The Liberal Wars, also known as the Portuguese Civil War, the War of the Two Brothers, or Miguelite War, was a war between progressive constitutionalists and authoritarian absolutists in Portugal over royal succession that lasted from 1828 to 1834. Embroiled parties included Portugal, Portuguese rebels, the United Kingdom, France, the Catholic Church and Spain.
The death of King João VI in 1826 created a dispute over royal succession. The rightful heir to the throne was his eldest son, Dom Pedro, who was briefly made Dom Pedro IV. Neither the Portuguese nor the Brazilians wanted a unified monarchy; consequently, Pedro abdicated the Portuguese crown in favor of his daughter, Dona Maria da Glória, a child of seven, on the condition that when of age she would marry his brother, Miguel. In April 1826, as part of the succession settlement, Pedro revised the constitution granted in 1822, the first constitution of Portugal, and left the throne to Maria, with his sister Isabella Maria as regent.