Post by casaporto on May 6, 2011 22:10:35 GMT
• REPÚBLICA PORTUGUESA
Name --- Alfónso Cástelo Silva
Nation --- República Portuguesa [The Portuguese Republic / Republic of Portugal]
Aliases ---
Cale or Calle [Outdated ]
Gallaecia [ Also outdated ]
Porto [ Outdated, but might be used by Germany or some of the Scandinavians]
Portucale [Outdated ]
Port [Usually England, but occasionally some of the older nations. ]
Porty [Most commonly used, but not necessarily the most desireable.]
Fonzo, Al, or other several other variations of his name
Apparent age --- Early Thirties; 33 perhaps.
Actual age --- Since being a proto-nation, 2100+ years.
Independence fully recognised and acknowledged in 1143; leaving him at the age of 868, Europe’s eldest nation-state.)
Gender ---Male
|-|-The External-|-|
Eye color --- Dark Hazel
Hair color --- Burnt Chestnut
Height --- 5’11”
Weight --- 170lbs
Skin tone ---Olive, almost tanned pigment to it
Defining features --- While being a generally content and somewhat humble person typically found with a smile spread across his face; Alfónso often manages to lapse himself into unnecessarily deep thought over the most trivial things. As such, it’s not unlikely to find him bearing expressions completely detached from the matter in hand. As with all nations; he has his scars, although most of these have faded by now and looking at the ones that remain, he can’t seem to remember too well which came from whom. Par for a long and jagged scar running down his right leg, from Alcácer Quibir. Not too long ago he nearly completely shattered his hip when a rather large earthquake (1) untimely hit Lisbon in 1755. But time has passed and pretty much all pain [and fear of something like it happening again] from this has gone.
Additional features --- Alfónso has a fairly sturdy build; predominantly from spending an awful lot of time at sea over the years, and still doing so. Hours of tossing rope back and forth has left his palms rather rough and worn though, which bothers him somewhat. This is, however, countered by a strong love of food. Sugar, particularly. Mild exercise has kept him well so far; but he’ll have to do something more straining sooner or later. He has no intent to become extensively muscular whatsoever, and is more concerned with his appearance than his physical health. As long as nothing gets out of hand, it’s alright.
In contrast, he could not care less about how he dresses. During his Golden Era he would often swathe himself in flamboyant cloaks of unusual and obnoxious colours, often favouring deep reds and purples, but has since lost all desire of luxury and has happily turned to more simple and desaturated dress, leaning towards a much duller spectrum of greys and browns. This has led him to a great love of loose clothing, which it seems, is all he tends to wear nowadays. It’s also helped him to blend in with the people more somewhat.
While desperately attempting to avoid formalities at any cost; when it is called for, he’ll try and get by with nothing more than a suit. [Without a tie, if possible. But that’s quite the rare exception.] On the odd occasion that military dress is called for, he’ll be seen in a very faded khaki uniform from the Second World War, a fairly worn leather belt worn around the waist and crossed over the torso. [But this is no problem, since these were also comfortably loose.] (2)
|-|-The Internal-|-|
Personality --- Portugal has a poor tendency to give a first impression of laziness, probably due to a strong love of sleep and not being particularly productive. This is, fairly true, in a sense. Despite recent tough times; Alfónso seems to be more laid-back and less outwardly frustrated than usual, which would seem odd to most. This rather passive attitude towards political and international affairs has led him to having few friends inside of said fields, and somewhat less outside of them also.
He has weakened quite a bit over the last century, and although he finds it frustrating, is comfortable to admit this to himself. After all, it was probably this that’s caused his demeanour to flux so much. While at previous points in time he was madly ambitious, hardworking, well disciplined and insanely optimistic, this hasn’t followed through too much. Streaks of being a previous European Power remain, but they must be buried pretty deep under a lot of cynicism, and don’t flare up very often, at all.
He does however firmly believe that any problem can be solved with perseverance, and tries (oddly hard at times) to simply push through tough times and worry about the damage later. Doing such has led to him trying to bottle up a hell of a lot of stress however, which past experience has shown not to be too beneficial, since he’s not fantastic at coping with emotion.
He is stubborn to a fault, and can be ridiculously immovable at the best of times, holding to his opinion for as long as possible regardless of whether it’s wrong or right. If there is one thing Alfónso still dislikes most, it is being challenged (and holding the potential of losing) which often leads him (and has led him to) biting off more than he really should be able to chew. But, once you’ve made your bed, you must lay in it after all. Over time he has taken on challenges larger than he should have tried to tackle, but struggled on through with most of these and succeeded.
Not to say that he directs all his passion into argument and confrontation though; he tries to avoid this whenever possible, but sometimes it really can’t be helped.
While he can come across as being abrasive and a rather undesirable person to be around, those who know him well will be able to assure you that this is more of a façade if anything. Alfónso is reliable and loyal to those he’s close to, and more than willing to roll up his sleeves and get to work when it’s called for. He’s really quite the softie; and enjoys nothing more than music, storytelling, and a good party.
Although he tends not to show it too much, he is very proud of his ex-colonies and the progress they’ve made.
Despite them being independent from him now, he still views them as his own, and adores their company. They serve him as something of a reminder of when times were a lot easier, when things were much better.
Likes ---
• The sea. If there is one thing Alfónso loves most dearly; it is the sea. It has not only inspired a lot of his music, art and literature, but previously served as his gateway to the outside world. Nothing could bring him greater joy.
• Wine; his own, of course. Port; also one of his main exports, which he relies on heavily. Due to this, he tries not do drink too excessively, but could never resist to drown half of his food in it. Happily agrees with the general Italian theory that wine makes everything better, and thus cooks and lives by this.
• Fish. Oh beautiful, beautiful fish. Bacalhau, the staple of Portuguese cuisine. Enough recipes to have a different cod dish a day for almost three years. Unfortunately his sheer greed and longing for the fish has near killed it off in his surrounding sea. As such, he has hardly any choice but to import it from Norway and Iceland.
• Sweet things. Dessert, the most
• Poetry; the heart of Portugal’s artistic obsession. It is said to be of calibre rivalled by very few. One must only look at the efforts and creations of Fernando Pessoa to appreciate poetry on a considerably higher level.
• Napping. Especially in the summer months; little compares to the simple luxury of a few hours’ rest in the afternoon, perhaps under a shady tree, or somewhere in the vineyards...
• Music, oh glorious melody. All music is beautiful, but there is nothing he loves more than Fado. Tradition does not die; little compares to the sailor songs married with the gentle humming of a guitar on a summer evening.
•Previous
•Cigarrettes; oh my. What a heavy smoker he is. There’s something oddly intoxicating about the smell of those little grey clouds drifting through the air. He picked up the habit of smoking just after his independence and has been hooked ever since. He recently lowered the legal smoking age to sixteen, making tobacco much easier to obtain, which has also dropped the prices as well. How convenient.
• Catholicism defined Portugal in its earliest days and was the main reason he declared independence; so that his religion would never come under threat or question again. Although it is now looking at a slight decline in support, it's very unlikely to change; religion is very prominent in his life. He’ll often join the crowds of pilgrims that gather around the Santuário de Fátima in the early May and October.
• Sport. Aside from drinking, sleeping, cooking and smoking, this is what he’ll spend most of his leisure time doing. It’s the one thing he’s truly appreciated for, and strives to keep improving at it. Although fishing, hunting, swimming and surfing are all well and good, his true passion lies in football; it’s one of the only things he’s known for, and a bit of an unhealthy obsession at that. He gained this odd obsession through Britain, and has never stopped loving it since. He’s never gotten too far with the World Cup, but came very close in 1966, and has kept trying hard since, but to no avail. He keeps telling himself he’ll win one day. Perhaps all the work shall pay off soon enough. We’ll wait and see.
Dislikes ---• Losing. Because; well, it’s not winning, is it? He’s a sore loser, and guaranteed, any loss of any sort, trivial or paramount, will be taken to heart.
•Tourists/tourism, or more likely, the lack thereof. A fair amount of his economy depends on this but this is currently on the decline; which is displeasing to say the least. He does not dislike the tourists themselves, no; but their lack of grasp of the language.
•Being compared to/confused with others. Who doesn't? After working for hundreds of years to achieve something unique, to be compared to someone/something else is if anything embarrassing and irritating. To be treated with such contempt is undesirable to say the least.
•Looking weak/dependant. Alfónso takes great pride in his military and tries whenever possible to provide help when it's needed; but only under the instruction of the UN, EU, or NATO. Portugal tries hard not to stick his nose where he's not wanted, but this is often swept under the carpet by a strong wish to impress, and prove himself to still be of some military worth.
•Oppression; after having to conform to the beliefs and cultures of previous superiors for at least 1000 years, he certainly finds having to repeat this process, even on a low level, simply for the means of courtesy, irritating, and he is guaranteed to respond to this in an arrogant and stubborn manner. He refuses to remain under anyone's thumb; not even for manners' sake.
• Indecisiveness/Indecisive people. Taking too long over decisions, regardless of importance, has been an issue for him for a very long time. He'd rather just make a decision and stick with it. Right or wrong; it can be guaranteed he'll follow it through as long as possible, purely to avoid having to consider other options, and looking at them in hindsight of the current situation.
•As of late, the European Union somewhat. But, this is probably just something of a phase.
Fears --- • [More] Economic Crisis , especially as of late. Portugal has already seen the darker side of financial issues several times before and is now spiralling back into economic depression once again. [Quite possibly the worst it’s been financially ever.] Over time different methods of preventing this issue have been taken, but to no avail so far; which has resulted in extremist ideas to try and stunt the worsening of the situation, including a recent suggestion to cancel pensions.
Alfónso seems to end up in these situations unusually often; mostly due to his sheer sense of pride, and not wishing to accept any help, regardless of who is offering it.
He fears Economic Crisis on the pure basis that it's not too easy to get oneself out of, and above all else, he fears it will lead his people into becoming complete and utter bankruptcy.
•Failure, and then having to take responsibility for the repercussions. Admitting to failure is, for Portugal, a fear constantly realized, although in recent times it's more likely to be for money troubles that spiralling headfirst into a war unnecessarily. This strong fear of failure, reinforced by other failures in the past leaves him with an even stronger feeling of discomfort when getting involved with issues outside of Europe, since they only seem to bring around a cold sense of reminiscence.
•The future; and above all else, repetition of the past. Alfónso made several mistakes in the past because he did not stop and care to think too much. In essence, he repeated his history on to several other nations out of pure ignorance and narrow-mindedness. If this were to happen again, by anyone's doing, well. It's not a subject Portugal would like to think about too much
Lesser known facts ---
•Portugal holds some of its strongest trading ties with Turkey, which have been, as of late, something of the economy’s “saving grace” . But despite all this, deep down he’d really like to kick him.
• He loves to gamble, far too much for his own good.
•It’s not at all true that he hates Spain, but a very muddled history and fierce sibling rivalry hasn’t aided their relation much at all. He’s still somewhat wary of him, in fear that he may act unpredictably, but doesn’t mind his company too much. (Nowhere near enough for another Union however. )
•He’s obsessed with fairytales, and finds them a lot easier to appreciate than novels and acclaimed literature. Perhaps it’s from having them ingrained into his mind as a child, or the just and fair conclusions to them,
•Although he learnt how to stick fight at a young age for the sole purpose of protecting oneself and one’s cattle, he grew to love it so much that he carried it on, attempting to perfect it somewhat. and was thrilled when it became a sport. He’s lost most of his enthusiasm for it now though, and will probably give it up altogether soon.
•He’s a Sebastianist. Alfónso still finds the
•Portugal really has no idea what to think of England any more. While over time each had aided the other, there were also several occasions when the alliance fell to pieces, and came back to bite them also.
Goals ---
•To one day win the World Cup has been a persisting wish of his for the longest time. If this isn’t possible, he’d really like his people to do well in the Eurovision Song Contest. As trivial as it may seem, most of Alfónso’s actions are heavily influenced by his strong impulse to impress and to receive attention; and what better way to get this than to succeed here?
• To prove the existence of sea monsters, perhaps by catching one, has been an ambition since his early childhood; stemmed from his deep loving for bedtime stories and lore. He dreams of catching a seaserpent, a really big one, the kind of catch to be proud of. … What? Not real? They’re not just mere fairytale you know—you’ll see. He’ll catch one. One day…
• To one day reach and sustain a state of economical stability wherein which he’ll no longer require bailouts or support would be a great success. And if not permanently; perhaps just 6 months of stability-? Baby steps, progress will come eventually. Although, sooner would be great.
|-|-The Past-|-|
History ---Proto-Nation [/b]
218BC
Long before the invasion of the Moors into Iberia; the land we know as Portugal today would've been spread across two provinces in the Hispania Ulterior, Baetica and Lusitania. At this time, Ulterior/Ancient Portugal was just a child, and was only beginning to learn of the diversity and sheer size of the world around him through the different civilizations that kept occupying Iberia. He spent a fairly long 600 years under the teaching of Ancient Rome, which allowed him to learn Latin, which would in turn give him the opportunity to interact with his neighbors. [Although he did pick up the language with fair ease, he found it rather unusual, and set out trying to change it a little, to make it his own.] With them, the Romans also brought the church; Catholicism. Oh how he adored the church. There was something about it that made him feel that much safer, that much more confident.
Ulterior Hispania [Portugal] was at the time in one of the best conditions he would experience for the foreseeable future. Back then the Iberians did not see it as their land being taken, but as a fair exchange. Their loyalty in exchange for Roman culture. Things were looking good. So far. Ulterior had been given a good head start, but it also let his guard down. He became very naïve, which for him would prove to be more of a disadvantage if anything.
711AD [Anno Domini from hereafter.]
Ancient Rome had left Hispania just before the death of his Emperor, but this did not bother Ulterior whatsoever. He had started to alter the Latin he had been taught a little more now. It was looking rough at the moment, but it was on its way. Other civilizations came and went through his household, but he had everything he could've possibly wanted.
Until the Moors arrived.
It wasn't seen as much of an issue at the time; they'd always been under the rule of someone else for over a millennium. So they were accepted for the time being. They brought a new culture that Ulterior [now part of Al-Andalus, under the Moorish rule] had never seen before. Muslim. As interesting as it did seem to him, it was certainly no church. But the Moors decided that Al-Andalus shouldn't be using the church anymore. They should all be practicing Muslim, since they were under their rule now.
This oppression of the Catholic Church was, although tolerated for a short while, very disliked throughout the whole of the Iberian Peninsula. And thus...
718
... the Reconquista began. A desperate attempt by the Iberian people to get their land, culture and precious Church back. It was kickstarted by France, who had lost some of his land in the south, and decided to push them back over the border into Al-Andalus. As soon as it was seen that France could overthrow the Moors, it began in Iberia. The French carried across the border into modern day Spain, and kept going until they had reconquered Barcelona. From then on, what we'd know as modern Spain and Portugal fought hard for centuries to regain what was theirs. And in 1130, half of their work was done.
This dramatically changed would-be Portugal's view on being ruled forever. It would never happen again. In all fact, it would be interesting to be on the reverse side of things for a change. And so...
Child[/b]
1249
... Portugal finished his share of the reconquista and decided to pull out of it. He had recently declared his independence as the Kingdom of Portugal and had firmly decided that he would never have his people stuck in such oppression ever again. He had finally finished work on his language as well. He also developed his own currency and had a working monarchy. He had everything he could ever have wished for and more. How joyful he was.
This new found independence would give Portugal a new outlook on the world. During this time he was unfathomably proud of himself. Proud to a fault. Although he had good reason; very few transitions from ruled to completely full ruling had been achieved in such speed, but the Ports at the time were considered to be almost obnoxious and cocky due to this. Unpleasant to be around and constantly "bragging" about their new found freedom. This was, however shrugged off by the greater European nations; they had either gotten independence already, at a younger age, at faster speed or were currently fighting for it.
1373
Portugal was well on his way as a Kingdom, and had given up his previous attention-seeking attitude. He started seriously considering invasions and the like; he wanted to expand his Kingdom to many different places. He wanted to see different countries, explore the world a little. [Even though he had never strayed out of his own land before.] Portugal figured he was going to need a bit of help, just in case things didn't go completely to plan. So in 1373, his King and Queen signed a treaty with King Edward the Third of England; establishing a united alliance between the two of them. Since they were both seafaring nations, it was a seemingly good idea.
Portugal became a lot more curious about the greater globe after the signing of the treaty. England was not a long distance away, but it was very different to anything the Portuguese had ever seen before. What was it like further afield? This spawned a furious stream of meticulous planning, that spanned for a good decade, until disaster struck.
1383
Civil War.
The King had died, and he only had one daughter during his lifetime. Two brothers wanted her hand for the throne during the late life of the King; but it was essentially a countdown to rupture. With the King's passing, too passed any chance of diplomatic opposition to the two brothers, and a civil war ravaged Portugal. The two sides emerged; one in support of John of Castile, the other in support of John of Portugal. After just over a year of conflict, the Hundred Years' War being fought between England and France, spilled over from the border of South France into Spanish territory. France was, by tradition, an ally of the Crown of Castile, so John of Portugal's only chance was to call upon the the help of England; partly because he was bound by the treaty recently signed, and also hoping that he'd consider it an extension of the war he was already fighting with France.
No response was received from England, so fighting continued. Portugal's capital, Lisbon, was being held under siege by the Castilian side and was also struggling with famine. When things looked like they couldn't get much worse; it was hit by bubonic plague.
Portugal at the time was losing faith and ambition very fast. The first war he planned on fighting certainly wasn't to be among his own people. All confidence was almost entirely lost by now, and so was most hope of building up the Kingdom. It was not thought that any amount of help could save them from Castilian rule now. Hope was almost entirely lost. Until;
1385
England answered Portugal's call for help and sent over a few hundred men to support the cause. The Castilian fleet had also earlier abandoned the plan of a siege and moved on to other tactics. The arrival of the English troops; on Easter Sunday, no less, was a real relief. They brought with them not only experience and new tactics unseen by the Portuguese, but also, longbows; which would prove to be their greatest advantage in the later battle of Aljubarrota in August, which brought the horrific crisis to an end. All Castilian ambition was completely outruled and John became the undisputed King of Portugal.
This massive turn around, the sudden lurch of hope, would prove to be a definitive moment in history for Portugal. Although confidence and optimism returned, a very welcome wariness started to settle into Alfónso's head. That one should hold one's breath; not to count your chickens before they hatch. This new found knowledge, partnered with experience, sat solid in his head now. He was ready to explore the world.
Teenage Years[/b]
1415
Establishing an exact route to travel on had been speculated over for the most part of 300 years. But this cautious approach was blown out of the water with the arrival of the new Prince Henry the Navigator, who sent out ships thick and fast on exploration missions. There were no set maps for where they planned on going, so practice was made by sailing on short trips over to Morocco and the Western half of North Africa. Once maps were made, they would carry on around the coast of Africa in the same fashion for about 60 years until reaching São Tomé.
These sixty years however, would prove to be extremely prominent in Alfónso’s ever growing history. The rounding of Cape Bojador in 1434 would pave the way for them for the coming years. Before the turn, speculation in Europe over what lay beyond it was high; nobody was really too sure. But when the explorer Eanes sailed beyond and returned, all form of remaining indecisiveness was swept under the carpet. Portugal would go on all the way around the bulge and discover several uninhabited islands, as well as many long shorelines, which he intended to keep as sea ports for himself. All along the shores stone Padrões were erected, a landmark, to let the world know that it was Portugal who had discovered this place, no-one else.
It was around this time that he started to take slaves and gold home with him. Alfónso had never seen so much gold since before his independence, when he was living with Ancient Rome. He wanted to take his new found riches home; at first only to decorate, but when he came back, he noticed traders along the way. Traders from the East who told many stories of beautiful rich lands that lay far beyond Africa’s shores. Portugal had always been captivated by stories; tales of sea monsters, folk stories about enchanted maidens and princes, the tale of Clever Maria.
But these were in a world of their own.
He had to see them. These fabled lands of the East.
Alfónso lost almost all interest in exploring the West of Africa. He had to see these places; he would continue East, with great haste. Discoveries in the West, such as Porto Seguro [Modern Brazil] in 1500 and Newfoundland and Labrador, were pushed to one side. They were celebrated, but this was short lived. Portugal wasn’t interested in the West anymore; journeys were unfathomably long, far too much preparation. Not to mention that the wine would freeze every time. [And no journey, regardless of length or difficulty, is bearable without wine.] The East seemed so much more appealing; not only due to the considerable ease of things, but it would be more of an adventure.
That was what Alfónso was after, above all else.
Adventure.
He had noticed his European cousins back home observing him and his explorations by this point; he knew they were planning to do the same as he, to build an Empire and conquer foreign shores. His arrogance started to return. He needed to get there first, he had to prove himself, leave his mark on the world.
But he remembered what happened to Ancient Rome.
As much as he loved to explore, gather riches and give his people the money, slaves and land he believed they so greatly deserved, he didn't want to end up in the same crippled condition Rome was in when he left Iberia when he was a child. Portugal would be more diplomatic. He would make friends with these fantastic countries of the East. Everywhere he had been so far, the countries were children. Small and confused with little or no knowledge of the world they lived in. The countries in the East; they were much older than he. To attempt to capture their land would be foolish, and if anything, very disrespectful. Alfónso didn't want too much trouble. He pushed arrogance aside once more and began planning again; he would try not get in over his head obsessing over gold for any longer. He had to do this well, if he was to succeed.
Young Adulthood
1517
Portugal had been carrying out his journey to the East for 12 years. He had found and adopted several young nations along the way, whom of which he came to love. The relationships weren't mutual however. Unbeknown to him however, he was repeating the same oppressive methods unto them as the Moors had done to him. He paid very little attention to them, forced them to follow Christianity, speak Portuguese and serve as his gateways to wherever he so wished to travel. In all fact, he neglected them pretty badly. Some of the children were more receptive to this method than others; notably Brazil and some of South Africa, the others detested Alfónso very much and tried to carry on as before, although he was in essence having them wait on him, hand and foot.
Kings during the era of discovery had come and gone; and now, under the rule of Manuel I, Portugal was instructed to land on Chinese shores and formally greet the Zhengde Emperor and open relation between himself and the Portuguese Empire. The Emperor gave his blessings three years later and Alfónso carried on explorations as before. But just one year later, the Emperor would pass away, and would give way to horrific rumors about the Portuguese. It was widely believed by locals at the time that Portuguese settlers kidnapped and then proceeded to eat Chinese children. This rumor not only resulted in the Portuguese being expelled from China, but they also lost a lot of respect of several Eastern nations as such.
He had accomplished his goal at last, he had reached the East. But he had also lost all respect and reverence he and his Empire once had. Needless to say, the rumor rippled its way through many other nations under his rule. His confidence received a bit of a blow, but Portugal gritted his teeth and tried to press on.
He carried on east and proceeded to land in Japan. He rather liked Japan actually. The people anyways. Upon his landing, the locals were said to have been impressed by the firearms they had carried with them. They would then go on to produce many firearms, after seeing what the Portuguese had brought to their shores. Alfónso showed the people how to make use of leftover scraps of fish and vegetables by frying them together with batter, which would later be known as "Tempura". It could easily be said that Portugal was much more interested and much kinder to Japan than most of his children. In all fact, by now, he didn't really care for them too much. He kept them for money and for slave work, but paid virtually no attention to them from this point onwards.
Portugal then continued his travels further east, although he had been told there was nothing much at all to be found beyond this point; he had reached the end of the charts that he had been shown during his explorations in Asia. His stubbornness however would not allow for such and he continued anyways. This unusual determination did come to a halt however when in '42 he reached what would be modern day California. This realization that he had finally reached his end began to sink in.
It was finished.
There was nothing left to find. No more exploring.
No worries though. He could just, enjoy his empire now. Portugal was completely and utterly content at this point with his empire overseas. He would return home, and just finish off some odd jobs he had laying around. He was at the time having issues in Morocco; in which the King there wanted to regain his throne, and had asked Portugal for freedom. Alfónso was sick of diplomacy by now. He wanted to do something exciting, especially now that exploration was over. He would use his new found wealth from the Empire to hire mercenaries, and his higher status to try and gather volunteers to aid his cause. There was no way he could lose, it would be a pushover.
Or so he thought.
1581
Through a series of failures and lack of legitimate heirs to the Portuguese throne triggered by their losing of the Battle of Alcácer Quibir, Portugal was sharing a house with Spain. During the Age of Great Discovery his brother was the last thing on Portugal's mind, now Spain was one of Europe's greatest superpowers. Alfónso had gotten himself roped back into the same situation he was in just eight centuries ago. Both Spain and Portugal's kings came to decide to unite the two of them under the name of the Iberian Union, and for this period of time, their Empires were merged. Portugal absolutely despised this. He had worked himself ragged travelling and getting to where he was.
Now he had to share it.
And with who else than Spain.
This Union caused England to be rather skeptic about Portugal's attitude towards the Windsor Treaty. And in turn, this angered Portugal more. He had to do something. Anything. For three long years, with the support of France and England he fought against Spain; to try and regain his freedom again. He failed here as well, and gave up all form of resistance. Any form of rebellious spirit he had left had been completely and utterly crushed by his little brother. He just couldn't win. Portugal had never lost so much so quickly. His Empire, now in the hands of Spain, was gradually coming under scrutiny and interest of the Dutch, French and even the British Empire by now.
Portugal's people became very unhappy under the existence of the Iberian Union, and were devastated to see their Empire slipping out from under their fingers and not being able to do anything to stop it.
Mature Adult[/u]
1640
Portugal had had enough and finally got enough support from the people to attempt to overthrow their Spanish suppressors, and thus began the Guerra da Restauração [Portuguese War of Restoration]. The Iberian Union was ripped apart at it's original borders and separated back into two sides again. For the next twenty-eight years, Alfónso was consumed by a strange sort of paranoid anger.
Through the first six years not much major fighting occurred; but it certainly offered the Portuguese side time to make public displays of their discontent regarding their 60 years of oppression. Several correrias into Spanish territory occurred; in which the Portuguese would steal cattle, ravage villages and burn the fields.
After this, Portugal used whatever Empire he still owned and whatever remaining money he still possessed to fuel his defenses. The war was very expensive; not as expensive as the Battle of Alcácer Quibir, but it would certainly be one of the most costly experiences he would ever come across. All of this spending, and the overtaxing of the spice and sugar trades would throw Alfónso into a horrific economical slump later on, but at the time, all that mattered was winning, and to be prepared for what may be coming. It was also at this time that he regained England's trust, along with support from Spain's larger rivals, France and Holland.
In 1662 Spain had had more than enough of the whole situation and decided to bring things to a close. Fourteen thousand men were sent across the border to try and halt Portuguese attempts. Under the direction of the French Duke von Schönberg, and with assistance from the British, the Spanish were forced to retreat at the Battle of Ameixial.
After years of struggling and several border skirmishes; Spain finally consented to recognize Portugal's independence in 1668.
1700s
The eighteenth century brought about nothing but constant battle for Alfónso. Roped constantly into wars because of his alliance with Britain, he ended up unfathomably poor once again. In 1756 he became engulfed by the Seven Years' War; started by antagonistic feeling between Britain and the House of Bourbons. He found himself fighting alongside Britain and Prussia, against France, Spain, Austria, Sweden and Russia.
The war was long, and there was much bloodshed. It didn't come to a close until '63. Soonafter, Portugal would find himself fighting Spain again in '77 to try and hold on to Brazil.
By now, Alfónso had seen enough battle to last him a lifetime.
He didn't want to fight anymore. He just wanted to go back to farming, fishing and sleeping for hours upon end; when there was no war. It was around this time that most of his sense of youth left him and he rather looked forward to losing the responsibilities of the Empire. He couldn't handle this for too much longer. Greed had definitely gotten the better of him in the past. He also started to notice how he neglected his colonies, but it was far too late for that now, they already hated him, and most of them were freed from his rule now. He was determined to treat Brazil better at this point.
1807
France invaded Portugal from the east by passing through Spanish land. Britain came to support Alfónso, as he was bound by treaty. Under Napoleon, the French were the strongest Portugal ad ever seen them. For a year Britain and Portugal fought hard to stunt the invasion. The battle took an unusual turn in 1808, when Napoleon turned on the Spanish and tried to take their land as well.
And thus; for the first time in over a thousand years, Spain and Portugal fought alongside each other. The brutal conflict came to an end in 1814, as a result of France pulling out troops to send them across to Russia in the east, leaving the remaining soldiers nothing to do but flee across the border.
After this however, Portugal and Spain went their separate ways for the last time, and would not interfere with each other's politics or military from this point onwards. Also, shortly after the conflict, Alfónso lost Brazil after engaging in a war over the colony's independence. After two years of fighting he gave way and left to sail home.
Alfónso had experienced both a glorious victory and a devastating loss within the space of a decade; and by the end of the century, was more than happy to cancel them both out and carry on what would hopefully become a much more humble future.
1900s
Alfónso had from this point onwards experienced trench warfare in the First World War, and had decided that that was the last time he would get involved with issues in the rest of Europe. In 1933, through António de Oliveira Salazar, he was introduced to the concept of a dictatorship, and rather enjoyed this system for a while.
Although he remained neutral in WW2, he developed a rather friendly relationship with Nazi Germany; perhaps it was because of their sharing of a dictatorship that had brought Portugal to find him trustworthy. Regardless, he engaged in trade with Germany and have him lots of metals. This did not stop him however from holding up to his treaty with Britain and he continued to send him supplies also. So as not to have the Windsor treaty come under scrutiny from Britain again, Alfónso allowed Britain to delay him having to pay him back for as long as he so wished. He was much stricter with Germany however, to avoid suspicion. Germany would then go on to attack and sink a merchant ship, which broke the neutrality. While still trying to keep himself as far away from more conflict as possible however, Allied Forces used the Anglo-Portuguese treaty to request the use of Azores as a naval base in exchange for any aid Portugal may need if attacked. Portugal complied and had no further involvement in the War outside of sheltering refugees in the capital city of Lisbon.
Portugal would then go on to get involved in a rather costly war to protect his remaining colonies in Africa, and in 1961 lost his colony in India to rebels. In '74, the dictatorship rule was brought to a sudden standstill by a massive economic downturn that occurred because of the preceding wars over in the colonies. Two years of confusion ensued which were quickly brought to a close by the arrival of a democracy to the country. From here Alfónso would give independence back to his remaining colonies, stabalise his economy and after years of waiting, joined the EEC in 1986, which would later become the European Union. In 1999 he converted to using the Euro.
Portugal is now on healthy terms with his European peers and has been more than willing to let all grudges be gone and simply carry on as normal. He spends less time worrying about fighting neighbors than he does worrying about fighting forest fires in the summer. All is well once more.
[/size]
|-|-The Style-|-|
Roleplay example ---
Viver!... Beber o vento e o sol!... Erguer
Ao Céu os corações a palpitar!
Deus fez os nossos braços pra prender,
E a boca fez-se sangue pra beijar!
--Florbela Espanca
1640, Somewhere in North East Spain.
Ao Céu os corações a palpitar!
Deus fez os nossos braços pra prender,
E a boca fez-se sangue pra beijar!
--Florbela Espanca
1640, Somewhere in North East Spain.
Alfonso was not unacquainted with the concept of change, far from it. Change was all he ever knew; perhaps all he’d ever know, and when he had finally escaped it, had finally reached a state of calm, it had managed to snag him by the heel again.
For centuries he had chased after freedom, a future of his very own, in which he could be the change of which he was seeking. To reach a point where he had full control over the change he experienced was a recurring dream for Portugal, a constant wish, a longing embedded into him from childhood. To reach a point in which he’d stamp on others to reach this was never a thought, let alone a concern. He began his being with no such intention; a simple life was all he wished for. Fishing, toiling the fields, cleaning, working; it was no such chore, to merely live in a state of calm, to be able to sustain something constant, some form of routine; that was all the comfort he needed. The predictability, the consistency, the safety; it was all he had wanted.
The company of his brother was another thing he cherished very dearly. Antonio had served as brother, friend and neighbour to him for as long as he could remember. Older nations came and passed through the house for centuries, but Antonio was always there, amidst the constant change. Someone he could confide in, learn and work with, someone he could trust throughout the years and take on the coming years with together.
But time plays her part. Slow does she pass, but she works nonetheless. Greed, longing and burning ambition would rear their ugly heads soon. A disrupted childhood, excessive conflict and overworking had driven him near to insanity. Alfonso was shaken to the core; the precious cycle of his simple life was ruptured, perhaps forever. But still, through all this, his brother rebelled alongside him; there was still some very faint glimmering chance of reaching normality again. Something still normal to hold on to from before this all started. A little hope; flitting through the breeze, reassuring him the whole time.
Alfonso had seen the elder nations passing through their home over the past few centuries; swathed in silks and gold, sauntering around with their noses raised, people waiting on them hand and foot. Strong, noble people. That is what he wanted to do. That was what he wanted to be. He would be one of them. No more weeding the fields, no more back breaking fishing, no more. He would start again. He would start his life anew, begin once again and rise victorious.
Undefeated.
Not being forced to obey, forcing others to obey. This deep longing was so strong, the impulse to begin this transformation so overpowering, that Alfonso almost entirely forgot about his brother. He had seen enough of his share of rebellion, he had done his part. And thus, left Antonio behind in the midst of war to fend for himself. He was not of highest concern at that time in place. Alfonso was. He told himself that he needed it. He needed to leave him, to liberate himself; to proceed forward for a greater existence. He would prove that he could be great; it did not matter that he could not do very much now, instead he thought not of what he could do, but what he could become. Would become. What he would achieve for his people.
He would travel far and beyond Iberia. Far past the lands where his cousins lived, to places where fish could fly, birds as tall as men ran upright and gold lay in mass before his feet. Where the trees grew in abundance and people fell down on one knee for him. The waters would part before his people and they would adventure as far as their sails would take them; guided by wind and by stars.
Spain was but a distant memory. His space in Alfonso’s mind had since been replaced by several child nations Alfonso had since found and raised as his own. They would be his brothers and sisters. They would be his company, his consolation in his twisted paradise of gold, slavery and influence. After all, he was the first! The first in Europe to travel so far! Out of crippled confidence and lack of skill, he had emerged the victor. Of all people! His competitors were left for dust in his wake. Even his brother—no, especially his brother. He couldn’t keep up with him, Alfonso wouldn’t allow for it. He would remain the best; the seafaring leader of Europe.
He had never begun to dream that he would soon stagger home with the shattered remnants of an army and lacerated confidence; crushed near flat by a certain masked nation in the East. And who else stood waiting on his doorstep than Antonio, smiling gently from ear to ear, arms outstretched. Welcoming him back. Too welcome. Alfonso didn’t need his hospitality. He needed rest—and a king. He would shrug off the gesture; rest first. Rest is more important.
Perhaps he had hit his head, or had been away from Spain for too long, because he seemed to lack proper perception of Antonio’s character. He would not let his welcoming go unseen and would come back, soon enough. But much sooner than Alfonso had anticipated. And with a proposition.
Unison.
For unity, to return to the way things once were; except they would be happier. There would be no oppression, no rebellion, and no backbreaking work. Just a peaceful union, a greater Iberia. A merry peoples; swimming in riches and luxuries, the envy of the rest of Europa. As interesting as the offer was, Portugal did not want unification any more. He recalled early thoughts; early ambitions to return to his brother and assist him to becoming a glorious nation of his own, but Spain had already succeeded. He had reached above and beyond what Alfonso thought he and his people would ever achieve. He didn’t need Alfonso, and he did not need him. The proposal made no sense to him whatsoever; if anything, it sounded like more hard work, which he certainly didn’t need at the moment.
And with that moment, that simple decline, Alfonso would see who his brother had become over the past few centuries. He was unrecognisable to him anymore. He was not the sympathetic, friendly playmate he once was all those years ago. He was ruthless. More angered, more forceful. And leagues more disrespectful. It was saddening; he never imagined to be talked to in such a way anymore, especially by his brother.
Rebellion was practically pointless; he was far too weakened and tired. Portugal was still recuperating, and while he was down, Spain had pounced on the opportunity.
But time had since passed, days blurred into weeks which in turn became months, and life in Spain’s house seemed to get somewhat easier for Alfonso. After spending several early days resting himself, he reached a state in which he was comfortable walking and began wandering around the place a little, acquainting himself with his new surroundings. It was a very beautiful building, very beautiful. Several paintings hung from the walls, and much of the furnishings were adorned with gold, which flung long colourful streams of light across the room as the sun would pour through the windows in the evening. One window in particular in the house faced out to the West; and Alfonso would often look outside this window in the afternoon, just as the sun began to dip in the sky, past beyond the villages and hills and thought about the ocean which lay just past them. About home. About freedom. It was so cruelly close, yet brutally far at the same time.
So frustrating.
He was not to wander too far from the house, [nor speak too much either,] under order of Antonio, and when he was allowed to leave, it was for a very short time, and it was guaranteed he would be escorted. But time away from that prison of a building, time away from that monster of a brother of his, was all very welcomed. He didn’t see his brother around the house very much at all anymore. They’d brush shoulders every once in a blue moon now. Francis was stirring up some discomfort in the North, so before a finger could be raised, Antonio was off to straighten things out before anything got a chance to begin. Not that Alfonso was complaining, it was something of a blessing.
As far as he was concerned, the less time he spent with the man the better. He couldn’t stand him anymore. Every word that came from his mouth, every step he took, he hated him a little more. That sickening grin of his, how he carried himself, the way he strode around with his nose held high; it made his stomach turn. It was disgusting. He was disgusting. He was no brother to him anymore. He was a monster swaddled in silk, encrusted with gold. A cruel and malicious person, somewhat blinded by desire. Not much of a person at all, in Portugal’s eyes. Months had passed since he had been kept here, and deep seated anger was starting to show. The Union so far had brought him little other than misfortune and distress. He would get out. One way or another.
And anyway, he had a plan.
For weeks he’d been scheming behind his brother- -no, his captor’s back. He knew exactly what he was going to do. He had people on the outside in league with him; messages were passed in secret, the plot was configured. The plan was set; the trap was waiting to be laid. It was now just a matter of biding his time, his chance would come soon enough.
Until then however, he would wait at the window. It was a glorious day. The sun sat high in the sky, and a gentle breeze danced through the air. Not the cool, salty sea breeze he was used to, this was quite different, but it was close enough. It was just enough, just bearable. He hadn’t seen Antonio in over a week, so that made it an even better day. The village people scuttled back and forth along the dusty paths, going about their daily business. How perfect. The seasons were just beginning to turn, and the days seemed to just glance past. Simple things, but more than enough to bring a gentle smile to his face.
Footsteps disturbed the path outside, and the smile was gone.
No. Not already.
A quick peer out of the window—and his expression sunk into something of a grimace. Antonio was home. A horrible feeling of dread hit him in the stomach. I have to get out of here. Confrontation was the last thing Alfonso wanted; he would delay that as long as he possibly could. Ah—he would go outside! No; he’d have to pass Spain to get there, that would be pointless.
In a slightly panicked fear, he loped down the hallway towards his bedchamber. He should be able to hide there; for a while at least.
Footnotes ---
(1)
The Lisbon Earthquake hit on the morning of November 1st [All Saint’s] and was felt as far away as Finland, and perhaps even further afield. It was written that fissures opened up in the city streets and the waters receded to an extent that old battered ship hulls could be seen on the sea floor before the waves started to roll back in again, most of which were unfathomably tall and broke over the city walls. What wasn’t damaged by water was consumed with fire that raged for days. The Palace was reduced to rubble, thousands of paintings were swept away and the royal archives were lost. The royal family however were not in the city at the time and were unharmed, par for the King, who would soon develop very bad claustrophobia. It was at this point that he ordered the remaining survivors; the Royals included, moved to the outskirts of the city and proceeded to live in a complex of tents.
It was easily, without question, the worst disaster to ever hit Portugal.
(2)
Military Uniform just preceding the war was often complained about, due to it being either "too tight" or "too scratchy". Soldiers complained about it so much that it was changed. The resulting set of clothes were not just tolerated, but were found fairly comfortable.
((forum.axishistory.com/download/file.php?id=184794 ))
Success!
|-|-The Player-|-|
Username --- casaporto
Age --- Sixteen
Time zone --- GMT
