• Corpus ID: 110125105

Mobilizing resources for war : the British and Spanish intelligence systems during the War of Jenkins' Ear (1739-1744)

@inproceedings{Ibez2009MobilizingRF,
  title={Mobilizing resources for war : the British and Spanish intelligence systems during the War of Jenkins' Ear (1739-1744)},
  author={Ignacio Rivas Ib{\'a}{\~n}ez},
  year={2009}
}

• I. Ibáñez
• Published 1 July 2009
• Political Science

The topic of this study is the War of Jenkins’ Ear (1739 – 1744) and this thesis
concentrates on the close connection between the British and Spanish gathering of
intelligence and the military decisions adopted in London and Madrid during the
war. The ultimate purpose of this study is to put this war in a broader context and
make a contribution to understand the development of the state in eighteenth
century Europe.
The first part of this study analyses the structure and functioning of the several
British and Spanish Intelligence Networks, i.e. diplomatic and political support to
these networks, expenditures, flowing of intelligence, messengers, agents,
collaborators and counter intelligence. This part consists of two chapters, as
follows: (a) the British Intelligence System and (b) the Spanish Intelligence
System.
The second part of the study explores the connection between the gathering of
intelligence and decision-making in Madrid and London. However, the study of
the use of intelligence can be problematic. This is because neither on the British
nor the Spanish side are there official cabinet records for this period that could
directly link one process with the other. In an attempt to solve this difficulty it has
been decided to study the connection through four case studies. Each of them will
concentrate on one of the military expeditions that Britain and Spain carried out or
planned during the war.