Military Strategic Thought in Spain and Latin America

The outstanding role played by Spain in history does not correspond to the importance of its strategic thought. Spain was already in decline when strategic studies experienced a great expansion in the 18th century. The internal crisis that lasted until the 20th century limited Spanish strategic thinking to the dissemination and interpretation of foreign concepts. Hispanic America followed a similar pattern. Immersed in a 19th century dominated by instability; military thought also focused on the importation of foreign ideas. In the second half of the 20th century there was a revival of strategic thought both in Spain and in Latin America. The incorporation of civil institutions to the study of strategic matters, and the progressive integration of this discipline in the broader framework of security studies allow us to glimpse a brighter future.