Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373

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The Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373 was signed between King Edward III of England and King Ferdinand and Queen Eleanor of Portugal. It established a treaty of "perpetual friendships, unions [and] alliances" between the two seafaring nations. It is the oldest active treaty in the world.

It was reinforced throughout history, including in 1386, 1643, 1654, 1660, 1661, 1703, 1815 and by a secret declaration in 1899. It was recognized in the Treaties of Arbitration in the 20th century between Britain and Portugal in 1904 and 1914.

It was activated again during the Second World War, whereupon the Portuguese remained neutral, in agreement with Britain, which did not want to bring the war into the Iberian Peninsula, until 1943, when it was fully reactivated by the National Government of Winston Churchill and Portugal. Britain, after 3 months' negotiations, was accorded aerodrome and nautical facilities in the Portuguese Azores to help combat the U-boat threat.

Despite the fact that the treaty has technically been in effect for nearly 650 years does not mean that it has always been practically carried out. Widespread war has rarely been waged between the two, but that does not mean it has never been. In the Dutch-Portuguese War, the British (and to a lesser extent the French), seeking to curtail Hapsburg power, openly aided the Dutch in their war on Portugal, which was by then a dependent vassal of Hapsburg Spain. There was also a forcible disarming of the Portuguese military in the territories Portuguese West Africa (Angola), Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique), and several islands in the Atlantic by the Western Allies, due to Allied fears of Portugal (then under the Fascist regime of Salazar) joining the Axis and fighting alongside Germany. It was primarily peaceful, though some instances of fighting broke out, though the Portuguese resistance was crushed where it did foment. Despite a formal protest from Lisbon, the Portuguese remained neutral, and simultaneously, many Portuguese nationals aided the Allies in resistance to the Axis in the Pacific, in places like East Timor and Macau.

[edit] Excerpt

An excerpt of the treaty is given below:

"In the first place we settle and covenant that there shall be from this day forward... true, faithful, constant, mutual and perpetual friendships, unions, alliances, and needs of sincere affection, and that as true and faithful friends we shall henceforth, reciprocally, be friends to friends and enemies to enemies, and shall assist, maintain, and uphold each other mutually, by sea and by land, against all men that may live and die."