It has been a commonly-held historical belief that in the second half of the 17th century the Spanish army suffered such catastrophic defeats that it effectively brought about the collapse of the state as a major player on the European stage. The wars fought out in Catalonia, Franche Comté, Flanders and Italy resulted in a series of substantial defeats for Spain. The forces of Louis XIV carried all before them. Spain’s ability to fend off the French monarch’s assaults was not eased by the fact that, at the same time, Spain had faced the Portuguese in the Iberian Peninsula, the English in the Caribbean, the Algerians in Melilla, as well as further insidious French assaults in southern Italy and in the colonies. In this regard, it would be more correct to consider this age as a period of resilience, rather than of military defeat.

The history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the Spanish armies of this era are described for the first time in a single book, based on archival sources and featuring unpublished images. Appendices include orders of battle and a record of Tercios, Trozos and Regiments of the Spanish armies of the period.