Antonio Ricardos
| Antonio Ricardos Carrillo de Albornoz | |
|---|---|
Antonio Ricardos by Francisco Goya
|
|
| Born | 1727 Barbastro, Spain |
| Died |
13 March 1794 (aged 66) Madrid, Spain |
| Allegiance |
 Spain
|
| Service/branch | Cavalry |
| Rank | Captain General |
| Battles/wars |
War of the Austrian Succession
Spanish-Portuguese War
|
| Awards | Encomienda de Santiago (1768) Order of Charles III, Grand Cross (1794) |
War of the Austrian Succession
Spanish-Portuguese War
French Revolutionary Wars
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 several victories over the French. After his death in early 1794, the war went badly for Spain.
In 1727, Ricardos was born in the same house as the dramatist and poet Lupercio Leonardo de Argensola 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.
Nearly twenty years later, Ricardos fought in the Spanish–Portuguese conflict known as the Fantastic War (1761–1763), 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.
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Wikipedia