Lasting friendships ♥

This apparently paid off for the UK during WW2, when they called in a favour from a (neutral, nominally fascist) Portugal.

It was instrumental in the independence of Brazil.

When Napoleon instituted the continental blockade against England, Portugal didn’t want to renege their by then centuries old treaty with the island state. But they weren’t in a position to fight the French either. So they ran away to Brazil and, in order to still support their old buddies, created the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, elevating the colony to statehood and trading with England from there.

Fast forward a few years, the Portuguese court returns to Portugal to deal with an internal constitutionalist rebellion of their own, but not without leaving the heir apparent as regent of the Kingdom of Brazil. After the constitutionalists won, they demanded the return of the prince, who openly defied their orders. Soon after, he would declare independence of the Kingdom of Brazil, much to the joy of the ruling class there, who did not look forward to going back to being a colony.

❤️