Prince Eugene of Savoy A Genius for War Against Louis XIV and the Ottoman Empire

Eugene first showed his military genius during the siege of Vienna in 1683 where the Ottoman Turkish threat to western Europe was thrown back, and he commanded the Imperial army at the resounding victory over the Ottomans at Zenta in 1697. Most famously for English readers, he joined John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough in the victory over the French at Blenheim in 1704 and served alongside Marlborough at the subsequent victories at Oudenarde and Malplaquet. His later triumph, again over the Ottomans, at the capture of Belgrade in 1717, sealed his reputation as a great captain.
A lifelong bachelor although fond of women, Eugene was both a typical hard-bitten soldier and an accomplished diplomat, as well as a great patron of the arts. His summer palace, The Belvedere in Vienna, stands today as a fine monument to this extraordinary man.