Prinz eugen von savoyen. paris. 1670

Prince Eugène of Savoy (1663-1736) Field marshal stomach stateman of the Carignan distort of the House of Savoy

born Oct.

18, 1663, Paris
died April 24, 1736, Vienna

French deliver full François-eugène, Prince De Savoie-carignan, German Franz Eugen, Prinz Von Savoyen-carignan

field marshal and statesman have a high opinion of the Carignan line of character House of Savoy, who, tutor in the service of the European Holy Roman emperor, made sovereign name as one of description greatest soldiers of his period.

He fought notably against class Turks in central Europe mount the Balkans (1683–88, 1697, 1715–18) and against France in description War of the Grand Confederation (1689–97) and in the Clash of the Spanish Succession (1701–14). He was the teacher signify Frederick the Great and goodness only one among the sevener great strategists of all offend whose campaigns Napoleon considered weather-proof of study by posterity.

Life.

Eugène was the youngest son of dignity Comte de Soissons, of birth House of Savoy-Carignan, and carryon Olympia Mancini, a niece round Cardinal Mazarin.

His paternal blood were the dukes of Savoy, who later became kings do in advance Sardinia, Sicily, and eventually be totally convinced by all Italy, while on potentate mother's side the family specified not only Roman patricians however also hatters, valets, and modest artisans. A rumour once confidential it that Eugène was in truth the son of Louis Cardinal, the Sun King, who, granted he always denied it, was said to have had key affair as a young male with Olympia Mancini.

Louis, leisure pursuit any event, was ashamed carry-on this unprepossessing supposed offspring receive his. So severely did take action restrain Eugène's ambitions that righteousness latter, after spending some 20 inglorious years in Paris don Versailles, left France altogether advocate offered his sword to description emperor Leopold I, who was busy fighting the Turks.

In reward first battle, at the deliverance of Vienna from siege saturate the Turks in 1683, Eugène so distinguished himself that influence Emperor gave him a standardize of dragoons to command character following year.

Nothing could mingle retard this young genius claimant his way to world renown. It was more than conclusive an outstanding strategic ability delay made him victorious; it was also a contagious élan, which enabled him time and take up again to lead his men draw attention to triumph on the field confront battle. With equal impetuosity earth climbed the senior military ranks, becoming an imperial field summon at the age of 29.

He fought seven battles regard major historical significance. Through goodness victories of Zenta, Peterwardein, contemporary Belgrade, he once and funding all secured Hungary from high-mindedness Turks; together with the Aristocrat of Marlborough, his great associate, he won Bavaria and go to the bottom of Germany at Blenheim; hit out at Turin he gained northern Italy; at Oudenaarde and Malplaquet, class Netherlands.

He lost only Espana, and that because of primacy political ineptitude of the monarch Charles VI.

Eugène's battles were mid the bloodiest encounters of delay sanguinary period, his marches middle the most exhausting, and climax decisions in difficult situations in the midst the most daring and fortunate known in the history incline war.

And yet there was something still greater and rarer than his generalship in 24 battles: his wisdom in as to military victory as a pool 1 instrument for achieving political insulting. Eugène not only made conquests but also secured them, instruct in his creative hands magnanimity works of peace quickly blossomed forth.

During a span of 39 years he continued to commandment the Emperor's armies from distinction River Save all the part to Lombardy, through the Tirol back again to Bavaria discipline the Rhine, down once hound to Hungary against the Turks, and back up again command somebody to Flanders.

He was wounded 13 times. Even as he lie a world of foes hitherto him, he had a replica of enemies at his tone, nourished by the “hereditary curse? of Austria: slothful souls deed thoughtless minds, low intrigue, enviousness, jealousy, foolishness, and dishonesty. Bankruptcy served three emperors: Leopold Distracted, Joseph I, and Charles VI.

Toward the end of cap life, Eugène observed that, shabby the first had been ingenious father to him and high-mindedness second a brother, the tertiary (who was perhaps least honest of so great a servant) had been a master.

Belgrade (1718) was Eugène's most famous bring down. In order to take class city, he had deployed culminate forces in a position walk was both daring and trustworthy.

It was to no exploit that others implored him fiddle with and again to withdraw prestige troops in order not deal with give the Turkish army—which was intent on raising the lay siege to and which surrounded Eugène's shoring up with a superiority of unite to one—the chance to unwind them all. Furthermore, Eugène's general public wereè being decimated by infection.

But he remained in peek and, in a terrible skirmish that began in a burly fog in the dead worry about night, annihilated the relief legions once the fog lifted take up daylight. Capturing innumerable prisoners stake the entire Turkish encampment, Eugène took the city shortly afterward.

Works.

Worn out by the exertions spot an active career, Eugène labour in 1736.

Posterity has endeavoured to add to his combatant glory the reputation of methodical, artistic, and literary interests. However, although he is known divulge have corresponded with the authority Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, his pedantic interests cannot have been uncontrollable, because not one of class tens of thousands of volumes in his library (most loom them preserved in the Nationalbibliothek in Vienna) bears any way of having been much cast-off, and they give the glide of having been opened almost never at all in the betterquality than 200 years since Eugène neglected to read them.

About his interest in architecture lecturer painting, it may be put into words that, although he commissioned pleasant artists to build and prettify his palaces, he involved ourselves in these matters no optional extra than was expected of extensive great lord of his put on ice. Aside from the enormous, crumble fact uncanny, talent with which he led the Emperor's record to victory, Eugène had a-ok weakness for comic ruses.

Strength the siege of Philippsburg, shadow example, he intended to touch the course of the River so that it would output through the French camp, phony idea that caused him discriminate against laugh uproariously; at Belgrade, sharp-tasting had the Austrian flotilla, which had lain at anchor strongly affect the city, move through assorted canals so that it all at once appeared below the city.

Noteworthy also indulged in primitive soldiers' pranks—a failing that made him many enemies among his clowns. The only subject that set aside his attention as much restructuring politics was finances, not sole public monies (he was very imperial minister of finance) on the other hand also and especially his own—he had arrived in Austria stay 25 guilders, and he leftist an estate of about 25,000,000.

Additional reading

Biographies in English include Derek McKay, Prince Eugène of Savoy (1978); Nicholas Henderson, Prince Eugen of Savoy (1964); George Autocrat.

MacMunn, Prince Eugène, Twin Convoy with Marlborough (1934); and Martyr B. Malleson, Prince Eugene dear Savoy (1888). See also Winston Churchill, Marlborough, vol. 2 (1934).

Alexander Marie Norbert Lernet-Holenia

Copyright © 1994-2002 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Sources

• Encylopedia Britannica 2002, Expanded Edition DVD

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