Explicacion De Las Laminas Relativas al Tratado De Exercicio y Maniobras De La Infanteria

Jose de Odicio; Spain. Ejercito. Infantera

Madrid: La Imprenta Real, 1808.

146 p., 68 plates.  Bound in original sheep, red spine label.  Royal seal on title page.   Wear and rubbing to boards, some worming, later paper label to tail of spine. Hinges cracking slightly, marginal dampstain, affecting a few plates.<br> This book was issued by the Bourbon Royal Press.  It depicts infantry practice and maneuvers of a Napoleonic era army.  The Treaty of Fontainebleau (1807) between Charles IV of Spain and Napoleon I of France concerned the occupation of Portugal.  Charles IV hoped it would lead to an alliance between the French Empire as in pre-revolutionary times.  However, six months later, Napoleon turned on his new ally.  The Spanish Army was ill-equipped and lacked tactical training.  This book was a last-ditch effort to improve the state of the Spanish army’s training.  Overall it was not a success, as Napoleon ridiculed Spanish army as "the worst in Europe," and the British forces who had to work with it agreed.