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Portugal Prepares for Overseas Expansion

Type Event Region Western Europe Time 1390–1400

In the 1390s the Aviz dynasty consolidated royal power after Aljubarrota and began systematically preparing for overseas expansion, laying groundwork…

Timeline

  1. 1390–1395Lisbon · PortugalAfter his victory at Aljubarrota in 1385, João I secured his throne and shifted the nation's focus from inland feudal warfare to Atlantic trade and naval construction; ports such as Lisbon and Porto received royal support, and maritime contacts with the Canary Islands and the North African coast grew increasingly frequent.
  2. 1394–1398Porto · PortugalPrince Henry the Navigator was born in 1394, and the royal sons received navigation and military training from childhood; Portuguese shipwrights improved the caravel, and sailors accumulated experience sailing the West African coast, building the technical and human foundation for transoceanic expeditions.
  3. 1398–1400Lisbon · PortugalThe royal family and nobles began secretly planning an expedition against the North African port of Ceuta, intending to strike Moorish pirates, control trade in the Strait of Gibraltar, and gain religious glory; by 1400 fleet formation, provisioning, and diplomatic probing were gradually advancing, as overseas expansion moved from concept to concrete military action.

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