Rebirth of an Empire "O Renascimento de um Império" v2.0
- Thread starter Lusitania
- Start date
I really don't want Portugal to waste her power fighting Napoleon. Simply accepting Napoleon's fairly liberal constitution and codes loses Portugal nothing and the Continental System just allows her the opportunity to usurp some of Britain's European Market.
But Napoleon being the greedy pal that he is will want the Portuguese Army and most importantly Navy, something that ain't happening so war might very well be inevitable.
But Napoleon being the greedy pal that he is will want the Portuguese Army and most importantly Navy, something that ain't happening so war might very well be inevitable.
Lusitania
Donor
For me a sign of interest in a TL is when I start perusing maps... and I must say for Brazil a border along the Paraguay-Parana rivers (and I've learned a couple of things) looks even nicer than the current one (obviously only by a cartographical pov). To Asuncion (in due time)!!!
For the Portuguese empire to be able to do that it will need time for its reforms and I mean all of them to take root. It's army and navy will need to grow and provide both protection and ability to expand its projection of power. So what you say is possible we just need to give it time.
Lusitania
Donor
Some have speculated that the reforms instituted by Lippe was to get country ready for the Napoleonic wars. This is the most idiotic statement we have ever heard. The reforms were a direct reaction to the 7 year war and the need to the country and empire to be able to defend itself and not be reliant on the British who had their own agenda.
The Portuguese Empire during the Napoleonic wars will be different from Portugal on iOTL.
Lusitania
Donor
While we are not going to discuss politics and military action of the Napoleonic era at this stage we need to discuss a few items that existed iOTL and will exist in TL
1) the US revolution will happen due to the many issues between the settlers in US and Britain. While Portugal was reforming and modernizing its interactions with Brazil they were going through the motions.
2) the French will aid the US because they cannot stop themselves from participating in an event that would weaken their major enemy / adversary.
3) the French state and economy is under great strain and financing of American revolution will not help. Can the French avoid the pitfalls and avoid the financial crises and revolution?
4) in case everything does happen like iOTL (which there is no guarantee) and Napoleon becomes leader of France one of his priorities is to enforce continental system to isolate Britain and to assemble a navy capable of challenging the Royal Navy.
5) fyi when Spain joined the continental system and the French side, trade with its American colonies suffered greatly as British navy targeted Spanish ships. The Portuguese empire which is more connected to the British empire would also suffer greatly or even more.
6) Spain currently resents Portuguese independence and is starting to hate Portugal for its reforms and recent military actions. So any alliance with Spain is certain to end in failure. This happened iOTL and now with the political, economic and religious events that the empire is going through this is more certain to happen.
7) the Portuguese navy was a huge prize that Napoleon wanted and the escape of the court to Rio was a huge defeat for Napoleon. Now the increased size Portuguese navy will be an even greater target.
Could we ally with Napoleon and split Spain in half? Oh would that not be tempting. But what would happen to our empire we would be at mercy of British navy.
Can we stay neutral? We tried that and neither France or Spain allowed that to happen.
How will Portugal protect itself? Sorry but we are not going to reveal it now. But wanted to lay the facts on the table do people understand the situation.
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Rebirth of Empire (Part 1 of 2) - The ‘Morbeia War’ (1769-1770) (1 of 2)
Lusitania
Donor
Rebirth of the Empire (Part 1 of 2) (cont)
The ‘Morbeia War’ (1769-1770) (1 of 2)
The ‘Morbeia War’ (1769-1770) (1 of 2)
The Portuguese presence in North Africa had started in 1415 with the conquest of Ceuta. Driven by greed and religious fervor Portugal conquered over two dozen coastal cities and forts over the following century and half, but in 1578 Portuguese ambitions in North Africa came to an abrupt halt, in the infamous battle of Battle of Ksar El Kebir in 1578 where Portugal lost not only its King-without-heir, Sebastian I, but also most of its nobility and, more disastrously, its very independence. Sebastian I died without any heirs and during the Portuguese succession crisis Sebastian’s uncle, King Phillip II of Spain, seized the Portuguese Crown and heralded the Iberian Union. During the Iberian Union most of the coastal cities and forts captured by the Portuguese were lost. When Portugal finally regained its independence in 1640 in the Portuguese Restoration War it was forced to cede Ceuta to Spain leaving it with only one last possession in North Africa, the fort city of Mazagan.
Fortified City of Mazagan (North-to-South)
Pre-War Setting
Coinciding with the ascension of Joseph I to the Portuguese throne, Morocco also saw a new Sultan ascend to the throne, Mohammed Ben Abdellah, known as Mohammed III, who succeeded his father Sultan Abdallah IV in 1757. In his first decade Mohammed III, a more open-minded ruler than his predecessors, attempted to improve Morocco’s relationship with European countries and curtail the powers of the Barbary Pirates. In 1765, motivated by growing Portuguese expenses in the Undeclared War and a Moroccan promise of compensation, correspondence between Mohammed III and Pombal started regarding the return of Mazagan to Morocco. Pombal, who was in favor of abandoning the town and settling the people in southern Brazil, welcomed the Moroccan offer.
The Lisbon Chamber of Commerce, however, had noticed these moves and significantly protested against them. The new capitalist class was developing a growing interest in the fort city as a springboard to Morocco’s market and began establishing businesses and trade routes to it over the first half of the year. As the Undeclared War’s stress subsided, capitalist investment accelerated and more hearings were made in the Chamber to discuss the situation of the city and methods to preserve Portuguese sovereignty in it. Though Pombal remained resolute, the Chamber of Commerce’s gentlemen were able to postpone any eventual final decisions well into the latter half of the year.
In June 1765, the French launched a punitive attack against the Barbary Pirates operating out of Morocco. They bombarded the cities of Salé, Rabat and after bombarding the city of Larache attempted to land troops and set Moroccan ships in port on fire. The French lost over 200 troops in the battle and were forced to withdraw in defeat. The Moroccans and especially the Barbary pirates were upset at the European attack and soon sailed out of their ports to raid the European coastline and towns.
Naval Assault & War Declaration
On August 15, three Barbary Pirate ships attacked ‘Vila Baleira’ on the island of ‘Porto Santo’. The attack was beaten off but in the fighting over 100 Portuguese soldiers and civilians died and approximately 40 people were captured. The Portuguese garrison killed 20 pirates and captured 10 of them. In their interrogation prior to being executed the pirates revealed they were from Salé.
Interpreting this as an unprovoked attack, the Pombaline Cabinet ceased negotiations with Mohammed III for the return of Mazagan. Instead, the outrage at the raid set off old tensions and the Armed Forces began considering their options for counterattack. The Portuguese government, more specifically the Minister of Navy Martinho de Melo e Castro, decided to send a show of force against the Barbary Pirates in Salé.
The timing of all of this, however, could not be worse. At the time of the Moroccan raids, Portugal was in midst of the almost decade-long Undeclared War, which meant the country was not only spent in resources, but also had committed more than half of its RVR and Marine troops in Cisplatina, with most of those intent on settling there, as well as a significant number of warships as reinforcement convoys. While by the summer a part of the naval and land forces of the Atlantic Army were in process of returning to its Guinea gravity center, the Armed Forces both in that Army and in the Metropolitan Army were not ideally prepared to answer the call.
Much worse could be said about the Navy, though. The decade of 1760 was one of great investment from the government in the land army, resulting in far more effective and organized forces with the Undeclared War experience to temper their new resolve. The Navy, unfortunately, had been neglected by comparison. While some small funds were successfully directed by Minister Castro in the state’s budget, it had only grown slightly in comparison with the end of the 1750s.
By far the most progress made in naval terms was in infrastructure. In large part in thanks to the developments in financial and manufactory fields, a number of reformed ports, funding tools and investment attraction advances had been built, conceived and gathered to primarily support commerce, but having the side effect of also promoting a solid haven for not only the Portuguese Navy but also the new Merchant Navy.
The fortified town of Mazagan was no exception; being the last Portuguese possession in Morocco, it had attracted investment despite Pombal’s intentions to concede it to its original owners, as it acted as a useful gateway for the North African market. Docks had been expanded and port garrison hired privately first by several forward thinking Portuguese Merchants starting in early 1766, then after the Chamber of Commerce was granted powers in 1769 several members also began investing in the town and securing their assets. With interests intertwined, private citizens and government alike began redirecting resources towards mounting a counter-offensive.
At the time, however, the Merchant Navy was not born yet, so an organized volunteer fleet was not possible. Still, between July and October, the first military vessel lends were offered and up to twenty small war ships were gathered to support the navy and the Metropolitan Army.
On November 20, 1765 a Portuguese small armada of 20 frigates, sloops and brigs set sail from Faro. Leading the expedition was the frigate “Martin de Freitas”, under the command of Captain José da Rosa Coelho. The plan of action was to assail the Moroccan coast, causing as much damage to their docks and ships as possible. To this end, they employed highly offensive tactics, using their small vessels to travel lightly and strike hard. It was hoped this would ease an eventual oversea reinforcement of the Metropolitan Army’s brigades in Mazagan.
The Portuguese arrived off the coast of Salé on November 22 and began bombarding the city. The frigates concentrated their attack on the city while the sloops and brigs moved in closer and began the attack on the port and ships moored in it. Over 20 ships of various sizes including most of the Barbary Pirates ships in port were destroyed. On November 25, as the weather grew worse, the Portuguese ships sailed back to Faro.
The two European attacks on Salé left the city in ruins, over 1,000 people were killed and the survivors faced uncertain future with most of ships including over half the city’s fishing boats destroyed. Mohammed III faced increasingly pressure to retaliate against the Europeans. Correspondence between Portugal and Morocco broke down completely and any doubt the war was declared was erased. For the next three years Portugal and Morocco coexisted in an uneasy state.
Due to the undeclared war in South America and the state of Portuguese military on the Iberian Peninsula, neither Ambassador Castro nor Count Lippe were able to provide Mazagan with any substantial reinforcements till the summer of 1769, when the 1st Mazagan Brigade was completed. Combined with the local garrison, the city’s military presence was increased to 3,605 soldiers. Meanwhile in Fez Mohammed III continued to face repeated demands to retaliate against Portugal. He had been able to dismiss the demands hoping to end Portuguese presence in Morocco through diplomacy, but when word arrived in Fez that the Portuguese had reinforced Mazagan, Muhammad III was forced to order the attack on the fortified port city to drive the Portuguese out of Morocco else face an open revolt.
Mawlay Muhammad III
Sultan of Morocco 1757 – 1770
The Battles of Mazagan and Azamor
On November 10th, 1769, an army of 20,000 men led by Mohammed oldest son, Prince Yazid, sieged and assaulted Mazagan. The city, however, was superbly fortified, making use of modern bastion design to assist the local Portuguese force in fighting off the much larger besiegers. The fortified defenses repulsed the attack with minimal loses and Portuguese artillery drove the Moroccan forces back. Prince Yazid was forced to widen the siege from a greater distance of the city and begin the gradual bombardment of Mazagan.
In the meantime, naval fighting in the sea areas to the north continued with the limited Portuguese Navy warring to keep the supply lines open. The initial Portuguese counter-raid period had subsided and the Moroccan ships had organized themselves once more to protect their coasts, meaning the tide was in danger of being overturned. Portugal, however, had a superior war supply economy and was able to make use of hit-and-run tactics to harass the Moroccan coast and bait the Moroccan pursuers away from the supply ships’ path in a sustained fashion.
The Navy Ministry, however, was concerned with the security of the Madeira Island, which was being used as a supply depot for Mazagan. If the Moroccan heaviest ships were not successfully kept busy, the entire Portuguese war plan could be jeopardized by a raiding of Funchal’s docks and coasts. Minister Castro began a propaganda campaign with the support of the newborn Lisbon Chamber of Commerce, funding the spreading of flyers and spokesmen to inform the literate citizens in the main cities of the situation in Madeira and Mazagan to draw further war support.
Troop movement lines had been divided in twain in the Guinean coast, creating two opposite fluxes of reinforcements for the kingdom’s armies. The Metropolitan Army’s oversea-born battalions were to be reinforced primarily with Brazilian, Indian and East African troops, which took time to arrive due to the new troop supply plans and precautions against disease. This meant that while troop movement was more dynamic, Mazagan would have to hold out for a significant amount of time. The propaganda campaign allowed for the further issuing of more ships, convoys and supplies, which were barely able to alleviate the risks.
By February of 1770, Mazagan’s defenses were stretching thin due to the constant Moroccan bombardment. It also feared by the troops that much bigger reinforcements would soon join Yazid and overrun the fort. In February 9, however, a Portuguese naval force from Brazil with troop transports arrived in Mazagan with a 2,000 strong Marine brigade fresh from its campaign in Cisplatina. Over the next month, the Portuguese navy brought over the Metropolitan Army’s first two brigades under the command of newly promoted Brigadier-General Manuel Pinto de Morais Bacelar. To keep the Moroccan Navy away from Mazagan Rear Admiral Rebelo led a squadron of Naval ships against Moroccan ports and navy ships keeping the Moroccan Navy as far from Mazagan as possible.
On February 10th, the plan for the First Battle of Mazagan was laid out and carried by the First Mazagan Brigade and the Mariner Brigade. Over the course of the following nights, the Mariner light troops sailed to coasts further south and conducted several attack operations on Yazid’s forces, harassing his troops’ rear regiments and weakening its supplies. Yazid responded by dispatching a segment of his forces to guard the coasts, but the Mariners acted quickly enough to avoid capture. Making use of the city’s pronounced geography; the marines conducted further amphibious flanking assault operations in the north areas without compromising the fort’s narrow front. Being able to sail and dock on their own, they were able to land, march, shoot, fall back and sail with superior independence and efficiency, preventing Yazid from focusing his resources on the fort for fear of being caught too much by surprise.
The Marine assaults were not critical, but compromised Yazid’s offensive organization, greatly delaying his inevitable attack. Further Moroccan reinforcements were also delayed as orders were issued out by Yazid to secure his own supply lines for fear of the Mariners interrupting them and enough time was given to Portugal to mount a more significant reinforcement.
By the beginning of March, approximately 2,500 troops and 1,800 Mariners remained, but serious reinforcements finally arrived in the form of the newly completed Abrantes, Algarve, Évora and 2nd Mazagan Brigades with 9,600 troops drawn from war volunteers and battalions consolidated from other incomplete Metropolitan regiments. The actual battle of Mazagan thus started, with the approximately 14,000 Portuguese attacking the besieging army.
Facing superior numbers on their home territory, the Portuguese forces had little to draw advantage from other than discipline, morale and tactics. Victory was achieved by taking advantage of the Moroccan’s force’s exhaustion and disorganization after months of siege and Marine harassment, and only so due to pressing the reality that Yazid had lost the necessary advantage to break the fort. In the 1st Battle of Mazagan, mostly due to inferior cavalry, the Portuguese lost nearly 4,000 soldiers while the Moroccan lost 6,000 men. Neither side was able to press a significant advantage but, due to losing his edge, Yazid was force to order a retreat before his men lost their morale completely.
While the battle was costly to the Portuguese, Prince Yazid and the Moroccan army faced a nasty surprise not but a day after the retreat order; the Portuguese Army had made a counter attack and pursed him, making use of its superior organization to outmaneuver Yazid’s retreat and block off his path near the city of Azamor, where Yazid intended to call for his Father’s remaining forces. Finding the city captured and raided by the Marines, the Moroccan Army became suddenly outflanked and cut off. With a weakened morale, limited supply, unexpectedly trapped and with tactically superior opponents in the front and in the rear, Prince Yazid’s force was mercilessly struck, its heavy guns neutralized, its cavalry shot or bayoneted down by the Bluecoats and the remaining infantry surround and bombarded until surrender.
Green: Portuguese Forces
Maroon: Prince Yazid’s Army
The Portuguese victory and capture Prince Yazid was a huge moral victory and vindication of the type of military reforms of Count William, but the four Brigades of over 9,000 soldiers, not to count the 1,500 remaining Marines, encompassed almost four fifths of the retrained Metropolitan Army and the Portuguese government was anxious to bring the army back to Portugal. When news of the victory reached Lisbon, orders were sent to the Atlantic Army to send one brigade from Angola as well as one battalion from Bissau to relieve the army in Mazagan. On March 29th, ships were sent to Africa to bring the colonial forces to Mazagan and then bring the Metropolitan army back to Faro.
Attempts by Portuguese to negotiate with Muhammad III were rejected despite the capture of his son and army and instead the Sultan set out from Fez with an army of 30,000 soldiers arriving close to Mazagan on May 15 to besiege the city once again, so plans to return the Metropolitan forces to Faro were delayed. On May 30th, the 4,800 strong Portuguese colonial force under Brigadier General João Forbes-Skelater arrived off the coast south of the city while the Moroccans besieged it. They landed on Cape Blanco south of the city and unbeknown to the Moroccans marched north to attack the besieging army from the rear.
Once again, the surprisingly organized Portuguese attack caught the Moroccan forces off guard. Muhammad attempted to extract his forces from besieging the city and face the attacking Portuguese army from the south, but during the confusion Brigadier-General Manuel Pinto de Morais Bacelar and his forces sallied forth to attack the Moroccans from the city. Muhammad and his forces were caught between two Portuguese forces and attempted to retreat but the Sultan and many of his retainers were killed in the battle as he tried to extract his forces from Mazagan.
Note:
iOTL the Portuguese enclave of Mazagan was still under Portuguese control till middle of Pombal's tenure. As a cost saving measure he was in favor of leaving North Africa. He negotiated its return to Morocco and re-settled the 2,000+ Portuguese there to South America. The French raids against Morocco are all historical and most of coastal communities in southern Europe did live in fear of Pirate attacks and thousands of Christians were captures and enslaved along the Barbary coast. Here circumstances such as the Pirate raid in Madeira archipelago, the existence of a strong merchant class and increased military/ naval strength changed the outcome and fate of the Portuguese Empire's interaction with North Africa. We have split the Morbeia War section into two posts, the first which you just read dealt with the circumstances and actual battles. We will deal with peace, outcome, analysis and post war scenario in next post. Comments / questions???.
Please return Thursday June 29 as we post the finishing chapters in "The ‘Morbeia War’ (1769-1770)"
Just wish to state a preventive apology if any of the maneuver maps look unclear or have imperfections, mainly in the arrows and designations. Newer maps will look more detailed and accurate to what the text implies and I may go back to improve upon earlier ones should I have time.
Lusitania
Donor
At this time we do not have the ability to take any new territory from Spain. We just wish to live in peace. Although future wars where we win might result territory exchange.
PS the loss of Ceuta was at time still a sore point to the Portuguese who felt it rightly belonged to Portugal so its return would rank up there.
Rebirth of Empire (Part 1 of 2) - The ‘Morbeia War’ (1769-1770) (2 of 2)
Lusitania
Donor
Rebirth of the Empire (Part 1 of 2) (cont)
The ‘Morbeia War’ (1769-1770) (2 of 2)
The Treaty of Mazagan (1770)
The ‘Morbeia War’ (1769-1770) (2 of 2)
The Treaty of Mazagan (1770)
The situation in Morocco following the 2nd battle of Mazagan was borderline catastrophic; not only 50,000 soldiers had been defeated and Mazagan remained firmly standing, but Prince Yazid was now hostage to the Portuguese and Sultan Muhammad III was dead. The Islamic kingdom now risked civil war unless peace was struck with Portugal to allow a new legitimate head to assume power.
This meant that despite the Moroccan forces already organizing themselves by the tens of thousands yet again, the war situation had become unsustainable. The Portuguese held the remaining Moroccan forces along with the body of Mawlay Muhammad III as hostages till the Moroccans agreed to support the captured Prince Yazid in the signing of a new Treaty. On July 1st, 1770 Prince Yazid signed the 1770 Treaty of Mazagan, agreeing to the following terms:
- Consolidated recognition of Mazagan as a Portuguese possession;
- Cessation of piracy and naval raids on either territory for a minimal period of 20 years;
- Expansion of Mazagan’s borders for 40-50 kilometers around the city in all directions, pending natural borders;
- Surrender of all captured ships to the Portuguese Navy;
- War Reparations to Portugal;
Morbeia River Basin
Dark Green: Expanded Portuguese Enclave
Dot 1: Fort City of Mazagan
Dot 2: Port City of Azamor & Morbeia Estuary
On July 20th Dom Joseph, I signed the treaty allowing for the hostilities with Morocco to end.
Integration of Morbeia (1770-1777)
Marque of Morbeia Flag (1780)
The expanded territory of Mazagan now included the city of Azamor and the southern bank of the Morbeia (iotl. Oum Er-Rbia) River Estuary, which the Portuguese had lost in the 16th century. The entire territory was granted provincial status in 1772. The Portuguese started building several border forts to protect the province. Antônio Bernardo Alvares de Brito was appointed the province’s first governor.
Antônio Bernardo Alvares de Brito
1720 - 1801
1st Marquis of Morbeia (1777), Tagus Signer, Knight of the Reformed Order of Christ
Governor Mazagan 1772 - 1777
Born in the Oporto region, Lord Brito was educated in Canonical law in the University of Coimbra and was knighted as part of the reformed Order of Christ in Portugal during the tense years of Verney’s term in the religious Council. Identifying himself as a man of the age of enlightenment, he supported the signing of the ‘Tagus Declaration’ that initiated the Pombaline Revolution and advocated for a more meritocratic nobility.
Following the Treaty of Mazagan, he signed a ‘Land Title Contract’ with King Joseph I the state that would entitle him to become the new ‘Marquis of Mazagan’ pending the surrendering of his claims to his family’s remaining titles and the successful integration of the territory in question.
He was directed to “Westernize” and fortify the new province, opening it to European and American investment. He also authorized the establishment of a PRP office so over the next decade he oversaw the movement all the locals who were Muslim from the expanded area to Southern Brazil and repopulated the province with thousands of Portuguese Catholic settlers from the Azores and Madeira islands.
Brito, however, was a staunch believer of the new CPD methodology and sought to apply it in Mazagan and Azamor to turn it into a useful and profitable territory. The land itself was not particularly rich in resources, but its strategic position and dominion over the Morbeia estuary had potential as a market outpost and sea port.
The enclosure of farms and terrain redistribution was one of his first steps; the relocation of locals to Brazil and replacement with Madeira and Azorean population allowed for the reorganization of land possessions for long term benefits. Paths were reserved for road plans between Mazagan and Azamor and fertile soil was concentrated around agricultural offices for organized farming. This left out enough outermost terrain to the south that, combined with river borders, would allow for a smart large scale fortification plan over the course of the following 20 years that would secure Portuguese dominion over the area despite the significantly larger border front.
In the meantime, to revitalize Mazagan’s economy, further investment from the Lisbon Chamber of Commerce was attracted to bring in new shops, offices and markets. The tense relations with Morocco as a result of the war and the deportation, however, made commerce difficult for the enclave. As a result of the very limited commercial and extraction potential, Brito instead began investing in military contracts for war exercises. The 1st and 2nd Mazagan Brigades were permanently headquartered in the province and began housing training facilities for itself and other Metropolitan forces.
Education and bureaucracy thus became important sectors of the territory. In 1772, the first military instruction establishments were opened and a western school for the population was installed. Census began to be gathered periodically, cartography was redrawn, infrastructure development plans were made and, most importantly, a terrain development office under the supervision of Aaron Lopez’ Ministry of Health & Agriculture was created to oversee agricultural layout, urban connections, coastal construction and general resource extraction, little as it may be. Water issues in Mazagan became a big incentive under Brito’s government to pursue irrigation technology from Cape Verde and similarly afflicted territories.
Finally, in 1777, during the last year of Joseph I’s reign, Governor Brito announced four things:
- Opening of Morbeia ‘Narrow Canal’: The opening of the new navigation and irrigation system stemming from a British-style canal on the thin Moroccan river was an accomplishment of great labor from the locals that not only improved the navigability of the estuary but also distributed water veins several hectometers deeper into the Morbeia’s terrain by the borderline, boosting agriculture and sustainability.
- Opening of Primary Schools: The cities of Azamor and Mazagan opened primary school establishments that taught Portuguese together with other Ministry-supported subjects to locals, ensuring the protection of the migrants Azorean and Madeira roots and the gradual assimilation of the remaining populace.
- Completion of Morbeia Defenses: The finishing of new small outlying fortifications to the river-less south solidified European domain. While the tens of kilometers of open territory forbid full width closure, intelligent positioning and design allowed for the placement of strategically unavoidable forts close enough to the river or coast for rapid ship-based reinforcement and supply.
- First Yearly Return: The first positive revenue of the territory was finally announced after five years of investment, construction and debt payment, proving the land’s financial use for the empire and securing the continuation of Portuguese interest in it. It consisted mostly of commerce tax, the canal profit and agricultural production.
These four accomplishments were of extraordinary importance for the territory, proving the Marquis of Pombal himself wrong regarding its potential for integration and self-sufficiency. As a result, following the terms of the Land Title Contract signed between him and the elderly King Joseph I the Reformer, Brito surrendered all the aristocratic title claims he had from his family back in the Metropolitan territory and was awarded with the title ‘Marquis of Morbeia’ for his extraordinary efforts and talent.
The elevation of the enclave to Noble territory was an event of great prestige for the new Marquis but also of great surprise and controversy for the rest of society, whether in Portugal, Morocco or further abroad. It was not typical, after all, for enclaves to be raised to the same status as the European historical title-based land divisions. It was also a clear message from the Portuguese to the Moroccans that the Christian Kingdom no longer held any intention of ever surrendering the land back to them, as it was now asserted as a ceremonial possession of Brito and his primogeniture lineage.
According to the nature of the Pombaline Revolution and the Tagus Declaration, however, this merely meant that Brito’s ‘ownership’ of the territory was merely ceremonial. He did not hold any further special power or any less responsibility for it just for being its Marquis. The governor-system was, however, replaced with regular magistracy and elevated territorial powers, with Morbeia citizens enjoying the same lawful recognition as they had back in Madeira and the Azores, and the Brito family allowed pensions, judicial honors and formal presence in major assembly actions.
Last but not least, the opening of the canal represented a slight shift in the local commercial reality. The long, branched river had a natural high-throughput potential and the Portuguese project allowed the entrance of bigger cargo ships as far deep as its new borders went. This allowed for a new flow of central-Moroccan bureaucracy and goods to be exchanged there while the shared control of the estuary between the Moroccans and the Portuguese allowed the Lisbon Chamber of Commerce to issue new prices and tolls to counteract Morocco’s. The city of Azamor thus began to rise as a Western commercial entry point in the region. The number of European ships passing through increased and the flow of goods from inner lands began to be syphoned further through it.
The completion of the canal also allowed its design and rewards to validate other important projects in Metropolitan Portugal during Joseph II the Great’s reign, especially in the hill-banked Douro River.
Morbeia, Tagus Declaration and Berber Act
In 1769, as a result of the intense social transformations Portugal suffered during the last years of the Undeclared War, the Tagus Declaration was signed by a large chunk of Portuguese upper society to trigger the Pombaline Revolution. One of the primary points of the issue was the country-wide eradication of Blood Cleanliness laws. This meant that by 1770, when Morbeia was annexed, forbidding people posts based on their religious or ethnical background was frowned upon (though language barriers were still a delicate problem).
Its first governor and future Marquis ‘Álvares de Brito’, however, had serious concerns regarding the success of his integration efforts and sought alternative measures to improve demographic circumstances in his territory. The Azorean and Madeira settlers did much to alter the make-up of the small territory, but Brito sought to strengthen the land’s importance through favorable population density increases. To this end, he passed laws protecting the presence of the Portuguese Catholic Church, for example, as well as periodic censuses.
The lingering presence of Morocco, however, was a source of huge concern. Both Brito and Pombal himself believed a far more overwhelming attack in the future against the Morbeia Marque was a real possibility. Portugal, however, did not have the human resources to route more immigration to the small overseas territory. Brito had to therefore seek alternative measures to boost its presence in the territory and undermine Moroccan strength.
In 1772, Brito passed a controversial legislation known as the 1772 Berber Act. It included significant reforms on the status of the Berber population in the territory of Morbeia. It protected intermarriage, safeguarded citizenship rights in Mazagan and Azamor to Berbers who, according to typical Goa-style CPD policies, adopted Portuguese language or the Portuguese Catholic Church and also allowed for some degree of tolerance to Berber religion. It also allowed non-speakers to settle in outlying farmlands anyway in exchange for voluntary submission to regular censuses. While Morbeia was not particularly inhabited by them, as Berbers preferred Marrakesh and the mountainous regions to escape Arab-Maghreb malice, the point of the act was not to protect present Berbers, but to attract them into Morbeia.
To strengthen pro-Berber propaganda in Morocco with the purpose of attracting them, Brito recruited PRP agents, allowing in 1773 for an office to be place in Azamor, who infiltrated southern Morocco with the intention of ‘recruiting’ families.
The presence of new Berber families was a source of friction to the Island Settlers, as migrants from Azores and Madeira were known as. While Berbers were ethnically similar to southern Portuguese population, darker skin tones and clear influence of North African culture in their garments and accents would denounce them rather easily. To pacify the region, then-governor Brito extended trial institutions to improve justice system and provide citizens with legal protection against each other.[1]
Social, International and Commercial Outcome
The reputation the conflict gained was one of noteworthiness in Portugal as part of a punitive and justified war to citizens notified of the unprovoked raids in the territories and the endangerment of their new Moroccan assets. It was also, however, a reassertion of Portuguese interests in North Africa. The expansion and development of the Marquis of Morbeia undermined Lusitanian-Moroccan relations severely, but also secured the European presence in the country after a long period of gradual Moroccan recovery of its land.
The expansion in itself, being so close to home territory, was one of significant excitement for the Portuguese population. The actual usefulness of the Marquis was put into question, however. Before Marquis Brito completed his projects on the enclave the territory remained an economic and diplomatic burden only alleviated by continued interest from the young Chamber of Commerce to meet back its own investment.
Unexpected support to Portugal’s claim on the Morbeia territory would come from Spain, which also held Christian enclaves in the land. Religious and political tensions increased significantly in Morocco as a result of this defeat and Prince Yazid’s shaky rise to power, and Spain feared the tension would spill over to aggression against its North-Moroccan possessions, such as Ceuta and Melilla. Garrison in those cities was reinforced and rearmed, awaiting either military or civil hostilities.
As part of the New Methuen Agreement, British merchants were now allowed unfiltered access and docking in Azamor, allowing them to profit from and invest in the Morbeia estuary commerce. Between 1772 and 1777, demand for tools, engineering, skilled work and, most importantly, farmers and merchants caused a gradual yet troubled transition in the soon-to-be Marque from an Islamic, underdeveloped port market to a gated community of mixed people striving to rebuild the territory.
British influence had a great deal of impact in it. Many of the Marque’s early establishments were partially funded by British merchants and captains, who used the port to do commerce with Morocco using the Portuguese rest point. By 1776, approximately 20% of the territory’s debt was in British hands and a number of expatriates settled in the outpost to help manage and engage the market. Support for the Portuguese claim was this happily given by London, especially after the independence recognition agreements regarding the United States later on. The presence of British expatriates and investments thus made the English government reluctant to criticize Portuguese expansion in the area.
Finally, Morbeia’s successful integration proved an important historical and social point, especially in comparison to the Portuguese failure in capitalizing Ceuta centuries earlier. It demonstrated that it was possible for the country to create new, more powerful colonies with its new enlightened methodologies with long term strategic and commercial benefits. It helped revitalize popular attitude towards colonization and oversea investment as well as recover national morale after years of political turmoil. Morbeia became known as Portugal’s “Moroccan Pearl” throughout the 1790s for the effects it had in popular enthusiasm for colonial prestige prior to the 1810 conflicts with Morocco.
War Analysis & Lessons
With victory proclaimed in 1770 just so shortly after the Paris treaty revision that ended the Undeclared War, troops returning to the Metropolitan Army’s barracks had much to report about its development and finalization. With Morocco in a state of civil strife thanks to the death of its Sultan, ransom of Prince Yazid and partial confiscation of its fleet by the Portuguese (under-grown as it may have been), the Islamic state was in little position to recover from its stunned state.
Final terms in the Mazagan treaty and field victories were achieved due to the following factors:
- Portuguese Naval Superiority: Although also in urgent need of reform, the active Portuguese Navy was still significantly larger and more organized than the Moroccan one, allowing Lisbon to overturn the pirate attacks and amphibiously raid the long Moroccan coast.
- Portuguese Tactical and Organizational Superiority: Once again, Lippean reforms proved their worth by rendering the Moroccan forces inflexible and slow in comparison to the disciplined, dynamic and prepared Bluecoats, Marines and Portuguese garrisons of the Mazagan Brigades.
- Portuguese War Weariness: National morale for continued fighting was low on the Portuguese part due to the years spent fighting Spain between the start of the Fantastic War and the end of the Undeclared War.
- Moroccan Land Superiority: Morocco held a significantly larger and less overstretched army, not to mention with vast terrain advantage, and was thus able to render any prospects of Portuguese counter-invasion hopeless.
If there was any lingering doubt to the worthiness of Lippe’s contributions, they were erased with the news of a relatively quick victory over Morocco in 1770. Even so, problems were exposed regarding the Portuguese war economy and many attempts were made by offices, the cabinet and colleges to study what went wrong and how to improve the military and social machines.
Amongst the many notes taken of the war, the following lessons stood out:
- Naval Power Projection Notice: The importance of refitting the Portuguese Navy after years of investment in the land army was affirmed yet again as the conflict showed to the Portuguese the effect the fleet had in not only land tactics, but in enforcement of sovereignty as well.
- Naval Refitting: The confiscation of pirate and Moroccan vessels as well as the subsequent integration to the soon-to-be-formed Merchant Navy drove in the importance of refitting ships for combat, furthering naval engineering advances.
- Marine Doctrine: Just like in the Undeclared War, Marine troops showed their prowess in tactical outwitting and quick movement. Marine officers refined their intervention ability in wars and expanded existing treatises and manuals on marine training and tactical use. Many theorists argue that the ‘Shock Emphasis’ they would develop between the Morbeia War and 1820 resulted from these studies.
- Bastion & Wall Design Doctrine: The fort of Mazagan was subject to heavy cannon firing throughout its siege which exposed the frailty of its outdated design. In particular, the pronounced shape of the coast it sat on exposed its flanks to fire from the East. While many Lippean reforms applied to forts in Southern Portugal were effective, the idea of reducing the number of flanks in fortifications began to be defended so the weight and resources of the castle could be more focused. Many of the annotations made in this war would go on to influence the ongoing fort renovations in Metropolitan territory.[2]
[1] In the Second Pombaline census of 1795 the population of province of Mazagan had grown from 2,900 to over 57,000. The huge population explosion was in large part to the Berber Act which had resulted in a 60% population increase in the 1780s and 1790s. The population demographics for the province was: Iberian 10%, Island 29%, Berber 40%, Indian 7%, African 6%, European 5% and Other 3%.
[2] The lessons learned in the province of Morbeia would later be utilized extensively when Portugal began working on Line Fortification in the Iberian Peninsula following the War of the Medal (see Line Fortification, Rebirth of Empire III 1800-1825)
Note:
iOTL the Portuguese enclave of Mazagan was still under Portuguese control till middle of Pombal's tenure. As a cost saving measure he was in favor of leaving North Africa. He negotiated its return to Morocco and re-settled the 2,000+ Portuguese there to South America. Is this post we deal with several major topics such as development which we can see following an "enlightened" approach as laid out by the Ministry of Economy. We also see a major development and that being the integration of Morbeia into Metropolitan Portugal and not as a colony, which will have major repercussion in future developments. The third major issue is integration and acceptance of other cultures namely "Berber" who were facing their own persecution/discrimination by the Arabs in Morocco. We also mention the Pombaline Revolution which lead to major "changes" in Portugal at the twilight of king Joseph reign. We will be getting to those soon. To that end will next turn our attentions to the divine inspirations and the great men and women whom God blessed our glorious Empire at this glorious and troubling time. Comments / questions???.
Please return Sunday July 2 as we post the start of the "Portuguese Religious Council & Verneyist Thought"
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I'm really liking the synergic effect on the Empire. The tiny little improvements here and there continue to pool together and will eventually turn into an avalanche.
The Portuguese-Moroccan War would see the country becoming a colony.
I can't wait to see their evolved colonial doctrine finally shining for the world to see, if only due to it's more beneficial effect on the natives.
The Portuguese-Moroccan War would see the country becoming a colony.
I can't wait to see their evolved colonial doctrine finally shining for the world to see, if only due to it's more beneficial effect on the natives.
Lusitania
Donor
If we look at the way the Rebirth of Empire I history book is setup (page 1) we can see how we provided a detailed background, then wrote about the issues affecting the country at beginning of king Joseph reign (backwardness, earthquake and fantastic War) we get a good idea of the shape the country was in. We then provided a detailed outline of both Pombal governments and all the reforms he and then his cabinet were able to implement. For the last two weeks we have shown the results of the reforms (Undeclared War and Morbeia War).
Note: we have only dealt with part of the reforms, for just as the government, merchants and industrialist changed the country next we deal with the just as important and even more earthshattering battle for the souls and faith of the country.
As for Morocco, it is a huge country and any attempted conquest would require a huge military, administration endeavor which the country could ill afford right now. That does not mean we could not see it happen in future. As for its status, that would be up to discussion. Being so close to Iberian Peninsula would the country be able to incorporate it (like Morbeia) or would they simply turn it into a colony. We will need to see.
The evolved colonial doctrine is looked by different people differently. The Portuguese and their supporters saw it as a much more humane and inclusive approach. The conservative European/Americans at the time saw it as "becoming native" which was greatly frowned on. As for the natives there are those who saw it as no different that any other colonizer/conqueror just with a different window dressing. Which the Portuguese response is as follows "Yes there are some very unenlightened and backwards people in the world we just hope that they would see the great work and development that all people within the empire enjoyed and continue to enjoy. We also hope the Portuguese Empire continues to be a beacon of enlightenment and inclusiveness to the world"
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Interesting approch.
If they combine this with how they ran Portuguese Africa then it could provice blueprints about how to do it in future cases.
While tolerence for Jews could be easy to make accepted among the people, tolerence for Muslims might be a tad more difficult.
Tangiers's position might be endangered with TTL Morbeia's growth.
Lusitania
Donor
It was a blue print that would not only be used in Africa but also on other continents.
The tolerance to Berbers as a people was there but there were still several hurdles. The vast majority did convert to Portuguese Catholicism and all learned to speak Portuguese. The major difference is the removal of the "pure blood" requirement so converts and expecially their offspring would be considered Portuguese and be able to find opportunity in government, military or commerce plus be able to move throughout the empire. This would over time lead to acceptance unlike iOTL where Europeans always considered those not of pure European ancestry as secound class citizens.
Morocco is ahuge place and distance between Mazagan / Morbeia and Tânger is over 400 km so both could exist without affecting each other's growth.
Finally...the king dies and the king-emporer rises, all hail Joseph II. Wasent there to be a scandal with the mother and the priest society?