Agostinho de Ornelas e Vasconcelos, Germany and the British Ultimatum (1857-1893)

Abstract

This article analyses the political and diplomatic activity of Agostinho de Ornelas e Vasconcelos, a diplomat and Director of the Political Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as a member of parliament and a peer of the Realm, with special regard to his role in promoting a strategy of diplomatic rapprochement between Portugal and Germany, the aim of which was to guarantee German support for the realisation of the Portuguese imperial project in Africa. It also considers the diplomatic process that resulted in the British Ultimatum crisis of 11 January 1890. On the other hand, the analysis of Agostinho de Ornelas e Vasconcelos’ political thought and action allows us to glimpse some aspects of the functioning of the Portuguese political and party system during the “Regeneração”, with a special focus on political life on Madeira Island, while also providing some elements for a more structured understanding of the political thought of the conservative sectors of the Portuguese aristocracy in the second half of the 19^th century. Finally, it gives us some clues as to the origins of the Germanophile current in Portuguese politics, the beginnings of which can be traced back to at least the third quarter of the 19^th century.

Keywords: Agostinho de Ornelas e Vasconcelos; “Regeneração”; Madeira Island; Germany; Germanophile Current; Portuguese Africa; British Ultimatum.