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The loss of Oran and Mers el-Kebir in 1708, and a still-dominant historiography guided by the concept of 'occupation restreinte' (restrained occupation), have hidden some of the Spanish Imperial preoccupation with the frontier in North Africa. Even during such critical moments as the War of the Spanish Succession and the onset of a particularly rigorous siege by the Algerians, the Hispanic Empire still managed to provide supplies and reinforcements to Oran and Mers el-Kébir. The collections of the Spanish archives highlight the mobilization of multiple actors and resources, both exogenous and endogenous to the Hispanic Empire. The preservation of this "presidio" till its downfall was a much more dynamic business than normally considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to historians, the military campaign of 1710 was a crucial turning point in the War of the Spanish Succession. Despite a favourable beginning to Charles III of Habsburg's progress to the Aragonese border, and the defeats of Bourbon troops in Almenar and Saragossa, the Allied army headed for Madrid, before proceeding towards its debacle in the Alcarria. However, it is necessary to know the causes and details of the royal stay in Madrid to understand better the course of the war. By examining local government papers from the council of Madrid, this study reveals the difficulties of and responses to a defensive war that decided the course of the Spanish dynastic conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spanish Military's Engineering Corps, created by Royal Decree on 13 January 1710, is a force that has been accorded attention in the recent works of a number of eminent historians (Seguela, Capel Saez, Munoz Corbalan?). The Corps' development during the 18th century encouraged the development of scientific teaching in Spain, where the engineer came to be viewed as a skilled technician boasting significant professional training. This article aims to shed new light on the period preceding the creation of the Corps, and more specifically, on the presence of French military engineers in the Iberian Peninsula during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1715). This presence represents a little-known example of Franco-Spanish military cooperation between Louis XIV and Philip V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]