The aim of this paper is to provide a cross-national comparative analysis of the introduction of calculus in Spanish and French military educational institutions through the works of Pedro Padilla y Arcos (1724-1807?) and Etienne Bezout (1730-1783), respectively. Both authors developed their educational work in the context of military schools and academies. Padilla's Curso Militar de Mathematicas (1753-1756) was the first work published in Spain which introduced the teaching of calculus in formal education. Bezout's Cours de Mathematiques (1764-1769) was the first work on calculus explicitly addressed to French military students and can be considered a representative of the canonical knowledge on eighteenth-century mathematics, both in France and abroad. Eighteenth-century Spain has traditionally been regarded as a country in the periphery whose scientific culture and education were pervaded by French science and education. This centre-periphery framework is often represented by a static model of one-way transmission from the centre to the periphery. A crossnational comparative analysis can help revisit this monolithic centre-periphery framework. A recent historiographical stream places the emphasis on appropriation, hence moving away from the idea of passive reception. In my paper I focus on the reading and writing of educational books, as practices which contribute actively to the development and circulation of knowledge. To assist the analysis, I explore the differences in communication practices in each case, in contents and approaches, and in particular, I give special attention to their inspiration in mathematical streams other than the French standpoint.