Centenary of the Portuguese Republic
After a tumultuous period in Portugal following the British Empire's 1890 Ultimatum, in which Portugal's oldest ally, the United Kingdom, demanded Portugal renounce it's Pink Map showing contiguous Portuguese territory across Africa, from Angola on the Atlantic coast to Mozambique on the Indian Ocean. This conflicted with the UK's plans to have unbroken control of territory from Cape Town to Cairo, upon which Cecil Rhodes could build his transcontinental railway.
The Ultimatum was evidence of real politik, but nonetheless it shocked the Portuguese political establishment to the core and represented a real threat to the Portuguese empire in Africa. The colonies and the country's relationship with the UK were now front an centre, and a new generation of republican politicians sought to exploit this to bring an end to the monarchy and to refocus Portugal's external relationships away from the UK and more towards mainland Europe.
This political conflict lasted for 20 turbulent years during which an effective dictatorship was installed and supported by the monarchy and conservatives in parliament and the king and his eldest son were assassinated while being driven through Lisbon.
The new king, Manuel II, had not been groomed for the crown, and ultimately proved unable to save the House of Braganza. A popular urban uprising in Porto and Lisbon led to the proclamation of the republic from the balcony of Lisbon city chambers. The royal family fled to Ericeira, where some fisherment took them out to a waiting British warship that carried them first to Gibraltar and then to London.
There were a few attempts to restore the monarchy, but they were easily put down by forces loyal to the republic. But not all was well within the republic, as the factions that had put their differences aside prior to the fall of the monarchy now jostled for position in the new Portugal. But that is a different story for another day.
