The men of the defense: the regular troops of Buenos Aires in the first half of 18th century

In this paper we analyze the regular troops of the Buenos Aires garrison during the first half of the eighteenth century, particularly, between the War of the Spanish Succession and the Seven Years' War. For this purpose, after a general approach to the defense of the territory, we first present the early reforms of the Buenos Aires presidio, which took place in the first decades of the century. Next, we carry out a quantitative analysis of the evolution of the troops, from the years prior to the reform until the end of the period. Finally, we analyze the distribution of the troops in the different posts and guards of the River Plate territory, and its implications in the defense of the governorate.