Bernardino de Mendoza (about 1540—August 3, 1604 ) was a Spanish military commander, a diplomat and a writer on military history and politics.
Life and Works
Bernardino de Mendoza was born in Guadalajara, Spain in or around the year 1540. In 1560 he joined the army of King Philip II. For more than 15 years he fought the war in the Low Countries under the command of the Duke of Alba. In 1576 he was appointed a member of the military order of St. James (Orden militar de Santiago) in recognition of his military achievements.
In 1578 the Spanish king sent Bernardino as his ambassador to London. On this post, Bernardino acted not only as a diplomat, but also as a spy. For his correspondence with the Spanish government in Madrid he used a variety of secret codes. In 1584 the ambassador was expelled from England because of his involvement in the Throckmorton Plot.
For the next six years, Bernardino de Mendoza served as Spanish ambassador to the king of France. In 1590 he resigned due to ill health. His eyesight had been deteriorating for years. By the time of his return to Spain, he was completely blind. His last years were spent in his house in Madrid.
Among Bernardino de Mendoza's writings is a famous account of the war in the Low Countries entitled Comentario de lo sucecido en los Paises Bajos desde el año 1567 hasta el de 1577. Bernardino also published a book on the art of warfare under the title Teoria y práctica de la guerra and a Spanish translation of the Politicorum sive civilis doctrinae libri sex of the Flemish philosopher Justus Lipsius.
External Reference
Biography of Bernardino de Mendoza by Antonio Herrera Casado
