Spanish-Portuguese War, 1761-1763
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The Spanish-Portuguese War between 1761 and 1763 was fought as part of the Seven Years' War.
When the Seven Years' War between France and Great Britain started in 1756, Spain and Portugal remained neutral. Their differences in South America had been settled by the Treaty of Madrid (1750). King Ferdinand VI of Spain's prime minister Richard Wall opposed the French party who wanted to enter the war on the side of France.
Everything changed when Ferdinand VI died in 1759 and was succeeded by his younger brother Charles III of Spain. Charles was more ambitious than his melancholily brother. One of the main objects of Charles's policy was the survival of Spain as a colonial power and, therefore, as a power to be reckoned with in Europe.
By 1761 France looked like losing the war against Great Britain. Futhermore, Spain suffered from attacks by English privateers in Spanish waters, and claimed compensation.
Fearing that a British victory over France in the Seven Years' War would upset the balance of colonial power, he signed the Family Compact with France (both countries were ruled by branches of the Bourbon family) in August 1761.
This brought war with Great Britain in January 1762.
Portugal had been struck by the disastrous 1755 Lisbon earthquake. The Prime Minister Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal directed all efforts towards the reconstruction of the country, and neglected the armed forces, for which he had little interest anyhow.
By the Treaty of El Pardo (1761) between Spain and Portugal all aspects of the Treaty of Madrid were null and void.
[edit] The war
Spain agreed with France to attack Portugal which remained neutral, but which was an important economical ally of Great Britain. France hoped that this new front would draw away British forces, now directed against France.
On May 9 Spain invaded Portugal, and also decided to attack Portugal in South America, and in particular to take the long disputed Colonia del Sacramento.
The Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762) in effect made Great Britain send a force of 8,000 men to Portugal, but little more was achieved.
The First Cevallos expedition in present-day Uruguay was more successful, but was insignificant to the outcome of the war.
In the Treaty of Paris (1763) the status-quo between Spain and Portugal of before the war was restored.
