Conflict: Castilian Civil War
Combatants: Castilian Rebels/Portuguese vs. Spanish
Location: Spain
Outcome: Spanish victory
When the Henry IV of Castile died in 1474, his sister, Isabella, was designated to succeed him. But this claim was disputed by Queen Juanna (or Joan) of Portugal who sought to place her daughter, also named Juanna, on the throne. Alfonso V of Portugal, husband to the younger Juanna, and some Spanish nobles threw their support behind the Portuguese claim.
In the spring of 1476, Alfonso led 8,000 soldiers to the Spanish town of Toro. Meanwhile, Isabella's husband, Ferdinand of Aragon, raised his own army and marched on the Portuguese and rebel army. Ferdinand's forces routed the opposing army after a two-hour battle. With the Portuguese defeated, Ferdinand and Isabella quickly overcame the remaining rebels in Castile.
Points of Interest:
The elder Queen Juanna of Portugal died shortly after declaring her daughter's claim to the Castilian crown (1475) and did not witness the civil war.
In the years after the Castilian Civil War, Ferdinand would ascend the throne of Aragon (as Ferdinand II), and unify Aragon and Castile.
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Sources:
Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).
Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.
Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
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