Antonio Ricardos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antonio Ricardos Carrillo de Albornoz
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Antonio Ricardos by Francisco Goya
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| Born | 1727 Barbastro, Spain |
| Died | 13 March 1794 (aged 66) Madrid, Spain |
| Allegiance |  Spain |
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Cavalry |
| Rank | Captain General |
| Battles/wars | War of the Austrian Succession
Spanish-Portuguese War
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| Awards | Knight-commander of the Order of Santiago (1768) Order of Charles III, Grand Cross (1794) |
Antonio Ricardos Carrillo de Albornoz was a brave Spanish general. He was born in Barbastro, Spain, in 1727 and passed away on March 13, 1794. Throughout his long military career, he served the Kingdom of Spain. He fought against powerful countries like Austria, Portugal, and France.
Ricardos was a big supporter of the Enlightenment. This was a time when people focused on new ideas and reforms. His modern ideas sometimes upset more traditional people in society. He worked hard to make the Spanish military better.
In 1793, the War of the Pyrenees began. King Charles IV of Spain sent Ricardos to lead the army in Catalonia. He invaded Roussillon, a region in France, and won several important battles. After he died in early 1794, the war became much harder for Spain.
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Becoming a Soldier
Antonio Ricardos was born in 1727 in Barbastro, a city in Aragon, Spain. He was born in the same house as a famous writer named Lupercio Leonardo de Argensola.
When he was still a teenager, Ricardos joined his father's army group, the Cavalry of Malta. Because he came from a noble family, he became a captain right away. At just 16 years old, he even briefly led the entire group in place of his father.
Ricardos fought in the War of the Austrian Succession. He took part in the Battle of Piacenza on June 16, 1746. He also fought in another battle near the Tidone River later that year.
A Leader of New Ideas
About twenty years later, Ricardos fought in a conflict called the Fantastic War (1761–1763). This war was part of the bigger Seven Years' War. After this, he spent time studying how the army of Prussia was organized. Prussia had one of the best armies at the time.
King Charles III of Spain then sent Ricardos on a special mission. His job was to help reorganize the military system in New Spain, which is now Mexico. In 1768, he helped set the border between Spain and France. For this important work, he received a special award called an "Encomienda" in the Orden de Santiago.
Ricardos believed strongly in the ideas of the Age of Enlightenment. He helped start the Royal Economic Society of Madrid. He was promoted to lieutenant general and became the Inspector of Cavalry. He also created the Ocaña Military College. Here, he taught soldiers new and modern ways to fight wars.
His modern ideas were not popular with everyone. Traditional groups, like the Spanish Inquisition, did not like his reforms. Luckily, his special award helped protect him from their attacks. However, his enemies still managed to force him to leave Ocaña. He was given a less important job in Guipuzcoa in northern Spain.
War Against France
In 1793, King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette were executed during the French Revolution. This made Spain decide to join other countries against France. This group was called the First Coalition.
King Charles IV of Spain promoted Ricardos to Captain General. He sent him to lead the army in Catalonia, a region in Spain.
Invading France
When the War of the Pyrenees started, Ricardos led his army into France on April 17, 1793. He had about 4,500 soldiers.
- He quickly captured Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans.
- On April 20, he defeated 1,800 French soldiers at Céret. This helped to cut off the strong Fort de Bellegarde.
- Ricardos then defeated Louis-Charles de Flers and the French army at the Battle of Mas Deu on May 19.
- After this victory, he surrounded Fort de Bellegarde. The siege ended on June 24 when the French soldiers gave up.
Ricardos faced de Flers again at the Battle of Perpignan on July 17. This time, Ricardos was defeated. But he still caused a lot of damage to the French, with 800 killed or wounded.
Battles in the Pyrenees
On August 28, French General Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert defeated a Spanish force at Puigcerdà. This was in the central Pyrenees mountains.
In early September, Ricardos tried to surround and capture Perpignan. He sent two army groups around the west side of the city. At the same time, he attacked the front with cannons. However, his officers were not as skilled as he was.
- On September 17, French General Eustache Charles d'Aoust pushed back the Spanish forces at the Battle of Peyrestortes. This was a big setback for the Spanish invasion.
Ricardos quickly regrouped his army. He then faced the French again. He won a major victory against Dagobert at the Battle of Truillas on September 22. In this battle, Spain lost about 2,000 soldiers out of 17,000. France lost 4,500 soldiers out of 22,000.
After his victory, Ricardos moved his army back to defend the Tech River valley.
- On October 3, he pushed back d'Aoust in a fight at Le Boulou. The French lost 1,200 soldiers, which was four times more than the Spanish losses.
- He won another battle against Louis Marie Turreau at the Battle of the Tech in mid-October.
Final Victories and Death
On December 7, Ricardos led a combined force of Spanish and Portuguese soldiers. He had 3,000 Spanish and 5,000 Portuguese troops. He defeated d'Aoust again at Villelongue-dels-Monts. This was his last victory.
Two weeks later, his officer Gregorio García de la Cuesta defeated the French at Collioure. This captured the important port city.
Ricardos then went back to Madrid to ask for more soldiers. Sadly, he died there from pneumonia on March 13, 1794.
After his death, the war went badly for Spain. His replacement, Alejandro O'Reilly, also died soon after. Luis Firmín de Carvajal, Conde de la Unión took command. He could not stop the French from taking back Bellegarde and Collioure in 1794. He died in battle in November. The war finally ended in July 1795 with the Peace of Basel. Ricardos' wife was given the title Countess of Truillas to honor his victories.
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Ricardos para niños
