Revolt of the Marshals

The Revolt of the Marshals (Portuguese: Revolta dos Marechais) was an unsuccessful Chartist military coup in Portugal against the Setembrist government of António Dias de Oliveira in 1837.

[1] In November that year the Queen mounted the failed Belenzada coup to remove the Septembrist government and restore the 1826 Constitutional Charter.

[4] On 12 July the 4th battalion of light cavalry under the command of the (pt) Visconde de Leiria, quartered in Ponte da Barca, marched on Braga demanding the return of the Constitutional Charter of 1826.

[5] In response to the revolt, the government divided the country into two military commands; the north under Sá da Bandeira and the south under Bonfim.

[7] In Lisbon, the liberal press alleged the revolt was being inspired and funded by British interests for the purpose of establishing a government that would end protectionist polices and open Portuguese markets to imports from Britain.

[5] Following this a meeting between Sá da Bandeira, Bonfim and Saldanha was unable to agree an armistice, and the rebels retreated back north.