Spanish Officers in the Far North: The Military Careers of Alfonso Cacho y Canuto and Don Rodrigo de Córdoba y Guzmán in Early Seventeenth-Century Sweden

This chapter examines the military careers of Alfonso Cacho y Canuto and Don Rodrigo de Córdoba y Guzmán, two Spanish officers who served in early 17th-century Sweden despite their Catholic origins and Spain’s adversarial relationship with Protestant powers. Through a microhistorical approach, the study explores how these "outsiders" integrated into Sweden's military structure and society, highlighting their expertise in the art of war, developed in the Netherlands, and their role in Sweden’s military reforms under King Karl IX. Their cases provide new insights into transnational military migration, the intersection of religious and professional identities, and the dynamics of heterogeneous military communities. While Alfonso achieved significant integration and rewards before his untimely death, Don Rodrigo faced resistance and departed Sweden after a brief tenure. This chapter sheds light on the challenges and opportunities faced by minority groups in early modern military contexts and their contributions to Sweden’s military expansion.