From ancient regimen wars to total wars in xix century through the Spanish case (1793-1840)

  • Daniel Aquillué Domínguez Centro Universitario de la Defensa de Zaragoza
Keywords: Revolutionary Wars, Peninsular War, Carlist War, total war

Abstract

Between 1792 and 1815 there was a shift in the way warfare was conducted and perceived in Europe, away from the conventions of eighteenth-century warfare to what has been characterised as total war. This article analyses these changes through the Spanish case, with the Convention War, the Peninsular War and, mainly the Carlist War. First, it reflects on the concept of total war subject to historiographical debate, focusing on some of its features and pointing out not only quantitative issues but also the perception of contemporaries. It then goes on to argue that the first war was an eighteenth-century conflict, the second an international total war and the last one a civil total war. Finally, an interpretation is put forward that the new dynamics of warfare shifted from international conflicts to civilian ones, thanks to a mobilised, politicised and armed population that had lived through various experiences.

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Published
2025-06-24
How to Cite
Aquillué Domínguez D. (2025). From ancient regimen wars to total wars in xix century through the Spanish case (1793-1840). Historia y Política, 53, 295-324. https://doi.org/10.18042/hp.2025.AL.05