When did Napoleon order Portugal to close its ports to British shipping?
Napoleon ordered the closure of Portuguese ports to British shipping on the 19th of July 1807. The deadline for compliance was set for the 1st of September.
Questions about Invasion of Portugal (1807)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who commanded the French forces during the invasion of Portugal in 1807?
General of Division Jean-Andoche Junot took command of the 1st Corps of the Gironde Army of Observation on the 2nd of August 1807. His force consisted of 24,918 men including cavalry divisions under General of Division François Étienne de Kellermann and infantry divisions led by Generals Henri François Delaborde, Louis Henri Loison, and Jean-Pierre Travot.
How many soldiers were in the Portuguese army when France invaded in 1807?
The nominal strength of the Portuguese army was 48,396 men but actual numbers may have been as few as 20,000 due to corruption and embezzlement. This included 36,000 line infantrymen, 5,640 line cavalrymen, and 3,956 artillerists.
When did Junot's corps enter Lisbon after marching from Spain?
Junot's corps entered Lisbon on the 30th of November 1807 without opposition. The march covered about 300 miles in 25 days starting from Salamanca on the 12th of November 1807.
What happened to the Portuguese army after Junot raised the French flag in Lisbon?
Junot disbanded the Portuguese army by discharging all its soldiers with less than one year or more than six years of service. Two Portuguese units were later employed by the French during the First Siege of Zaragoza on the 2nd of August 1808.