Antonio Ricardos
Encyclopedia
Antonio Ricardos Carrillo de Albornoz (1727, Barbastro
– 13 March 1794) was a Spanish general. He joined the army of the Kingdom of Spain and fought against Habsburg Austria, the Portugal
, and the First French Republic during a long military career. By embracing the Spanish Enlightenment
, he earned the displeasure of conservative elements of society. He played an active role in reforming the Spanish military. Upon the outbreak of the War of the Pyrenees
in 1793, the king sent him to command in Catalonia
. He invaded Rousillon where he won a series of victories over the French. After his death in early 1794, the war went badly for Spain.
in the city of Barbastro
, part of Aragon
. He joined his father's regiment, the Cavalry of Malta, while still in his teens. Being of noble blood, he served as a captain, and at the age of 16 briefly commanded the regiment in place of his father. In the War of the Austrian Succession
, he fought in the Battle of Piacenza
on 16 June 1746 and in another action on the Tidone River on 10 August of that year.
, which was part of the Seven Years' War
. Afterward he seriously studied the military organization of the Kingdom of Prussia
. King Charles III of Spain
then sent him on a mission to reorganize the military system of New Spain
. In 1768 he was a member of the commission to establish the border between Spain and France
and, for this meritorious service, he received the Encomienda de Santiago. Ricardos accepted the Age of Enlightenment
and its reforms. He co-founded the Royal Economic Society of Madrid
. Promoted to Lieutenant General
(LG) and appointed Inspector of Cavalry, he established the Ocaña
Military College where he taught the techniques of modern warfare.
As an enlightened reformer, Ricardos was opposed by the conservative forces of society, epitomised by the Spanish Inquisition
, which remained in existence until 1834. Thanks to the Encomienda de Santiago, he was able to escape the worst attentions of the Inquisition and its political allies. However, his enemies forced him to leave Ocaña and take up a lesser position in Guipuzcoa in the north.
and Queen Marie Antoinette
were executed in the French Revolution
, Spain prepared to join the First Coalition
. King Charles IV of Spain
promoted Ricardos to Captain General
(CG) and sent him take command of the army in Catalonia
. When the War of the Pyrenees
broke out, Ricardos invaded France on 17 April 1793 with 4,500 soldiers, capturing Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans
. He then routed 1,800 Frenchmen at Céret
on the 20th, thus isolating the imposing Fort de Bellegarde at the Pass of Le Perthus
. After beating General of Division (MG) Louis-Charles de Flers
and the French Army of the Eastern Pyrenees at Mas Deu on 19 May with 7,000 troops, he turned back to invest Bellegarde. The Siege of Bellegarde
ended on 24 June when the French garrison surrendered. Ricardos faced de Flers again in the battle of Niel on 17 July. On his occasion, Ricardos withdrew, but only after inflicting 800 killed and wounded on his enemies at the cost of only 165 Spanish casualties.
On 28 August, French MG Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert
defeated LG Manuel la Peña
, at Puigcerdà
in the central Pyrenees. In early September, Ricardos tried to isolate and capture Perpignan
by swinging two divisions around its western side while bombarding it in front. However, his subordinates lacked his tactical skill. On 17 September, French MG Eustache Charles d'Aoust
and Dagobert repulsed LG Juan de Courten and LG Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, Marquis de las Amarillas at the Battle of Peyrestortes
. This costly setback marked the high tide of the Spanish invasion. Ricardos quickly rallied his army and confronted the victorious French. He inflicted a sharp defeat on Dagobert at the Battle of Truillas
on 22 September. In this major action, the Spanish suffered 2,000 casualties out of 17,000 engaged, while French losses numbered 4,500 out of a total of 22,000. After his victory, Ricardos fell back to defend the Tech River
valley. He repulsed d'Aoust in an action at Le Boulou
on 3 October, where the 1,200 French casualties were four times greater than Spanish losses. He won another victory over MG Louis Turreau
at the Battle of the Tech (Pla del Rey) in mid-October.
While leading a mixed force of 3,000 Spanish and 5,000 Portuguese
, Ricardos defeated d'Aoust again on 7 December at Villelongue-dels-Monts
in the Pyrenees foothills. This was his last victory. Two weeks later his subordinate LG Gregorio García de la Cuesta
routed the French defenders of Collioure
, capturing that port. Ricardos returned to Madrid to plead for reinforcements and died there of pneumonia on 13 March 1794. His successor, CG Alejandro O'Reilly
died on 23 March 1794, leaving LG Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union
in command of the Spanish army. De la Union proved unable to stop the French from recovering Bellegarde and Collioure in 1794, and died at the Battle of the Black Mountain
on Spanish soil in November. In early 1795, the Siege of Roses
ended in a French victory. The Peace of Basel
ended the war in July 1795. Ricardos' widow became the Countess of Truillas in honor of his victories.
Barbastro
Barbastro is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain...
– 13 March 1794) was a Spanish general. He joined the army of the Kingdom of Spain and fought against Habsburg Austria, the Portugal
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
, and the First French Republic during a long military career. By embracing the Spanish Enlightenment
Enlightenment Spain
The Age of Enlightenment came to Spain in the eighteenth century with a new Bourbon dynasty after the decay of the Spanish economy, bureaucracy, and empire in the latter years of the former Habsburg dynasty...
, he earned the displeasure of conservative elements of society. He played an active role in reforming the Spanish military. Upon the outbreak of the War of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees refers to the Pyrenees front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. Also known as Great War, War of Roussillon, or War of the Convention, it pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal from March 1793 to July 1795 during the...
in 1793, the king sent him to command in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
. He invaded Rousillon where he won a series of victories over the French. After his death in early 1794, the war went badly for Spain.
Early career
In 1727, Ricardos was born in the same house as the dramatist and poet Lupercio Leonardo de ArgensolaLupercio Leonardo de Argensola
Lupercio Leonardo de Argensola was a Spanish dramatist and poet.-Biography:He was born in Barbastro. He was educated at the universities of Huesca and Zaragoza, becoming secretary to the duke de Villahermosa in 1585...
in the city of Barbastro
Barbastro
Barbastro is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain...
, part of Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
. He joined his father's regiment, the Cavalry of Malta, while still in his teens. Being of noble blood, he served as a captain, and at the age of 16 briefly commanded the regiment in place of his father. In the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
, he fought in the Battle of Piacenza
Battle of Piacenza
The Battle of Piacenza was a pitched battle between a Franco-Spanish army and Austrian army near Piacenza on June 16, 1746. It formed part of later operations in the War of the Austrian Succession...
on 16 June 1746 and in another action on the Tidone River on 10 August of that year.
Enlightened reformer
Nearly twenty years later, Ricardos fought in the Spanish-Portuguese War, 1761-1763Spanish-Portuguese War, 1761-1763
The Spanish-Portuguese War between 1761 and 1763 was fought as part of the Seven Years' War. Because no major battles were fought, even though there were numerous movements of troops, the war is known in the Portuguese history as the Fantastic War , or War of the Pacte de Famille.When the Seven...
, which was part of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. Afterward he seriously studied the military organization of the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
. King Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
then sent him on a mission to reorganize the military system of New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
. In 1768 he was a member of the commission to establish the border between Spain and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and, for this meritorious service, he received the Encomienda de Santiago. Ricardos accepted the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
and its reforms. He co-founded the Royal Economic Society of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. Promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
(LG) and appointed Inspector of Cavalry, he established the Ocaña
Ocaña
Ocaña may refer to:*Ocaña, Colombia, a city in Norte de Santander department*Ocaña, Spain, a town in the province of Toledo, site of:**Battle of Ocana, during the Peninsular War*Luis Ocana, a Spanish cyclistSee also:...
Military College where he taught the techniques of modern warfare.
As an enlightened reformer, Ricardos was opposed by the conservative forces of society, epitomised by the Spanish Inquisition
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
, which remained in existence until 1834. Thanks to the Encomienda de Santiago, he was able to escape the worst attentions of the Inquisition and its political allies. However, his enemies forced him to leave Ocaña and take up a lesser position in Guipuzcoa in the north.
War with France
When King Louis XVI of FranceLouis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
and Queen Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
were executed in the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, Spain prepared to join the First Coalition
First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition was the first major effort of multiple European monarchies to contain Revolutionary France. France declared war on the Habsburg monarchy of Austria on 20 April 1792, and the Kingdom of Prussia joined the Austrian side a few weeks later.These powers initiated a series...
. King Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
promoted Ricardos to Captain General
Captain General
Captain general is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
(CG) and sent him take command of the army in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
. When the War of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees refers to the Pyrenees front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. Also known as Great War, War of Roussillon, or War of the Convention, it pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal from March 1793 to July 1795 during the...
broke out, Ricardos invaded France on 17 April 1793 with 4,500 soldiers, capturing Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans
Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans
Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.-References:*...
. He then routed 1,800 Frenchmen at Céret
Céret
Céret is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is the capital of Vallespir historical Catalan comarca.-Geography:...
on the 20th, thus isolating the imposing Fort de Bellegarde at the Pass of Le Perthus
Le Perthus
Le Perthus is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Inhabitants are called Perthusiens and, as of 2006, inhabitants were 582.-Geography:...
. After beating General of Division (MG) Louis-Charles de Flers
Louis-Charles de Flers
Louis-Charles de La Motte-Ango, vicomte de Flers , joined the French Royal army and rose in rank to become a general officer in the French Revolutionary Wars. After serving in the Austrian Netherlands, he was appointed to command the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees...
and the French Army of the Eastern Pyrenees at Mas Deu on 19 May with 7,000 troops, he turned back to invest Bellegarde. The Siege of Bellegarde
Siege of Bellegarde (1793)
The Siege of Bellegarde commenced on 23 May 1793 and ended on 24 June 1793 when Colonel Boisbrulé's French garrison surrendered the Fort de Bellegarde to a Spanish army under the command of Antonio Ricardos. The capture of the fort gave Spain control of an important highway through the Pyrenees...
ended on 24 June when the French garrison surrendered. Ricardos faced de Flers again in the battle of Niel on 17 July. On his occasion, Ricardos withdrew, but only after inflicting 800 killed and wounded on his enemies at the cost of only 165 Spanish casualties.
On 28 August, French MG Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert
Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert
Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert de Fontenille was a French general of the French Revolutionary Wars.-Ancien Regime:...
defeated LG Manuel la Peña
Manuel la Peña
Manuel la Peña , sometimes referred to as Lapeña, was a Spanish military officer who served during the Peninsular War . Although widely regarded as incompetent, he rose through the Spanish army's ranks to become Captain General of Andalusia...
, at Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà is the capital of the Catalan comarca of Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the river Segre and the border with France .- History :...
in the central Pyrenees. In early September, Ricardos tried to isolate and capture Perpignan
Perpignan
-Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...
by swinging two divisions around its western side while bombarding it in front. However, his subordinates lacked his tactical skill. On 17 September, French MG Eustache Charles d'Aoust
Eustache Charles d'Aoust
Eustache Charles Joseph d'Aoust was a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars....
and Dagobert repulsed LG Juan de Courten and LG Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, Marquis de las Amarillas at the Battle of Peyrestortes
Battle of Peyrestortes
The Battle of Peyrestortes on 17 September 1793 saw soldiers of the First French Republic fighting troops of the Kingdom of Spain during the War of the Pyrenees. The French Army of the eastern Pyrenees, temporarily commanded by Eustache Charles d'Aoust defeated two divisions of the Army of...
. This costly setback marked the high tide of the Spanish invasion. Ricardos quickly rallied his army and confronted the victorious French. He inflicted a sharp defeat on Dagobert at the Battle of Truillas
Battle of Truillas
The Battle of Truillas was fought on 22 September 1793 during the French Revolutionary War between the French Army of the eastern Pyrenees led by Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert and the Spanish Army of Catalonia under Antonio Ricardos. This attempt by the French to exploit their success in the Battle...
on 22 September. In this major action, the Spanish suffered 2,000 casualties out of 17,000 engaged, while French losses numbered 4,500 out of a total of 22,000. After his victory, Ricardos fell back to defend the Tech River
Tech River
The Tech is a river in southern France, very close to the French-Spanish border. It runs through a valley in the Pyrénées-Orientales, in the former Roussillon, and is 84 km long. Its source is the Parcigoule Valley and it feeds the Mediterranean Sea...
valley. He repulsed d'Aoust in an action at Le Boulou
Le Boulou
Le Boulou is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.-References:*...
on 3 October, where the 1,200 French casualties were four times greater than Spanish losses. He won another victory over MG Louis Turreau
Louis Marie Turreau
Louis Marie Turreau , also known as Turreau de Garambouville or Turreau de Linières, was a French general officer of the French Revolutionary Wars. He was most notable as the organisor of the colonnes infernales during the war in the Vendée, which massacred tens of thousands of Vendéens and ravaged...
at the Battle of the Tech (Pla del Rey) in mid-October.
While leading a mixed force of 3,000 Spanish and 5,000 Portuguese
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
, Ricardos defeated d'Aoust again on 7 December at Villelongue-dels-Monts
Villelongue-dels-Monts
Villelongue-dels-Monts is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.The inhabitants are called Villelonguais.-Geography:...
in the Pyrenees foothills. This was his last victory. Two weeks later his subordinate LG Gregorio García de la Cuesta
Gregorio García de la Cuesta
Gregorio García de la Cuesta y Fernández de Celis was a prominent Spanish general of the Peninsular War.-Early career:Born in La Lastra, Cantabria, to a family of petty nobles, Cuesta entered military service in 1758 as a member of the Spanish Royal Guards Regiment. He saw several successes as a...
routed the French defenders of Collioure
Collioure
Collioure is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.It lies on the Mediterranean and was a part of the ancient Roussillon province....
, capturing that port. Ricardos returned to Madrid to plead for reinforcements and died there of pneumonia on 13 March 1794. His successor, CG Alejandro O'Reilly
Alejandro O'Reilly
Alejandro O'Reilly , was a military reformer and Inspector-General of Infantry for the Spanish Empire in the second half of the 18th century...
died on 23 March 1794, leaving LG Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union
Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union
Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union became a general officer in the army of the Kingdom of Spain. In 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars, he commanded the Spanish Army in a mostly unsuccessful effort to hold back the army of the First French Republic...
in command of the Spanish army. De la Union proved unable to stop the French from recovering Bellegarde and Collioure in 1794, and died at the Battle of the Black Mountain
Battle of the Black Mountain
The Battle of the Black Mountain was fought from 17 to 20 November 1794 between the army of the First French Republic and the allied armies of the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal...
on Spanish soil in November. In early 1795, the Siege of Roses
Siege of Roses (1794-1795)
The Siege of Roses began on 28 November 1794 and lasted until 4 February 1795 when the Spanish garrison evacuated the port and the forces of the First French Republic took control. Dominique Pérignon commanded the French army and Domingo Izquierdo led the Spanish defenders...
ended in a French victory. The Peace of Basel
Peace of Basel
The Peace of Basel of 1795 consists of three peace treaties involving France .* The first of the three treaties of 1795, France made peace with Prussia on 5 April; , * The Second was with Spain on 22 July, ending the War of the Pyrenees; and*...
ended the war in July 1795. Ricardos' widow became the Countess of Truillas in honor of his victories.
Sources
- Ostermann, Georges. "Pérignon: The Unknown Marshal". Chandler, DavidDavid G. ChandlerDavid G. Chandler was a British historian whose study focused on the Napoleonic era.As a young man he served briefly in the army, reaching the rank of captain, and in later life he taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Oxford University awarded him the D. Litt. in 1991...
, ed. Napoleon's Marshals. New York: Macmillan, 1987. ISBN 0-02-905930-5 - Smith, Digby. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9