The Portuguese-Dutch War: How a Rebel Republic Stole an Empire

In the early 17th century, the newly independent Dutch Republic launched a global assault on the Portuguese Empire. This episode follows the Dutch West India Company's capture of Portuguese fortresses in Brazil, Africa, and Asia, from the 1624 seizure of Salvador da Bahia to the fall of Malacca (1641) and Colombo (1656). We examine key figures like Admiral Piet Pieterszoon Hein, who captured the Spanish silver fleet, and Governor-General Jan Pieterszoon Coen, whose ruthless vision drove Dutch expansion. On the Portuguese side, we discuss the heroic defense of Recife under Matias de Albuquerque and the strategic brilliance of Salvador Correia de Sá, who retook Angola in 1648. The war reshaped global trade: the Dutch took over the spice trade from the East Indies, the sugar trade from Brazil, and the slave trade from Africa. Portugal never fully recovered. This episode covers the battles, the politics, and the long-term consequences of a conflict that transferred the center of European colonial power from Lisbon to Amsterdam. #PortugueseEmpire #DutchEmpire #DutchWestIndiaCompany #BrazilHistory #Angola #Malacca #Colombo #SalvadorDaBahia #PietHein #JanPieterszoonCoen #MatiasDeAlbuquerque #SalvadorCorreiaDeSa #SpiceTrade #SugarTrade #SlaveTrade #17thCentury #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo