The instruction of the cavalry and infantry officers. The military academies in the reigns of Fernando VI and Carlos III

Authors

  • David A. Abián Cubillo Universidad de Cantabria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v6i12.344

Keywords:

Military Academy, Spanish army, 18th century, officer corps, Military instruction

Abstract

This article focuses on the officers’ instruction through the creation of military academies in the Spanish Monarchy during the reigns of Fernando VI and Carlos III. These reigns are connected with the Enlightenment. With these academies, the kings and their ministers expected to make the Bourbons’ army more technical. Even though the first academy was founded by Carlos II and Felipe V, these academies were focused on the most technical corps, as artillery and engineers. This situation changes during the reigns of Fernando VI and Carlos III, and other corps less technical were addressed. Infantry and cavalry were older than engineers and artilleryman, and they had never been trained in an academy. For this reason, the college and academy study were very original, because they were an important effort by these kings to spread the education on infantry and cavalry. On this period, many people thought that only an educated officer could defeat other armies in the battlefield. The three centers studied, the Real Sociedad de Matemáticas de Madrid, the Escuela Militar de Ávila and the Colegio Militar de Ocaña, were the perfect example for this crucial problem. The fail of all of them shows us a disagreement among high officers. Although academies officially closed due to monetary problems, the real causes were deeper. The first of these causes was the absence of a course of study promoted by the own king. Instead of this we found isolated projects of academies. Normally, the existence of the academies was linked to their founders and their influence on the Court. The resistance to these academies started early, and shows us a fear to break the traditional system of career development and promotion within the army. This fear was the appearance of a new factor to be a good officer, the academic merit. This meant that the nobility and the service, the traditional factor in the army, could be changed by a new factor and which would break the tradition of de Ancient Regime. This is the reason why many militaries were against these academies. For this study, I’ve examined many documents of military academies located in the Archivo General Militar de Madrid, Archivo General de Simancas and Archivo Histórico Nacional. Furthermore, I have employed many bibliography about military academies written in the last years.

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Author Biography

  • David A. Abián Cubillo, Universidad de Cantabria
    David Alberto Abián Cubillo es licenciado en Historia por la Universidad de Cantabria, ha realizado estudios de posgrado en el máster Interuniversitario (UC- UAM) en Estudios Avanzados de Historia Moderna: "Monarquía de España" Ss. XVI-XVIII" (mención de excelencia) y actualmente es doctorando en el programa de Doctorado de Historia Moderna UAM-UC (mención de excelencia) bajo la tutoría d las profesoras Susana Truchuelo García y Marina Torres Arce. Mi línea de investigación se centra en la historia militar, cultural y social en la Baja Edad Moderna. En este momento formo parte del PDI de la Universidad de Cantabria en el departamento de Historia Moderna y Contemporánea con una beca FPI dentro del proyecto de investigación CULTURAS URBANAS EN LA ESPAÑA MODERNA: POLICÍA, GOBERNANZA E IMAGINARIOS (SIGLOS XVI-XIX referencia: HAR2015-64014-C3), financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, con Luis Sazatornil Ruiz y Tomás Mantecón Movellán como Investigadores Principales Además, forma parte del proyecto RESISTANCE: REBELLION AND RESISTANCE IN THE IBERIAN EMPIRES, 16TH-19TH CENTURIES (referencia:  Marie Skłodowska-Curie n. ° 778076), financiado por la Comisión Europea, con Mafalda Soares da Cunha como Investigadora Principal. En cuanto a las publicaciones realizadas se pueden consultar en: https://unican.academia.edu/DavidAlbertoAbi%C3%A1nCubillo

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Published

2017-12-30

How to Cite

The instruction of the cavalry and infantry officers. The military academies in the reigns of Fernando VI and Carlos III. (2017). Revista Universitaria De Historia Militar, 6(12), 85-103. https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v6i12.344

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