WDF THINKS: Queen Elizabeth I and the Portuguese Plot

When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

Zack Twamley

Phd, International Relations, Korean War, European History, 17th Century, 18th Century, Politics, 20th Century, Thirty Years' War, History, 19th Century, War, First World War

4.8 • 773 Ratings

🗓️ 6 December 2017

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Something special for all lovely fans of WDF for the month of December, it's...something completely unrelated to Christmas!

In this episode of WDF THINKS we ask the very relevant question - was Queen Elizabeth I of England all that great at diplomacy? Sure there was that whole Armada thing, but what about her actual talents and abilities as a diplomatist, particularly a female diplomatist in a world where few such things existed? Well, WDF is proud to take up the challenge by examining a lesser known event from Elizabeth's history - the curious issue of the Portuguese Pretender, a certain Don Antonio, the illegitimate son of the extinct Portuguese House, where King Philip II of Spain now claimed overlordship.

Liz's mission was to make use of Don Antonio throughout the frightful events of the 1580s, and to somehow help him without offending the Spanish, only to greatly offend and threaten the Spanish when it suited her. Much depended on whether or not Elizabeth needed a Portuguese bargaining chip, or a stick, with which it could beat up the Spanish King. Her record in balancing the right policy was impressive, but was it good enough to justify her place as a named Patreon tier, where only the greatest diplomatists in history reside in that pantheon of thankssss? You simply must find out, and you also must let me know what you thought!

Also, make sure that you check the blog post on this very episode - why not put some faces to the names?

www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/wdfthinksliz

This episode was launched to assess the career of Queen Liz, but we also have another reason for doing it. Queen Elizabeth I of England has her own named Patreon tier, and for a certain amount every month, you can select her or her similarly named peers by heading over to www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails If WDF THINKS is something you enjoyed, why not share the love and making me even more excited to pod well into the future. Thanksss to the support I've received from history friends JUST LIKE YOU, I've been able to make this into a part time job, but we can always go further! Let's bring history podcasting to new heights - let's make WDF and history thrive!

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Transcript

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0:00.0	What makes a diplomat great? How do we measure someone's diplomatic talents, especially if they acted hundreds of years ago?
0:08.6	The process is never easy, and our criteria for selecting certain exceptional individuals for our Patreon named tiers, is far from scientific.
0:19.5	But here at when diplomacy fails, we do value certain traits and characteristics above all.
0:24.7	I mean, just look at how much of a fan we are of Bismarck and you'll see what I mean.
0:30.2	Bismarck has certain traits and certain skills that really warrant him a place in the pantheon
0:35.9	of when diplomacy fails.
0:38.1	But I would argue there's lots of other people who have their own talents and skills.
0:43.3	But even if they don't deserve the crowning place at the top of the pantheon, they do deserve a seat within it.
0:50.4	And in this episode, I will argue that Queen Elizabeth I of England is one of those
0:56.3	such deserving persons. If you somehow weren't aware, when Diplomacy Fels is on Patreon and for a certain
1:03.2	amount every month, you guys could support this podcast and access a load of great goodies.
1:08.8	The named Patreon tiers are there for history friends that want to take their support to the next level,
1:13.6	by spending a little more in the process choosing a named tier which best suits them.
1:18.6	Maybe you've fancied yourself a destroy of Armadas, maybe you do in fact have red hair and wear very, very poofy dresses,
1:26.6	in which case, Elizabeth Iffert's
1:28.8	Patreon tier may well be for you. In return, you'll get my eternal thanks, of course, as well as a
1:35.0	personalised mug representing the namesake of that tier, and blazoned all over it. In this case,
1:40.4	we have Queen Elizabeth I first, and to illustrate why I feel she deserves her own
1:44.4	tear I brought you a little known story about the Portuguese pretender a man called
1:50.3	Don Antonio and how Elizabeth planned to use this bargaining chip to gain what she
1:55.5	wanted in international relations either through diplomacy fear-mongering, or war.
2:02.7	In a hostile world where she was by no means the strongest power, Liz would have to be
	...

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