Global InformationWar of the Castilian Succession information
| War of the Castilian Succession | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The two primary claimants: Isabella I of Castile and Joanna la Beltraneja | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
| ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
| ||||||
The War of the Castilian Succession was the military conflict contested from 1475 to 1479 for the succession of the Crown of Castile fought between the supporters of Joanna 'la Beltraneja', reputed daughter of the late monarch Henry IV of Castile, and those of Henry's half-sister, Isabella, who was ultimately successful.
The war had a marked international character, as Isabella was married to Ferdinand, heir apparent to the Crown of Aragon, while Joanna was strategically married to King Afonso V of Portugal, her uncle, after the suggestion of her supporters. France intervened in support of Portugal, as they were rivals with Aragon for territory in Italy and Roussillon.
Despite a few initial successes by the supporters of Joanna, a lack of military aggressiveness by Afonso V and the stalemate[1] in the Battle of Toro (1476) led to the disintegration of Joanna's alliance and the recognition of Isabella in the Courts of Madrigal-Segovia (April–October 1476): "In 1476, immediately after the indecisive battle of Peleagonzalo [near Toro], Ferdinand and Isabella hailed the result as a great victory and called Courts at Madrigal. The newly gained prestige was used to win municipal support from their allies ..." (Marvin Lunenfeld).[2]
The war between Castile and Portugal alone continued. This included naval warfare in the Atlantic, which became more important: a struggle for maritime access to the wealth of Guinea (gold and slaves). In 1478, the Portuguese navy defeated the Castilians in the decisive Battle of Guinea.[3][4][5]
The war concluded in 1479 with the Treaty of Alcáçovas, which recognized Isabella and Ferdinand as sovereigns of Castile and granted Portugal hegemony in the Atlantic, with the exception of the Canary Islands. Joanna lost her right to the throne of Castile and remained in Portugal until her death.
This conflict has also been called the Second Castilian Civil War, but this name may lead to confusion with the other civil wars that involved Castile in the 14th and 15th centuries. Some authors refer to it as the War of Portugal; however, this name clearly represents a Castilian point of view and implicitly denies Joanna's claim. At other times the term Peninsular War has been used, but it is easily confused with the Peninsular War of 1808–1814, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Some authors prefer the neutral expression War of 1475–1479.
- ^ As noted by Spanish scholars Luis Suárez Fernández, Juan de Mata Carriazo and by Manuel F. Álvarez: "Not a military victory, but a political victory, the battle of Toro is in itself, a decisive event, because it solves the civil war in favour of the Catholic Monarchs, leaving as a relic, a border clash between the two countries ..." in La España de los Reyes Católicos (1474-1516), Espasa-Calpe, 1969, p.163.
- ^ Lunenfeld, Marvin. The council of the Santa Hermandad: a study of the pacification forces of Ferdinand and Isabella University of Miami Press, 1970, p. 27.
- ^ Historian Malyn Newitt: "However, in 1478 the Portuguese surprised thirty-five Castilian ships returning from Mina [Guinea] and seized them and all their gold. Another ... Castilian voyage to Mina, that of Eustache de la Fosse, was intercepted ... in 1480. ... All things considered, it is not surprising that the Portuguese emerged victorious from this first maritime colonial war. They were far better organised than the Castilians, were able to raise money for the preparation and supply of their fleets, and had clear central direction from ... [Prince] John." In A history of Portuguese overseas expansion, 1400-1668, Routledge, New York, 2005, pp.37,38.
- ^ Bailey W. Diffie and George D. Winius. "In a war in which the Castilians were victorious on land and the Portuguese at sea, ..." in Foundations of the Portuguese empire 1415-1580, volume I, University of Minnesota Press, 1985, p.152.
- ^ Battle of Guinea: Alonso de Palencia, Década IV, Book XXXIII, Chapter V ("Disaster among those sent to the mines of gold [Guinea]. Charges against the King..."), p.91-94.