Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy
During the 17th and 18th centuries, Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy-Carignano or Carignamo, also known as Prince Eugene (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736), served as a field marshal in the armies of the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian Habsburg dynasty. He rose to the highest positions of state at the Imperial court in Vienna and was one of the most effective military commanders of his era as well as one of the most important historical figures in Austria.
Eugene worked for Leopold I, Joseph I, and Charles VI throughout the course of a six-decade career. Before participating in the Nine Years' War, where he fought with his cousin, the Duke of Savoy, his first combat experiences were against the Ottomans during the Siege of Vienna in 1683 and the ensuing War of the Holy League. With his overwhelming victory over the Ottomans at the Battle of Zenta in 1697, the Prince solidified his reputation and became well-known throughout Europe. In the War of the Spanish Succession, Eugene improved his standing by working with the Duke of Marlborough to defeat the French on the battlefields of Blenheim (1704), Oudenarde (1708), and Malplaquet (1709); he also had further success as the Imperial commander in northern Italy during the conflict, most notably at the Battle of Turin (1706). With successes at the Battles of Petrovaradin (1716) and the pivotal combat at the Siege of Belgrade in 1717, renewed hostilities against the Ottomans in the Austro-Turkish War solidified his fame.
Although Eugene was physically and mentally frail in his later years, he experienced less success as the army's commander-in-chief during his final conflict, the War of the Polish Succession. Throughout the late 1720s, Eugene's influence and shrewd diplomacy managed to secure the Emperor powerful allies in his dynastic struggles with the Bourbon powers. Eugene continues to have the best reputation in Austria, nonetheless. Though perceptions on his personality vary, there is little disagreement regarding his outstanding accomplishments.
