Le roi, l’armée et la science sous le règne de Carlos III

Abstract

The second half of the eighteenth century in Spain, symbolized by Charles III’s ascension to the throne in 1759, is marked by a revival of the spirit of modernity, the development of techniques and scientific research. Two major facts illustrate this new spirit. The realization of the Catastro of Ensenada, a statistical masterpiece in the tradition of the large surveys of Philip II, provides a demographic view, as well as an economic, or even econometric, of the Iberian Peninsula. Further, from the 1760s, the foundation of the Society of Friends of the Country enabled interested local elites to develop scientifically, to undertake agricultural research, and develop new technologies in all areas, including econometrics. Many military personnel close to those in power were involved in these two experiments. At the heart of the military establishment, particularly in the so-called “learned arms”, such as engineering, artillery and especially the navy, the taste for research and for new techniques grew. The king did not discourage the “novelleté”; on the contrary he oversaw scientific institutions, created new ones, and was not averse to closely following certain experiments such as the measuring the equator. To illustrate this phenomenon we have selected three military examples at the forefront of research:- Military engineers. Drawn largely from the École de Bruxelles, they had similar profiles to their French colleagues, so well analysed by Anne Blanchard. They were not only fortification technicians and poliorcetics: they were also interested in civil techniques, such as town planning, navigation and irrigation canals, botany, without forgetting chemistry and metallurgy. Some were active members of the Society of Friends of the Country. To illustrate this environment, we have chosen certain emblematic figures like Verboom and Sabbatini. - The navy. As for the navy of Louis XVI in France, it was at the forefront of geographic, astronomical and technological discoveries for shipbuilding. Two names symbolize this elite group, Jorge Juan and Alfonso de Ulloa, who along with La Condamine, contributed to the measurement of the equator. We must not forget the naval doctors who improved anatomical knowledge, major surgery and pharmacopoeia.- Military academies. Like the colleagues he was emulating Charles III was particularly interested in the creation of academies to train military elites. The school of military engineers under Philip V had led the way, and his son would complete the system. The creation of the Academy of Artillery in Segovia was a major event in Spanish military history. The academy became a chemistry research centre, for the improvement of powders. A student of Lavoisier, Proust set up and expanded his laboratory, which still exists in the shadow of the Alcázar. We have Tomàs Morla’s instructional manual, which is a summary of significant scientific and technological knowledge, notably in founding in the eighteenth century. The Spanish army was a reflection of the spirit of modernity that inspired the Spanish elite in the second half of the eighteenth century. At the court, as at the foot of the Andes, scientists, sailors, gunners and engineers were very much present. Moreover, they left invaluable writings relating their experiences. The great historian Juliàn Marias called the period “The Spain that might have been in the time of Charles III”.

Keywords

• agronomie
• artillerie
• Carlos III
• génie militaire
• marine
• sciences