Wars of Spain and Portugal

My specialty is ‘Luso-Spanish’ Military History, that is, the wars of Spain and Portugal or, put another way, Iberian Wars. This specialty has pros and cons. The pros are that it covers a lot of history and I have an excuse to buy armies from some fascinating conflicts. The cons are exactly the same as the pros.

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Timeline of the First Carlist War

When Ferdinand VII of Spain died in 1833, his fourth wife Cristina became Queen regent on behalf of their infant daughter Isabel II. This splintered the country into two factions known as the Cristinos (or Isabelinos) and the Carlists. The Cristinos were the supporters of the Queen Regent and her government. The Carlists were the supporters of Don Carlos, pretender to the throne and brother of the deceased Ferdinand VII. The First Carlist War lasted over 7 years and the fighting spanned most of the country at one time or another, although the main conflict centred around the Carlist homelands of the Basque Country and Aragon.

In my timeline for the First Carlist War I outline the events and suggest wargaming scenarios.

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15mm Wargaming Figures for the Macedonian and Punic Wars

My figures are predominantly from Essex Miniatures although Chariot Miniatures (now owned by Magister Militum)appear frequently among the Roman Legionaries, Numidians, Italians and Spanish allies. The infantry of the two ranges are entirely compatible. The cavalry are not compatible. I opted for the large Essex Miniatures horses because all my other armies are that size. Magister Militum have more realistic but much smaller horses. The only exception is for the Numidians – the numidian horses of both ranges are compatible.

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