Prince Eugene of Savoy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prince Eugene of Savoy
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Prince Eugene of Savoy by Jacob van Schuppen
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| Born | 18 October 1663 Hôtel de Soissons, Paris |
| Died | 21 April 1736 (aged 72) Vienna |
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| Allegiance |  Habsburg Monarchy |
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Prince Eugene of Savoy (French: Eugène, German: Eugen von Savoyen, Italian: Eugenio; 18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736) was a general of the Imperial Army and statesman of the Holy Roman Empire and the Archduchy of Austria and one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna.
Born in Paris, Eugene grew up around the court of King Louis XIV of France. Based on his poor physique and bearing, the Prince was initially prepared for a clerical career, but by the age of 19 he had determined on a military career.
Following a scandal involving his mother Olympe, he was rejected by Louis XIV for service in the French army. Eugene moved to Austria and transferred his loyalty to the Habsburg Monarchy.
Spanning six decades, Eugene served three Holy Roman Emperors: Leopold I, Joseph I, and Charles VI. He first saw action against the Ottoman Turks at the Siege of Vienna in 1683 and the subsequent War of the Holy League, before serving in the Nine Years' War, fighting alongside his cousin, the Duke of Savoy. However, the Prince's fame was secured with his decisive victory against the Ottomans at the Battle of Zenta in 1697, earning him Europe-wide fame.
Eugene enhanced his standing during the War of the Spanish Succession, where his partnership with the Duke of Marlborough secured victories against the French on the fields of Blenheim (1704), Oudenarde (1708), and Malplaquet (1709); he gained further success in the war as Imperial commander in northern Italy, most notably at the Battle of Turin (1706). Renewed hostilities against the Ottomans in the Austro-Turkish War consolidated his reputation, with victories at the battles of Petrovaradin (1716), and the decisive encounter at Belgrade (1717).
Throughout the late 1720s, Eugene's influence and skillful diplomacy managed to secure the Emperor powerful allies in his dynastic struggles with the Bourbon powers, but physically and mentally fragile in his later years, Eugene enjoyed less success as commander-in-chief of the army during his final conflict, the War of the Polish Succession. Nevertheless, in Austria, Eugene's reputation remains unrivalled.
Although opinions differ as to his character, there is no dispute over his great achievements: he helped to save the Habsburg Empire from French conquest; he broke the westward thrust of the Ottomans, liberating central Europe after a century and a half of Turkish occupation; and he was one of the great patrons of the arts whose building legacy can still be seen in Vienna today. Eugene died in his sleep at his home on 21 April 1736, aged 72.
Images for kids
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Hôtel de Soissons, Eugene's birthplace. Engraving by Israel Silvestre c. 1650.
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Eugene Maurice and Olympia Mancini, Count and Countess of Soissons, parents of Prince Eugene
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Prince Eugene as a young General by German painter David Hoyer
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Battle of Vienna, 12 September 1683
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Recapture of Buda castle in 1686 (Prince Eugene of Savoy on the second white horse from the right) by Gyula Benczúr.
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Max Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, Eugene's early mentor before becoming his opponent in the War of the Spanish Succession. by Joseph Vivien
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Battle of Zenta by Jacques-Ignace Parrocel.
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Europe at the beginning of the War of the Spanish Succession. Eugene fought primarily in northern Italy in the early years of the war, then later in the Low Countries.
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Prince Eugene crossing the Alps, 1701. Coloured copperplate engraving.
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The Duke of Marlborough greeting Prince Eugene of Savoy mounted after their victory at Blenheim by Robert Alexander Hillingford.
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Eugene's major engagements in the Italian theatre during the War of the Spanish Succession.
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Prince Eugene by Jacob van Schuppen.
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Prince Eugene at Oudenarde (detail) by Jan van Huchtenburg, who was employed round 1709 to depict ten battle scenes.
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Duke of Marlborough (1650–1722) by Adriaen van der Werff. Eugene became Allied commander-in-chief following Marlborough's dismissal in 1711.
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Portrait of Eugene from the school of Godfrey Kneller, 1712.
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Eugene at the Battle of Belgrade 1717. Artist: Johann Gottfried Auerbach. The battle was Eugene's last great victory.
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Charles VI (1685–1740), by Johann Gottfried Auerbach. Eugene served Emperor Charles VI for the last 25 years of his life.
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Portrait of Prince Eugene of Savoy in later years by Jan Kupecký.
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Eugene's Stadtpalais, Vienna, where the Prince conducted most of his business.
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Hungarian Countess Eleonore Batthyány-Strattmann, Viennese court lady and companion of Prince Eugene.
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Portrait of Prince Eugene by Jacob van Schuppen.
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Upper Belvedere, Vienna, the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy
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Eugene's statue, Buda Castle, Budapest, Hungary.
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