Conflicts & Resolutions · War

War of the Portuguese Succession

1580–1583 · 16th century

The War of the Portuguese Succession followed the death of the childless Cardinal-King Henry in 1580. Philip II of Spain claimed the throne, and his army under the Duke of Alba defeated the pretender António, Prior of Crato, at Alcântara near Lisbon in August 1580. A Spanish fleet then defeated António's French supporters in the Azores, and Portugal entered a personal union with Spain.

War of the Portuguese Succession
Image: Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Battles and settlements

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). War of the Portuguese Succession. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/war-of-the-portuguese-succession
MLA
“War of the Portuguese Succession.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/war-of-the-portuguese-succession. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “War of the Portuguese Succession.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/war-of-the-portuguese-succession.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘War of the Portuguese Succession’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/war-of-the-portuguese-succession (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻