy gun being tossed over during combat. These two innovations significantly increased the firing speed and certainty in Portuguese ships, turning them into relentless war weapons.

Finally, in addition to the double shot mentioned above, canister shot and chain shots were considered as potential special ammo. While the Ministry eventually approved the armament of canister shots as anti-crew ammunition, it was only given to the main war vessels while the chain shot was deemed impractical.

In the meantime, a number of measures and doctrines were adopted to allow the Portuguese Navy to rely on reduced firepower. Naval cannons were set at reduced size for lessened discrepancy and supply costs and the Double Shot practice, for example, was adopted for close range combat until the 1770s brought in the carronade. The close range combat focus would prove to be the Portuguese Navy’s greatest asset. Making use of the superior speed of the Castro model ships, the fleet was able to bring about the full power of its cannons and cause horrendous damage despite the supposedly inferior firepower level. This put the ship at risk, of course, but many captains soon found daring maneuvers to be worth the cost.

Sailor Training, Recruitment and Diet​

Another struggle Ambassador Castro faced with Count William concerned the soldiers themselves. With the abandoned state of the land forces, Portugal actually possessed more sailors than infantry, but count William’s recruitment projects quickly swept the continental territory for thousands of new recruits to fill the Atlantic and Indic Armies, leaving little to spare for the ships.

Despite their disagreements, however, Count William was the first to admit that if the nation didn’t have sailors to keep transportation operable, he couldn’t send troops to form the oversea armies to begin with. As the Atlantic and Indic Armies began to form battalions, the need for sailors that wouldn’t immediately integrate an oversea army increased. Moreover, as the Merchant Navy rolled over, the demand for qualified seamen skyrocketed as private investors required reliable men to transport their goods and documents through sea.

Once again, Ambassador Castro was forced to spend the first years of his term laying the groundwork for future investments, rather than making the investments themselves. It was in this area that his talent for propaganda first started to shine. The Navy Minister began by passing the following measures:

• Living Conditions Improvement: Sailor life in the 18th century was very harsh and dangerous, forming one of the biggest deterrents against voluntary recruitment.
• Wage Manipulation: Legislation on sailor salary was passed to manipulate voluntary recruitment to the Military and Merchant Navies.
• Impressment Legislation: Conditions for press gangs were rebalanced to more reasonable standards.
• Sailor Training & Schooling: Investment was made to expand and modernize Portuguese Naval Schools.
• Recruitment Propaganda: Posters were designed and distributed to incentivize youths to join the navy, detailing salaries, career prospects, prestige and a bit of romance, too.

The Portuguese Navy began creating better conditions onboard so potential volunteers wouldn’t feel intimidated by the prospect of a sailor’s life, with the biggest strides being made in diet. The first priority when it came to food was the steady supply of citrus; even by the mid-18th Century, scurvy killed more sailors than enemy action. Of the nearly 190,000 British sailors that fought the Seven Years War, a monstrous 134,000 perished and went ‘missing’ as a result of disease outbreak, scurvy being identified as the leading cause. While knowledge that citrus fixed scurvy was abound, it was treated as an antidote instead of a prevention diet because most naval surgeons believed bad water and salty food were integral parts of the disease, rather than mere aggravates. James Cook’s expeditions also backed the popular belief that mort and alcohol could be used to ward off scurvy, further distracting the sailors from the real solution.

Portuguese geopolitical conditions allowed a large number of supply points throughout the world that could refill stocks of fresh food in the ships and the southern continental territory, mainly the Algarve, had strong and rather famous orange plantations. In an effort to compromise available resources, Castro’s captains accidentally stumbled on the orange diet solution by undergoing reinforcement missions in the Undeclared War with little to eat other than orange fruit and lemons. The Navy thus determined by the end of the decade that the best way to ward off disease onboard was with a steady ingestion of citrus, rather than a remedial one.

Oranges, lemons and limes were thus strongly absorbed into sailor diets and it became a common habit for sailors to chew on fresh fruit almost daily as a precaution.

Another issue the Navy had to solve was salaries. With the birth of the Merchant Navy, Portuguese sailors had an alternative to the state navy if they wanted well-paid sea lives. This was fine in times of peace since it meant the Merchant Navy was more easily filled with manpower, but was prejudicial in times of war because it meant emergency drafts reached lower results. Navy Minister Castro passed legislation that established ‘wartime salaries’ for the state Navy, as well as laws that forced the Merchant Navy to allow its sailors to transfer to the military should they choose to. Upon war declaration, the Portuguese Navy registered large amounts of transfer requests from merchant navy sailors who wanted to take the war opportunity to earn an extra buck.

This allowed a more versatile use of sea manpower which reduced the burden on recruitment itself. Lower recruitment goals could now more reasonably cover national vulnerabilities while at the same time keeping sailors sharp and experienced, since they worked for the merchant navy whenever the Portuguese Navy was less active.

Even so, the press gang option was explored to maximize recruitment. Since Count William was conducting similarly forced drafts for the army, Castro instead focused on steering legislation to include sailing service as a punitive measure for criminals. Several other sailor trickles were created with unemployed, disgraced or expatriate citizens since the main manpower segments were still under the Army Minister’s control. Actual press gangs were not practiced, but cheaper, weaker imitations targeting vulnerable youths and adults became common, especially after the establishment of the PRP.

Castro then showed off the first signs of his propaganda talent by distributing leaflets, posters and hearings for sailor recruitment. Sailing life was purposely depicted as historically romantic, an opportunity to see the world, a source of greatness and an escape from poverty, obscurity and law. It was with much surprise to the cabinet that Castro was successful in attracting a significant amount of manpower consisted mostly of youths who wanted to escape the army service. These recruits would soon find sea life to not be as nearly as glamorous as Castro depicted them, but by then the damage was done.

To train and educate sailors and Mariners, naval schools were established and expanded, but could not meet the merchant navy demands. Sailing classes were then established in the Chambers of Commerce to counter the limited number of skilled sailors in the country, who were mostly under the fief of the Navy, by creating private interest in sailor recruitment. Men were drawn from lower classes to be taught how to sail, though the slow pace of the educational reforms in Portugal meant that the quality of this practice had a start just as slow. Later on, teaching was extended to include combat at sea so that the Chambers could form their own convoy crews. By 1790, most of the lesser convoys of merchant fleets consisted of small battle vessels with crews trained in their totality by the Chambers, with only the larger fleets employing military aid.

Note:
The Ministry of Navy and Colonial Affairs section deals with several important topics that were fundamental to the modernization of the Portuguese Navy and development of the Portuguese colonies or as they became developed overseas provinces to that effect we are posting it in six separate posts. This post provides additional information into the Portuguese Navy's reforms and sailor recruitment as well as treatment. Comments / questions???.

Please return Thursday May 18 as we post the next chapters in the Ministry of Navy & Colonial Affairs: the last chapter dealing with Naval reforms "Shipyard Industry, Merchant Navy & Stock Market" and we start talking about the development of the colonies with "The Letter Road Project – Brazilian Phase".

 

[Sceonn]

Resource Allocation and Interchangeability is the name of the game for Portugal it seems. And with such a strong focus on it by the government I wonder how it'll affect the growth of Industries and Infrastructure, because that way lies the the thought process behind Assembly Line and Mass Production. Already in trying to avoid the fate of Britain's industries they've begun their Industrialization through Standardizing factories, production and equipment.

Adding Manufactured Goods to the growing Naval Strength, it seems Britain will be a very unhappy camper.

 

[Lusitania]

Resource Allocation and Interchangeability is the name of the game for Portugal it seems. And with such a strong focus on it by the government I wonder how it'll affect the growth of Industries and Infrastructure, because that way lies the the thought process behind Assembly Line and Mass Production. Already in trying to avoid the fate of Britain's industries they've begun their Industrialization through Standardizing factories, production and equipment.

Adding Manufactured Goods to the growing Naval Strength, it seems Britain will be a very unhappy camper.

iOTL Britain was unhappy with Pombal because he upset the natural order and challenged the British dominance of Portuguese economy. The reform of the Porto wine and growth of Portuguese industry (little as it was) made British upset and they were very happy at his demise and the return to traditional British dominance of Portuguese market.

Here we have a much greater disruption and thus the reason that Pombal was obligated to placate British interests with signing of new agreement (see Prime minister section for detail).

The 18th century saw huge change in relationship with Britain and in many ways portugal benefited from political and diplomatic events in the late 18th and early 19th century to force British government to play nice and tolerate our growth. By time dust settled Portugal and Portuguese industry was able stand on its own two feet. Political and historical ties would keep the two empires as friendly adversaries (at till middle of 19th century)

 

[Sceonn]

By time dust settled Portugal and Portuguese industry was able stand on its own two feet. Political and historical ties would keep the two empires as friendly adversaries (at till middle of 19th century)

Would Portugal have an easier time penetrating some European markets than Britain, esp. catholic nations and/or those who have something against Britain for whatever reason (balance of power)?

 

[Unknown]

Good update and waiting for more...

BTW, have you played the game Assassin's Creed Rogue? It shows the 1755 Lisbon earthquake in great detail. Here's a clip of it:

 

[Lusitania]

Would Portugal have an easier time penetrating some European markets than Britain, esp. catholic nations and/or those who have something against Britain for whatever reason (balance of power)?

Oh it does penetrate into several countries easier but it will not be due to religion reason will be explained in the Portuguese Religious posts. But Portugal will play its "we not Britain and have chip in our shoulder" card in many places. Some countries might even deal with Portugal as counterbalance to British dominance.

 

[Lusitania]

Good update and waiting for more...

BTW, have you played the game Assassin's Creed Rogue? It shows the 1755 Lisbon earthquake in great detail. Here's a clip of it:

Thank you it's a shame it does not deal with tsunami that came right after. But good video