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IOTL, in the 1580s' War of Portuguese Succession, the Battle of Ponta Delgada was an attempt by the french forces loyal to portuguese pretender Antonio, Prior of Crato, to estabilish a foothold on the Azore islands. The battle was a roughly equal fight, with multiple french vessels fighting off against fewer, but larger, spanish-iberian vessels. Still, Philip II's forces managed to win the battle and conquer the azores.
But what if Antonio's forces had won the battle? Perhaps by having french commander Piero Strozzi listen to his portuguese advisors and choose another battle formation rather than the line-of-battle one he chose IOTL.
Could the azores serve as a beachhead for Antonio to reconquer his country from the habsburgs?
If not, then... can Antonio estabilish some sort of Avis-Portugal-in-exile?
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