Castilian Civil War

The Castilian Civil War was a dynastic conflict between King Peter I and his half-brother Henry of Trastámara. Henry’s victory in 1369 ended Peter’s rule and established the Trastámara dynasty in Castile.

Peter I of Castile: King of Castile from 1350 until his death in 1369, whose rule ended during the civil war. His contested kingship supplied the conflict’s central cause and royalist side.
Alfonso XI of Castile: King of Castile from 1312 to 1350 and father of Peter I and Henry of Trastámara. His sons’ competing claims began with their shared paternal lineage.
Trastámara dynasty: A royal house that ruled Castile from Henry II’s accession in 1369 and later ruled other Iberian kingdoms. Henry’s victory began its rule over Castile.
Peter I of Castile’s legitimacy: The claim that Peter I was the lawful heir as the legitimate son of Alfonso XI and Queen Maria of Portugal. Henry’s supporters challenged Peter’s rule by emphasizing his own descent and criticizing his conduct.
Henry II of Castile: King of Castile from 1369 to 1379 and founder of the Trastámara dynasty, previously known as Henry of Trastámara. He led the rival claim and took the throne after Peter’s death.
Maria of Portugal, Queen of Castile: The wife of Alfonso XI and mother of Peter I, queen consort of Castile from 1328 to 1350. Peter’s status as the queen’s son contrasted with Henry’s birth to Alfonso’s mistress.
Treaty of Almazán: A 1375 agreement between Castile and Aragon that settled disputes following the Castilian civil war. It helped consolidate Henry II’s position after the dynastic conflict.
Henry II of Castile’s legitimacy: The dynastic case for Henry of Trastámara’s kingship, based on his royal descent, noble support, and victory over Peter I. It opposed Peter’s claim and supplied the basis for Henry’s accession.
Battle of Nájera: A 1367 battle in which English-led forces supporting Peter I defeated Henry of Trastámara’s army. Peter’s victory briefly reversed Henry’s gains but failed to settle the succession.
Eleanor of Guzmán: A Castilian noblewoman and longtime mistress of Alfonso XI, mother of Henry of Trastámara and several other children. Her sons’ position outside the royal marriage framed the dispute over legitimacy.

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