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Battle of Alcácer Quibir (Battle of the Three Kings)

Type Event Region North Africa Time 1578

On August 4, 1578, the Sa'adian dynasty army of Morocco annihilated the large force personally led by Portuguese King Sebastian I near Alcácer Quibir…

Timeline

  1. 1578Northern Morocco · MoroccoPortuguese King Sebastian I, seeking to restore Portuguese influence in Morocco and support a puppet sultan, personally led some 18,000 troops across the sea and landed, advancing toward the Sa'adian capital of Fez, where they faced off against the Moroccan army near Alcácer Quibir.
  2. 1578Alcácer Quibir · MoroccoMoroccan Sultan Abd al-Malik led his army to meet them; during the battle the sultan died of illness, and his brother Ahmad al-Mansur took over command. The Portuguese formation was broken, Sebastian I was killed in action, and many nobles and soldiers were captured or drowned during the retreat, dealing a devastating blow to the Portuguese military aristocracy.
  3. 1578–1580Lisbon · PortugalSebastian died without issue, and Portugal fell into two years of regency and succession disputes. King Philip II of Spain pressed a claim to the throne based on Aviz dynasty bloodline, while the opposing side enthroned Prior António of Crato, reshaping the power balance of the Iberian Peninsula.

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