Military History | Liberal Wars
Portugal's Liberal Wars 1826-34

Acknowledgement

I'm very grateful to Nuno Pereira who got me inspired to write up the Liberal Wars and who kindly sent me quite a lot of background material.

Posted 10 Jun 2006

From 1826 to 1834 the Portuguese fought a civil war, known as the Liberal Wars (or the Portuguese Civil War, the War of the Two Brothers, or Miguelite War). Fought between the Liberals, under Pedro IV, at times King of Portugal and Emperor of the Brazil, and the Absolutists or Miguelistas after their leader Dom Miguel (Pedro's brother). The Liberals supported a Constitutional Monarchy, and their leader also wanted to secure the Portuguese throne for his daughter Dona Maria II. The Absolutists, in contrast, believed in Miguel's divine right to rule.

The events described here are part of the build up to, and the early part of, the First Carlist War. They are also a side effect of the Liberation of Brazil.