British Ultimatum

The 1890 British Ultimatum was an ultimatum by the British government delivered on 11 January 1890 to Portugal, in breach of the Treaty of Windsor of 1386 between the two countries,Fact|date=April 2008 forcing the retreat of Portuguese military forces in the land between the Portuguese colonies of Mozambique and Angola (most of present-day Zimbabwe and Zambia). The area had been claimed by Portugal, which had included it in its "Pink Map", but this clashed with British aspirations to create a railroad link between Cairo and Cape Town, thereby linking its colonies from the north of Africa to the very south.

When Portugal acquiesced to British demands, it was seen as a national humiliation by republicans in Portugal, who denounced the government and the King as responsible for it. The government fell, and António de Serpa Pimentel was appointed Prime Minister. The Ultimatum inspired the lyrics of the Portuguese National Anthem, A Portuguesa. The 1890 British Ultimatum was considered by Portuguese historians and politics at that time, the most outrageous and infamous action of the British against her oldest ally. [João Ferreira Duarte, [http://www.erudit.org/revue/TTR/2000/v13/n1/037395ar.pdf The Politics of Non-Translation: A Case Study in Anglo-Portuguese Relations] ]

On 20 August 1890 the Treaty of London was signed between Portugal, and Great Britain, defining the territorial limits of Angola and Mozambique. The treaty was published in the "Diário do Governo" ("Government Diary") on 30 August and presented to the parliament that same day, leading to a new wave of protest and the downfall of the government. When this treaty was not ratified, a new treaty was negotiated and accepted by both governments the following June.

References

ee also

*Perfidious Albion
*Portuguese Empire
*Scramble for Africa
*Pink Map
*Anglo-Portuguese Alliance

Further reading

* Charles E. Nowell, "The Rose-Colored