It is well known that the portuguese were indeed the pioneers of true high seas sailing and global exploration. Not only that, but they seemed to handle information about discoveries very differently from other europeans.
Sadly, much of the classified documents about naval expeditions that the crown kept were destroyed by the fires in Lisbon, after the earthquake. That leaves historians to wonder how much Portugal actually knew and kept concealed, like whether the portuguese discovered Oceania before the dutch or not.
Let's say that in this ATL the portuguese are far beyond any other nation in naval exploration, even more they were in OTL. Let's say they are also deeply concerned about hiding their discoveries in order to have an advantage, but perhaps being much more successful than in OTL.
How could this have possibly been done? Portugal must not only be stable enough to start exploring much earlier, say by the beggining of the 15th century, but it also needs to develop the technologies and the funds required for the undertaking. Castille must also be destabilized enough to focus on internal affairs only , as I believe it would still be portugal's biggest rival, at least for the early colonial period.
Imagine an alternate colombus, one which discovering the new world, becomes a portuguese agent sent to sail for the spanish and deceive them by having they believe he found nothing west of the azores? Imagine the portuguese seizing the ships on their way back, killing the entire crew except for colombus, making the spanish give up on sailing the western seas?
How far could this have possibly gone? For how much time could the portuguese keep the americas, australia or any sea route hidden? How could this change colonial policies, treaties like tordesillas, and finally, Portugal's overall power and projection over the globe?
Sadly, much of the classified documents about naval expeditions that the crown kept were destroyed by the fires in Lisbon, after the earthquake. That leaves historians to wonder how much Portugal actually knew and kept concealed, like whether the portuguese discovered Oceania before the dutch or not.
Let's say that in this ATL the portuguese are far beyond any other nation in naval exploration, even more they were in OTL. Let's say they are also deeply concerned about hiding their discoveries in order to have an advantage, but perhaps being much more successful than in OTL.
How could this have possibly been done? Portugal must not only be stable enough to start exploring much earlier, say by the beggining of the 15th century, but it also needs to develop the technologies and the funds required for the undertaking. Castille must also be destabilized enough to focus on internal affairs only , as I believe it would still be portugal's biggest rival, at least for the early colonial period.
Imagine an alternate colombus, one which discovering the new world, becomes a portuguese agent sent to sail for the spanish and deceive them by having they believe he found nothing west of the azores? Imagine the portuguese seizing the ships on their way back, killing the entire crew except for colombus, making the spanish give up on sailing the western seas?
How far could this have possibly gone? For how much time could the portuguese keep the americas, australia or any sea route hidden? How could this change colonial policies, treaties like tordesillas, and finally, Portugal's overall power and projection over the globe?