The Spanish Army in Search of Information: The Military Missions in 18th Century Europe
Journal: Gredos (University of Salamanca)
Year: 2026

Throughout the 18th century, the Spanish army dispatched a series of European missions to gather intelligence on ‘new methods’ of warfare. The underlying objective was for officers to acquire knowledge and field experience that would contribute to the improvement of the Spanish army and its technical corps. This contribution focuses specifically on the missions sent to the Austrian, Prussian, and Russian armies. It posits the hypothesis that various internal and external factors —including the s