Sebastian I

Timeline

1. 1557–1568Lisbon · PortugalHe ascended the throne at age three, with his grandmother Catherine and others serving as regents; the court wavered between conservatives and reformers, and state finances grew increasingly strained by overseas trade and the pressures of war.
2. 1568–1577Lisbon · PortugalAfter taking personal rule in 1568, he drove plans for a crusade against Morocco with religious zeal, training and arming the military and seeking support from European allies, while neglecting domestic economic and political stability.
3. 1578Alcácer Quibir · MoroccoIn August 1578 he led an invasion of Morocco, where his forces were heavily defeated by the Saadian dynasty's army at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir; the king himself was killed and Portugal's elite troops suffered devastating losses.