Revolt of Portugal

After the battle of Alcazarquivir (1578) and the death of the last king of the dynasty of Aviz, Sebastian I,  the Kingdom of Portugal merged with the Habsburg monarchy of Philip II (1527-1598) along with its vast colonial empire. The union of the crowns of Spain and Portugal lasted sixty years (1580-1640), during which it was even speculated that the capital could be moved from Madrid to Lisbon. In 1640, taking advantage of contemporary Spanish engagement in the Thirty Years’ War and the attempt to quell the Catalan revolt, the Portuguese kingdom rose up, acclaiming John IV, the Duke of Braganza, as the new King of Portugal. The Lusitanian recriminations concerned the lack of involvement of their elites in the government of the monarchy and the marginal role reserved for Portuguese interests, as shown by the inadequate defense of the American and Asian colonies against Dutch attacks. After the assassination of the Secretary of State Miguel de Vasconcelos and the arrest of the king’s cousin, the Duchess of Mantua Margaret of Savoy, Philip IV of Spain (1605-1665) tried in vain to regain the kingdom. After a series of battles lost over the next 25 years, Spain officially recognized the independence of Portugal with the Treaty of Lisbon (1668).