Portugal is my favorite of the great powers to play. You govern a weak pathetic country but have basically a free hand to conquer and exploit the rest of the world for about 100 years. By 1580 when the Dynastic crisis ends the Beja dynasty you have many different directions you can go in: internal developement, continue colonisation (but you only get 1 settler a year at this point), or get involved in Europe. Or all three 
. Anyway the key to Portuguese victory is boldness in the first 100 years. Explore, conquer, explore, colonise, explore, go bankrupt, explore some more and so on. Here is my first installment of trying to take this small nation to global empire.
1492
In 1474 Rei Afonso V had just finished his conquest of Tangiers and had placed his young son Joao in charge of colonizing and expansion in Africa. Joao's agressive policies brought cohesiveness to the Portuguese colonial effort. After war with Castille in 1475-1476, the Portuguese were forced to renounce all claims to the Castillian crown with the treaty of Alcacovas in 1479. The dream of Afonso V and the Avis dynasty of a Portuguese dominated Iberian penninsula came to an end. But the Treaty also gave Portugal a free hand in Africa, as the Castillians gave Portugal all land south of Iberia except for the Canaries. When Joao became Rei in 1481 he had a concise plan of colonising Africa and reaching India around the cape. His famous captains Diogo Cao and Bartholomeu Dias explored much of the African coast and his agent Pero da Covilha had journeyed to India and sent back reports.
1492 Joao's master plan is working. Portuguese trading posts exist along the African coasts and the cape has been reached. His majesty sends Dias again down the African coast to find a suitable location for a colony on the cape to serve as a naval base for the final jump to India. The Rei orders a colony to be built on Fernando Po to control the African coasts, the expansion of the Colony on cape verde to convert the population to Catholicism, a trading post (or feitoria) built in Dakar, and another trading post set up in Cochin a province of India discovered by de Covilha. Joao calls forth his generals and advisers and informs them that the time to end Moorish domination of Africa has begun. Troops are recruited in Oporto and ships are built in Tago. The fleet, under the command of Corte Real, evacuate the 10,000 men in Tangiers and move them back to Portugal to join the main army. Portugal is preparing for war. Seeking to perhaps to restore the dream of a Portuguese Iberia, Joao sends his cousin the sister of the Duke of Beja to marry into the Spanish royal family. The Spanish agree to this arrangment and a dynastic alliance is born.
March: The Spanish conquer Grenada, yet another blow to the Moors. Portugal rejoices, but Joao is worried the Spanish may now have more time to cause mischief.
April: Word of a successful colonisation of Cape Verde reaches the court. Cape Verde is now a proper Christian city. It is named the sixth province of the Kingdom of Portugal (Tago, Algarve, Oporto, Tangiers, and the Acores are the other five). Portugal is offered an alliance with their old trading partners the Hanseatic league, but Joao declines he has little interest to get muddled in European affairs. He does however forge another Dynastic alliance, this time with England to solidify the two nations old friendship.
May: Joao demands another trading post be created in Leone to seize the ivory trade. Word reaches the court of the trading post up and running in Dakar, our African empire has expanded. Joao approaches the Barbary state of Algiers with a proposal of alliance for a war with Morocco. He is flatly rejected.
September: Portugal gains a dynastic alliance with the Hanseatic league. Russia offers an alliance, we are flattered but dont see how Russia or her allies could do us any good. Joao declines. The Naval base is created in Fernando Po. Dias docks there.
October and November: the expedition to Leone is slaughtered by the natives, Portugal gains a dynastic alliance with Parma.
1493 Preparation for war continues. The Portuguese military comes up with its battle plans. A large fleet with 30,000 men will wait out in the straits of Gibralter. The Morrocan army, intent on reversing the humiliations of the 1470's will attack Tangiers and after they attempt to assualt the walls we will crush them and seize the capital of Fez. Another fleet with 10,000 men will land further to the south near Merrakech and seize that city. Later another army will be landed in the Sahara to take the south most province of Morocco. In the mean time Joao sends an expedition to colonise Table an area right at the cape discovered by Dias on his last expedition. Joao is also forced to take a loan to pay for it and finance the war. Turkey goes to war with the alliance of the Mameluks and Poland. Joao is furious that the Ottomans may beat him to Africa.
February: Portuguese merchants end the Venetian monopoly in Venice and are now the biggest trader there (5 merchants). Portuguese settlers successfully create a trading post in Cochin, the first part of an Asian empire. Dynastic allianced forged with Pommerania and Navarra.
May: France, Brittany, Savoy, The Papal States, The Hafsid Empire, and Scotland go to war with Naples and England. Joao orders a trading post in Kribi.
June: African Empire expands, trading post successful in Leone. England and Naples try to ally with us, but Joao laughs at the offer.
August: The plan for war is set in motion the fleets depart for their staging areas. A letter is sent to the Moroccan Sultan: convert to Catholicism or pay the consequences.
November: War is declared on Morocco. Portugal goes crazy with crusading zeal. Death to the Infidel!!
December Dias reaches the Indian ocean before turning back.
1494 The Moroccan army, some 49,000, reach Tangiers and begin to assault it. They are following the plan perfectly. The Smaller Portuguese army arrives in Toubkal. The Siege of Merrakech begins. Portuguese begin to sense victory.
February huge battle in Tangiers where 45000 Moroccans are beaten by 29,000 Portuguese. On to Fez!!! Battle of Merrakech, 10,000 hastily mobilized Morrocans beaten by 9,700 Portuguese. Moldavia declares war on Turkey. Sweden declares war on the Papal States, bringing Sweden to war with the huge French alliance. Rejected another alliance with Hanseatic league.
March Battle of Fez, another Portuguese victory at the cost of 6,000 men. Morrocans retreat to Tangiers. The Portuguese army stays to seige Fez.
May Army of 18000 leave Lisbon bound for Sahara.
December glorious news reaches Lisbon, the colonists in Table have been successful! India is near!
1495 Joao II, the perfect prince of Portugal, dies without a son. His cousin, Manuel the Duke of Beja, comes to the throne starting the Beja dynasty. Fez will fall soon, Merrakech is in Portuguese hands and the Army of Tago has almost landed in Sahara. The War is almost over and a new era for Portugal will soon begin. Morocco will be the first jewel in the crown of what will be a glorious empire.
. Anyway the key to Portuguese victory is boldness in the first 100 years. Explore, conquer, explore, colonise, explore, go bankrupt, explore some more and so on. Here is my first installment of trying to take this small nation to global empire.1492
In 1474 Rei Afonso V had just finished his conquest of Tangiers and had placed his young son Joao in charge of colonizing and expansion in Africa. Joao's agressive policies brought cohesiveness to the Portuguese colonial effort. After war with Castille in 1475-1476, the Portuguese were forced to renounce all claims to the Castillian crown with the treaty of Alcacovas in 1479. The dream of Afonso V and the Avis dynasty of a Portuguese dominated Iberian penninsula came to an end. But the Treaty also gave Portugal a free hand in Africa, as the Castillians gave Portugal all land south of Iberia except for the Canaries. When Joao became Rei in 1481 he had a concise plan of colonising Africa and reaching India around the cape. His famous captains Diogo Cao and Bartholomeu Dias explored much of the African coast and his agent Pero da Covilha had journeyed to India and sent back reports.
1492 Joao's master plan is working. Portuguese trading posts exist along the African coasts and the cape has been reached. His majesty sends Dias again down the African coast to find a suitable location for a colony on the cape to serve as a naval base for the final jump to India. The Rei orders a colony to be built on Fernando Po to control the African coasts, the expansion of the Colony on cape verde to convert the population to Catholicism, a trading post (or feitoria) built in Dakar, and another trading post set up in Cochin a province of India discovered by de Covilha. Joao calls forth his generals and advisers and informs them that the time to end Moorish domination of Africa has begun. Troops are recruited in Oporto and ships are built in Tago. The fleet, under the command of Corte Real, evacuate the 10,000 men in Tangiers and move them back to Portugal to join the main army. Portugal is preparing for war. Seeking to perhaps to restore the dream of a Portuguese Iberia, Joao sends his cousin the sister of the Duke of Beja to marry into the Spanish royal family. The Spanish agree to this arrangment and a dynastic alliance is born.
March: The Spanish conquer Grenada, yet another blow to the Moors. Portugal rejoices, but Joao is worried the Spanish may now have more time to cause mischief.
April: Word of a successful colonisation of Cape Verde reaches the court. Cape Verde is now a proper Christian city. It is named the sixth province of the Kingdom of Portugal (Tago, Algarve, Oporto, Tangiers, and the Acores are the other five). Portugal is offered an alliance with their old trading partners the Hanseatic league, but Joao declines he has little interest to get muddled in European affairs. He does however forge another Dynastic alliance, this time with England to solidify the two nations old friendship.
May: Joao demands another trading post be created in Leone to seize the ivory trade. Word reaches the court of the trading post up and running in Dakar, our African empire has expanded. Joao approaches the Barbary state of Algiers with a proposal of alliance for a war with Morocco. He is flatly rejected.
September: Portugal gains a dynastic alliance with the Hanseatic league. Russia offers an alliance, we are flattered but dont see how Russia or her allies could do us any good. Joao declines. The Naval base is created in Fernando Po. Dias docks there.
October and November: the expedition to Leone is slaughtered by the natives, Portugal gains a dynastic alliance with Parma.
1493 Preparation for war continues. The Portuguese military comes up with its battle plans. A large fleet with 30,000 men will wait out in the straits of Gibralter. The Morrocan army, intent on reversing the humiliations of the 1470's will attack Tangiers and after they attempt to assualt the walls we will crush them and seize the capital of Fez. Another fleet with 10,000 men will land further to the south near Merrakech and seize that city. Later another army will be landed in the Sahara to take the south most province of Morocco. In the mean time Joao sends an expedition to colonise Table an area right at the cape discovered by Dias on his last expedition. Joao is also forced to take a loan to pay for it and finance the war. Turkey goes to war with the alliance of the Mameluks and Poland. Joao is furious that the Ottomans may beat him to Africa.
February: Portuguese merchants end the Venetian monopoly in Venice and are now the biggest trader there (5 merchants). Portuguese settlers successfully create a trading post in Cochin, the first part of an Asian empire. Dynastic allianced forged with Pommerania and Navarra.
May: France, Brittany, Savoy, The Papal States, The Hafsid Empire, and Scotland go to war with Naples and England. Joao orders a trading post in Kribi.
June: African Empire expands, trading post successful in Leone. England and Naples try to ally with us, but Joao laughs at the offer.
August: The plan for war is set in motion the fleets depart for their staging areas. A letter is sent to the Moroccan Sultan: convert to Catholicism or pay the consequences.
November: War is declared on Morocco. Portugal goes crazy with crusading zeal. Death to the Infidel!!
December Dias reaches the Indian ocean before turning back.
1494 The Moroccan army, some 49,000, reach Tangiers and begin to assault it. They are following the plan perfectly
. The Smaller Portuguese army arrives in Toubkal. The Siege of Merrakech begins. Portuguese begin to sense victory.February huge battle in Tangiers where 45000 Moroccans are beaten by 29,000 Portuguese. On to Fez!!! Battle of Merrakech, 10,000 hastily mobilized Morrocans beaten by 9,700 Portuguese. Moldavia declares war on Turkey. Sweden declares war on the Papal States, bringing Sweden to war with the huge French alliance. Rejected another alliance with Hanseatic league.
March Battle of Fez, another Portuguese victory at the cost of 6,000 men. Morrocans retreat to Tangiers. The Portuguese army stays to seige Fez.
May Army of 18000 leave Lisbon bound for Sahara.
December glorious news reaches Lisbon, the colonists in Table have been successful! India is near!
1495 Joao II, the perfect prince of Portugal, dies without a son. His cousin, Manuel the Duke of Beja, comes to the throne starting the Beja dynasty. Fez will fall soon, Merrakech is in Portuguese hands and the Army of Tago has almost landed in Sahara. The War is almost over and a new era for Portugal will soon begin. Morocco will be the first jewel in the crown of what will be a glorious empire.
