Eugene of Savoy(1663 — 1736)
Eugene of Savoy
duché de Savoie
6 min read
A prince of the House of Savoy who entered the service of the Habsburgs, Eugene of Savoy became one of the greatest military commanders of his time. As generalissimo of the imperial armies, he distinguished himself against the Ottomans and during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born in 1663 in Paris and rejected by Louis XIV, he entered the service of Emperor Leopold I in 1683
- Together with Marlborough, won the Battle of Blenheim (Höchstädt) in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession
- Crushed the Ottomans at the Battle of Zenta in 1697, then captured Belgrade in 1717
- Victorious at Malplaquet (1709) and a negotiator of the Treaty of Rastatt (1714)
- Died in Vienna in 1736; patron who commissioned the Belvedere Palace
Works & Achievements
Annihilation of the Ottoman army crossing the Tisza; a founding victory that led to the Treaty of Karlowitz.
Triumph won alongside Marlborough against the Franco-Bavarian forces, which saved Vienna.
A strategic maneuver that drove the French out of Northern Italy during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Successes in the Spanish Netherlands that lastingly weakened the position of Louis XIV.
Conquest of the Ottoman fortress, the military peak of Eugene's career and a Habsburg expansion into the Balkans.
A masterpiece of Viennese Baroque architecture commissioned by Eugene, a patron of the arts.
Modernization of the organization and administration of the imperial armies under his presidency.
Anecdotes
Small, frail, and destined by his family for a career in the Church, the young Eugene asked Louis XIV for a military command. The king judged him to have no future and dismissively nicknamed him “the little abbot.” Stung, Eugene left France in 1683 and, it is said, swore to return only sword in hand — a promise he kept by fighting the French armies for thirty years.
At the Battle of Zenta in 1697, Eugene learned that the Ottoman army was in the middle of crossing the Tisza River. Although an order from the court forbade him to engage in combat, he attacked at once and crushed the sultan's army, which lost tens of thousands of men. The victory was so dazzling that the emperor forgave his disobedience.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, Eugene formed with the Duke of Marlborough, the English general, one of the most famous military duos in history. At Blenheim in 1704, their perfect coordination dealt the Franco-Bavarian army a resounding defeat that saved Vienna.
In 1706, the imperial army besieged in Turin seemed doomed. Eugene marched across all of northern Italy with his troops, outflanked the French lines, and launched an assault that relieved the city. Legend has it that he led the charge himself, sword in hand.
Having become immensely rich and powerful, Eugene had the splendid Belvedere Palace built in Vienna and assembled a library of more than 15,000 books and manuscripts. This warrior, known for being taciturn, was also a cultivated man, a patron of the arts and a correspondent of scholars such as Leibniz.
Primary Sources
The enemy has been utterly defeated and cut to pieces; the Grand Vizier's camp, artillery, and baggage have fallen into our hands.
The letters exchanged during the War of the Spanish Succession bear witness to the trust and coordination of the two generals in conducting their joint campaigns.
Official compilation of Eugene's military orders, reports, and dispatches, preserved in the Austrian war archives and published by the imperial general staff.
The summer palace built by Prince Eugene bears the mark of his military glory, blending martial emblems with the baroque splendor of the Viennese court.
Key Places
Eugene's birthplace, where he grew up at the court of Louis XIV before being rebuffed and leaving for Austria.
The Habsburg capital where Eugene built his career, led the Aulic War Council, and died in 1736.
A sumptuous Baroque palace that Eugene had built to house his art collections and library.
The site of his crushing victory of 1697 over the Ottoman army, which established his reputation as a great military commander.
A city besieged by the French in 1706 that Eugene relieved through a daring maneuver, freeing northern Italy.
An Ottoman fortress captured by Eugene in 1717, the high point of his campaigns against the Ottoman Empire.
