The Spanish Invasion of Portugal (December 1807)…

The Spanish Invasion of Portugal (December 1807) – A Belated and Largely Bloodless Occupation

While General Jean-Andoche Junot’s French army entered Lisbon on November 30, 1807, Spanish forces, allied with Napoleon under the Treaty of Fontainebleau, launched a delayed invasion of Portugal from the north.

The Spanish Advance into Portugal

• On December 2, 1807, General Solano’s Spanish column finally crossed the border, advancing southward.
• On December 13, 1807, General Taranco occupied Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city, without resistance.
• Unlike Junot’s gruelling march, the Spanish forces faced almost no opposition, as Portugal’s government had already collapsed.

The Only Resistance – Valença’s Brief Defiance

• The only meaningful resistance came from the governor of Valença, who refused to open his gates to the Spanish northern column.
• He held out initially, unwilling to submit to foreign occupation.
• However, upon learning that Lisbon had fallen and Prince Regent João had fled to Brazil, he realized resistance was futile and surrendered.

Conclusion – An Easy but Hollow Victory

By mid-December 1807, all major Portuguese cities had fallen to French and Spanish forces, marking the completion of the initial occupation. However:

• The Portuguese royal family’s escape to Brazil ensured continued Portuguese sovereignty overseas.
• The French presence in Portugal soon led to tensions with Spain, ultimately triggering the Peninsular War (1808–1814).
• The Portuguese people, though initially passive, would later rise up against the occupation, aided by British intervention.

Though Spain’s invasion was bloodless, it was short-lived, as Napoleon’s betrayal of Spain in 1808 would soon plunge the entire Iberian Peninsula into open rebellion and war.