Invasion of Portugal (1807)
The invasion of Portugal (19–30 November 1807) saw an Imperial French corps under Jean-Andoche Junot and Spanish military troops invade the Kingdom of Portugal, which was headed by its Prince Regent João of Bragança (John of Braganza). The military operation resulted in the occupation of Portugal. The French and Spanish presence was challenged by the Portuguese people and by the United Kingdom in 1808. The invasion marked the start of the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars.
| Invasion of Portugal (1807) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Peninsular War | |||||||||
Detail of the monument dedicated to the heroes of the Peninsular War, Lisbon | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
French Empire Kingdom of Spain | Portugal | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Jean-Andoche Junot | Prince Regent João | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
France: 25,918 Spain: 25,500 Total: 51,418 | 48,396 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
Threatened by an ultimatum from Napoleon, the Portuguese government acceded to most of the demands of the French emperor. Nevertheless, Napoleon ordered Junot to commence the invasion, with the cooperation of three divisions from the Kingdom of Spain. Paralyzed by fear and indecision, the Portuguese authorities offered no resistance. Junot occupied Lisbon on 30 November 1807, only to find that João and many of the leading families had escaped to Brazil aboard the Portuguese fleet. The French quickly occupied the entire country and appropriated or disbanded the Portuguese army. The following year saw the Portuguese revolt against their occupiers. The next action was the Battle of Évora in July 1808.