EugeniusprinceofSavoyCarignan

A.K.A.PrinzEugenorEugeniovonSavoye
18October16631736
Background
BelowisEugen'sfamilytree.ItstartswithThomasFrancisofSavoyCarignan,whofoundedthecadet
branchoftheprincesofSavoyCarignan.ThisfamilywasthensplitwhenhisfourthchildEugenio
MauricestayedinFrancetobecomeaFrenchprinceandCountofSoissons.Thiscameaboutin1657
withhismarriageofconveniencetoOlympiaMancini,anieceofMazarin.ThisOlympiahadlong
beenafavoriteoftheyoungLouisXIVandhermarriagewasmeanttosanctionherpositionatthe
court.ThusEugenioMauriceandOlympialivedtogetherattheHotelSoissonsinParis,butLouisXIV
visitedthereconspicuouslyoften.

Childhoodandadolescence
OurPrinceEugenthusgrewupatthepalaceofSoissons,butdidnothaveaveryhappychildhood.His
motherwasprimarilyengagedingettingtheattentionofLouisXIVandinplottingagainstherrivals
andvarioussourcesclaimherchildrenwereneglected.HisfatherEugenioMauricewasoftenabsenton
royalmissionsoratwarandwoulddiein1673.WhatmadeEugen'schildhoodextraroughwasthathe
wasuglyandappearedtobeveryweakphysically.Thisandthefactthathewasthefourthsonmade
thathewasdestinedfortheclergyatage15,gettingthenickname'lepetitabb'.ItwouldbeEugen's
owndecisiontorefusethiskindofacareer.
Eugen'smotherwasimplicatedinapoisoningscandalandhadtoleaveFranceinJanuary1680,leaving
Eugen'alone'inParisatage16.NowEugen'swildsidegotfreereign,hewasverypopularwiththe
princesandotheryoungnobility,engagedwiththeminorgiesandevenhomosexualpracticescausing
ascandal.Atage19Eugenwasanxioustodosomethingwithhislifeandinthespringof1683he
askedforanaudiencewithLouisXIVinordertojointhearmy.Louishowever,whocouldnotstand
thesightofEugen,refusedtolethimenterthemilitary.AcoincidencethenoccurredthatmadeEugen
makeadrasticmove.

ToVienna
On13July1683Eugen'solderbrotherLouisJuliusdiedfromwoundsreceivedinbattleonthe
Danube.LouisJuliushadbeenthecommanderoftheregimentSavoyerDragonerandassuchthe
regimentwas'partofhisinheritance'Eugenthushadachancetoclaimitscommand.Thiscoincided
withaTurkishmoveonViennathatwasanopeninvitationtoalltheEuropeannobilitytogetto
ViennaandsignalthemselvesinthedefenseofChristianity.Notcaringaboutthemoralimplications,
LouisXIVforbadehiscitizenstocometotheaidofVienna.Eugenwasnottobestoppedatthispoint,
andtogetherwithPrinceLouisArmanddeContihefledParisinJuly1683.Byspecialmessenger
LouisXIVdidpersuadeContitoreturn,andforafewyearshewasratherindifferentthatEugen
continuedtoVienna.

ServingtheemperorinHungary
AtthebattleoftheKahlenberg,thatliftedthesiegeofVienna,Eugenstartedhismilitarycareer.He
thensignaledhimselfinthesubsequentinvasionofHungary.HisappointmentasObrist(colonel)ofa
dragoonregiment(nothislatebrother's)cameattheendof1683andwasprobablyinfluencedbythe

protectionofVictorAmadeusandhisfriendsthemargraveofBadenandMaxEmanuelofBavaria.In
1684Eugendidnotaccomplishverymuch,butin1685hewouldsignalhimselfinbattleatGranandin
theassaultatNeuhusel.Thisbroughthimanappointmentasgeneralmajorthatgavehimtherightto
commandbattlefieldformationsconsistingofmorethanhisownregiment.
In1686EugensignaledhimselfagainintheconquestofBudathemostimportantTurkishstrongpoint
inHungary.HethenjoinedhisfriendMaxEmanuelforcarnivalinVenice,wherehealsometVictor
EmanuelofSavoy.In1687EugenwenttoHungaryagainandsignaledhimselfinthebattleofMohcs.
Hegotthecommissiontobringthenewsofthevictorytotheemperor,andwasrichlyrewarded.
CharlesIIofSpainmadehimaknightoftheGoldenFleeceandinJanuary1688hebecame
Feldmarschalleutnant.1688wouldseeEugenunderMaxEmanuelattheconquestofBelgradethat
wouldfallon6September.PrevioustothisassaultEugenwasinjuredseverely,whichmeanthedidnot
seethistriumphofMaxEmanuel.

AgainstLouisXIV
WithasillyclaimtothePfalzLouisXIVhadstartedthewaroftheliqueofAugsburgandmarched
intotheRhinelandon2September1688.CommandingthreecavalryregimentsEugenfoughtafirst
smallbattleagainsttheFrenchinJuly1689.Hewassubsequentlywoundedagaininthesiegeof
Mainz.In1690hewassenttoserveinSavoywhereVictorEmanuelhadswitchedtotheemperor's
side.HisfirstacttherewasleadingtheretreatafterthelostbattleofStaffardaandhewouldalso
accomplishsomeotherminorfeats.FromthestartthisperiodinItalyconsistedofyearsoffrustration
forEugenashewasinabadlysupportedarmyunderineptcommanders.
Eugen'spromotiontofeldmarschallinMay1693meantthathecouldexpecttocommandin1694,but
hedidnotprofitfromthecircumstance.Theenemyseemedtoguesseverymovehemade,anditlater
becameclearthatVictorEmanuelhadbetrayedhiminsecretnegotiationswithFrance.WhenVictor
Emanuelfinallyswitchedopenlyin1696Eugenhadaccomplishednothing,buthisgreatesttriumph
wouldcomewhenhewenteastagain.

Zenta
InHungarymeanwhiletheTurkshadretakenBelgradeandhadagaintakenafootholdinHungary.The
electorofSaxonyhadcometotheaidoftheemperor,andhadbeennominatedsupremecommander
butsoonquarreledwiththeAustriancommanderCaprara,whothereforehadtobereplaced.Withthe
supportofmargraveLouisofBadenandErnstRdigervonStarhembergthechoicefellonEugen,who
wasappointedtoreplaceCaprarainHungaryon25April1697.NowEugenwassecondincommand
totheelector,butafterheleftforDresdentheemperorfinallynamedEugensupremecommanderon5
July1697.
Giventheperpetuallackofmoneythatplaguedtheemperor,Eugenwassurprisedbyfindinganarmy
stillmoredesolatethanexpected.Hedideverythingtoimprovethesituation,andevenwentasfaras
loaningmoneyonhisaccountinordertopaysomebills.Withanarmyofsomewhatunder50,000men
Eugenfinallystartedthecampaignwithstrictordersnottoriskanything.
SultanMustafaIIwenttomarchagainstEugenfromBelgradewithabout100,000men.Mustafa'sgoal
wastoenterHungaryandeithermarchuptheDanubetoBudapest,ortomarchuptheTiszatowards
SzegedandTransylvania.On7SeptemberEugenlearnedfromadeserterthatMustafahadchosento
marchuptheTiszaandsohequicklyputhisarmyinmovementtoconfrontthesultan.On11
SeptemberEugenlearnedthattheTurkisharmywascrossingfromtherightbankoftheTiszatothe
leftatZenta.WithhisowneyesEugensawthatonlypartoftheTurkisharmyhadcrossedtheone
shipbridgepresentwhenhearrived,andthatthemainpartremainedontherightbank.Hetherefore
orderedanimmediateattackonthetroopsontherightbank.CaughtinthispositiontheTurkisharmy
probablypanickedandwaseasilyslaughtered,theshipbridgecollapsingundertheweightofthe
fleeingsoldiers.Intheendabout25,000Turkishsoldiers(includingthegrandvisor)hadperishedfor

about1,000Imperialists.TheremainderfledinthedirectionofTimisoara(Temeszvar)leaving100
gunsandthewarchestbehind.
Eugenhadachievedastunningvictory,andnowsetonapathtotakefurtherprofitfromit.From
OsijekhestartedaninvasionofBosniaon13October1697with4,000cavalryand2,500infantry(his
journalofthisactionhassurvivedtothisday).On23Octoberhelookeddownattheopencityof
Sarajevo.Hesentinadelegationtosummonthesurrender,butthiswasattacked.Hethensentinhis
soldierstoplunder,whichledtoafire,andthewholecitybeingburneddownthenextday.Ladenwith
bootyEugenarrivedbackinOsijekon8November.

TheSpanishSuccessionWar
AtthestartoftheSpanishSuccessionwarhealreadywasthemostfamouscommanderofEurope,but
wouldaddstillmorelaurels.His1701and1702campaignsinItalywerehegotresultsagainstvery
heavyoddswerebrilliant.HisarrivalonlyattheBavarianfrontinducingfearintheFrancoBavarian
command.MarlboroughandEugencooperatedverywell,andtogethertheygainedthevictoriesof
Blenheim,OudenaardeandMalplaquet.ThedefeatofpartofhisarmyatDenainbyVillarswasles
brilliant,buteffacedbyhisvictoryatPeterwardein.

Otheractivities
Eugenwasalsoadiplomat,negotiatingalotoftreatiesandeventhefinalpeacetreatywhichconcluded
thewarbetweenFranceandAustria.Henevermarried,norwasheseenwithwomen.Furthermorehe
builtalotofpalaces,ownedvasttracksoflandandhadalargecollectionofartworks.

Familytree

Career

1683:Joinstheimperialarmy

1683:Obrist(colonel)oftheSavoyDragoons14121683

1685:Generalfeldwachtmeister(Generalmajor)16101685

1688:Feldmarschalllieutenant

1688:Knightofthegoldenfleece

1693:Feldmarschall25051693

1703:PresidentoftheHofskriegsrat(generalstaffoftheAustrianempire)

1707:GovernorofMilan

1707:Reichsfeldmarshall

1709:Generallieutenant(highestrankofimperialarmy)

1716:GovernoroftheAustrianNetherlands

Servicerecord

1683:PresentatthebattleofKahlenbergbeforeVienna

1683:PresentatthebattleofParkany

1683:PresentattheassaultonGran(Esztergom)

1683:PresentatRaab

1684:presentasDragooncolonelatthe(failed)firstsiegeofOfen(Buda)

1685:PresentatthetakingofNeuhauselfortress

1685:PresentatthebattleofGran(Esztergom)

1686:PresentatthetakingofBuda

1686:PresentatthetakingofStuhlweisenburg

1686:PresentatthetakingofSzegedin

1686:PresentatthetakingofOsijek

1687:DistinguisheshimselfatthebattleofMohacs1281687

1688:WoundedatthesiegeofBelgradebeforeitwastaken

1689:CommandingthreeregimentsontheRhine,woundedatMainz

1690:CommandingImperialistforcesinSavoy

1693?:EntersFrancewithimperialandSavoytroops

1693:CapturesSanGiorgio

1694:SupremecommanderinItaly

1697:WinsamajorvictoryatZenta

1697:BurnsSarajevo

1701:VictoryatCarpi971701overCatinat

1701:VictoryatChiari191701overVilleroy

1702:TacticalvictoryatLuzarraagainstunlikelyodds

1704:VictoryatBlenheimtogetherwithMarlborough

1706:MajorvictoryatTurin

1708:VictoryatOudenaerdetogetherwithMarlborough

1709:VictoryatMalplaquettogetherwithMarlborough

1712:SeverelybeatenatDenainbyVillars

1717:VictoryatPeterwardein

1717:TakesBelgrade