[Clann]

Could someone give me a brief insight into how Portugal achieved independence from Spain? I remember reading that it was achieved with only 40 men or something to that effect.

[Ombrageux]

Portugal? Were they ever even owned by Spain? I realise there was a personal union with Spain at some point but I don't think Portugal ever lost its independence.

[Clann]

I believe they were, I could be wrong. I vaguely remember reading in a book about Republicanism here that Portugal gained independence with 40 men.

[Lokakyy]

If I remember correctly, Portugal was a puppet state, namely autonomious (and united through personal union). After Philip III (?) wanted to reduce Portugal as a province, the portuguese nobles revolted and broke away from the Spanish influence. Something like that.

EDIT:
There is a short paragraph of it in the wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of ... the_Empire

See "Decline of the Empire"

[Fernando]

Portugal separated from Castilla during the Low Middle Ages. From time to time one tried to conquer the other.

After the last war about 1476 (when Spain united) the Spanish and Portuguese kings entered into several alliances, mainly through marriage.

When the Portuguese king died in Alcazarquivir (Marocco) the best candidate was Philip II of Spain, who quelled opposition in a petty war (1580).

In those times Portugueses felt that Spain and Portugal joined together could fight better against English, French, Moorish and Dutch terrorism (so-called 'piracy').

Owing to the Spanish commitment in european quarrel (thirty years war) Spain and Portugal could not cooperate. Given that Portugal obtained nothing nobility revolted in 1640. After a bloody war Portugal gained independency.

I suppose the 40 men story is the number of the 'independence heroes' ('restauradores'). Spain had just a few soldiers in Portugal since it was fighting against French, Turkish, English, Protestans,...

About if it was 'a part of' Spain or not it is hard to say. The king of Spain at the moment named himself as king of Castille, Aragon, Navarre, Sicilia, Flandes, Brabant, Portugal,... I would say it was a strong personal union. I mean it was mainly king of Spain (Castille including America+Aragon+Navarre+Granada) and Portugal. Brazil was ever a portuguese dependency.

[Ombrageux]

Terrorism? Hah, now that's an anachronism.

It's not terrorism, it's piracy, they're doing it for money not for shock value.

[Einherjar]

Seems you're losing the meaning of terrorism thanks to the american definitioned one.
A terrorist is one who oppresses by fear and/or violence in order to achieve any possible end, including that of material wealth (hence piracy is terrorism).
Obviously newspeak is trying to redefine the term, we must resist!

[Ombrageux]

A terrorist is one who oppresses by fear and/or violence in order to achieve any possible end, including that of material wealth (hence piracy is terrorism).

Everyone's a friggin' terrorist then.

It has a meaning, violence in the hope of inspiring enough fear to influence policy. And yes, that does mean the Allies were terrorists, they openly spoke of 'terror-bombing'.

[Lokakyy]

And actually the piracy in this case should be called privateering as it is state-sponsored. To be nitpicky.

[Einherjar]

Everyone's a friggin' terrorist then.

False.

It has a meaning, violence in the hope of inspiring enough fear to influence policy. And yes, that does mean the Allies were terrorists, they openly spoke of 'terror-bombing'.

Have you ever seen Bruce Willis fighting the terrorists in Die Hard?
Where their ends political or economical?

All sorts of discussions pop up, you reckon?