Going back to an old POD I’ve already thought of using to build an alternate Portuguese TL: the siege of Badajoz by Afonso I of Portugal in 1169.
In our TL D. Afonso Henriques had gone to rescue Geraldo “o sem pavor” that was surrounding the city. The Portuguese had almost succeeded in conquering the city except for the inner fortress where the Moors still resisted when they where surprised by Leonean reinforcements that had come to help their Moorish allies.
Trying to flee the encirclement D. Afonso Henriques fell from his horse, broke his right femur against the wall doors and was taken prisoner by the Leoneans who took him to their king D. Fernando of Leon, which was Afonso’s son-in-law.
To gain back his freedom Afonso had to pay a cash redemption and return several towns and fortresses in southern Galicia and well as the fortresses of Trujillo, Caceres and Montánchez in the northern half of what is today the Spanish Estremadura. Also, his wound put an end to Afonso’s military career and took out the steam of the Reconquista by the Portuguese which slowed down aftwards.
So my proposed POD is a delay of a few hours by the troops led by Afonso of Portugal which arrives at Badajoz not before but after the Leoneans reinforcement arrives at the battle. So, instead of being encircled by the surrounded Moors, on one side, and by the Leoneans on the other Afonso arrives with his troops at Badajoz to find the Moors surrounded by Geralde’s forces, which were in turn encircled by the Leoneans. The troops of the Portuguese king surround themselves the Leoneans and, together with Geralde’s troops are able to defeat them. The Moorish garrison with the defeat of their Christian allies decide their fate is decided and surrender.
Immediate consequences of this POD: no fortresses are surrendered by Portugal to Leon meaning that southern Galicia and the already conquered Estremadura castles remain in the hands of Afonso Henriques. Without the accident, Afonso Henriques is able to continue his military adventures against the moors speeding up the process of Portuguese Southward expansion but also extended somewhat to the East beyond OTL frontiers. Possibly Lisbon will fall much sooner than it did OTL and possibly Afonso will be able to expand Portugal’s Southern border down to Algarve mountains before he dies.
More long term consequences is a Portuguese Estremadura and Andalusia (maybe not all of it has they are defined in OTL) and even maybe a future Galicia under the Portuguese banner.
Thoughts, anybody?
In our TL D. Afonso Henriques had gone to rescue Geraldo “o sem pavor” that was surrounding the city. The Portuguese had almost succeeded in conquering the city except for the inner fortress where the Moors still resisted when they where surprised by Leonean reinforcements that had come to help their Moorish allies.
Trying to flee the encirclement D. Afonso Henriques fell from his horse, broke his right femur against the wall doors and was taken prisoner by the Leoneans who took him to their king D. Fernando of Leon, which was Afonso’s son-in-law.
To gain back his freedom Afonso had to pay a cash redemption and return several towns and fortresses in southern Galicia and well as the fortresses of Trujillo, Caceres and Montánchez in the northern half of what is today the Spanish Estremadura. Also, his wound put an end to Afonso’s military career and took out the steam of the Reconquista by the Portuguese which slowed down aftwards.
So my proposed POD is a delay of a few hours by the troops led by Afonso of Portugal which arrives at Badajoz not before but after the Leoneans reinforcement arrives at the battle. So, instead of being encircled by the surrounded Moors, on one side, and by the Leoneans on the other Afonso arrives with his troops at Badajoz to find the Moors surrounded by Geralde’s forces, which were in turn encircled by the Leoneans. The troops of the Portuguese king surround themselves the Leoneans and, together with Geralde’s troops are able to defeat them. The Moorish garrison with the defeat of their Christian allies decide their fate is decided and surrender.
Immediate consequences of this POD: no fortresses are surrendered by Portugal to Leon meaning that southern Galicia and the already conquered Estremadura castles remain in the hands of Afonso Henriques. Without the accident, Afonso Henriques is able to continue his military adventures against the moors speeding up the process of Portuguese Southward expansion but also extended somewhat to the East beyond OTL frontiers. Possibly Lisbon will fall much sooner than it did OTL and possibly Afonso will be able to expand Portugal’s Southern border down to Algarve mountains before he dies.
More long term consequences is a Portuguese Estremadura and Andalusia (maybe not all of it has they are defined in OTL) and even maybe a future Galicia under the Portuguese banner.
Thoughts, anybody?