Ultimatum, English

(1890)

   A painful and, for Portugal, embarrassing, diplomatic incident with Great Britain during the "Scramble for Africa." On 11 January 1890, England presented the Lisbon government with an ultimatum stating that, unless Portugal withdrew her armed forces from what is today a section of Malawi in central east Africa, Britain would consider breaking the ancient Anglo- Portuguese Alliance and would dispatch naval units to Mozambique and possibly to Portugal itself. The center of the conflict was disputed claims over an area to the west of northern Mozambique, a region in which Britain claimed to have special interests. Portugal requested international arbitration of the dispute, but London refused and presented the ultimatum. At the time, Portugal had an armed force in the disputed sector and was claiming sovereignty.

   The English Ultimatum led to the fall of the Lisbon government of the day, which gave in and withdrew Portugal's forces, as well as to unprecedented public agitation over the question. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance came under great strain, although it was mended and renewed with the 1899 Treaty of Windsor. The monarchy was badly damaged by the national humiliation, and the Republican Party gained supporters. Portugal's current national anthem, A Portuguesa, was inspired by it.