EUGENE or FRANCOIS EUGENE, Prince of Savoy, fifth son of Eugene Maurice, Duke of Savoy-Cari gnan, and Olympia Mancini, a niece of Cardinal Mazarin; born in Paris, Oct. 18, 1663. Offended with Louis XIV. he entered the Austrian service in 1683, serving his first campaign as a volunteer against the Turks. Here he distinguished himself so much that he received a regi ment of dragoons. Later, at the sieges of Belgrade and Mayence, he increased his reputation, and on the outbreak of the war between France and Austria he received the command of the imperial forces sent to Piedmont to act in con junction with the troops of the Duke of Savoy. At the end of the war he was sent as commander-in-chief to Hungary, where he defeated the Turks at the battle of Zenta (Sept. 11, 1697).
The Spanish war of succession brought Eugene again into the field. In northern Italy he outmaneuvered Catinat and Villeroi, defeating the latter at Cremona (1702). In 1703 he commanded the im perial army in Germany, and in co-opera tion with Marlborough frustrated the plans of France and her allies. In the battle of Hochstadt or Blenheim, Eugene and Marlborough defeated the French and Bavarians under Marshal Tallard, Aug. 13, 1704. Next year Eugene, re
turning to Italy, forced the French to raise the siege of Turin, and in one month drove them out of Italy. During the following years he fought on the Rhine, took Lille, and, in conjunction with Marlborough, defeated the French at Oudenarde (1708), and Malplaquet (1709), where he himself was danger ously wounded. After the recall of Marl borough, which Eugene opposed in per son at London, without success, and the defection of England from the alliance against France, his farther progress was in a great measure checked. In the war with Turkey, in 1716, Eugene defeated two superior armies at Peterwardein and Temesvar, and, in 1717, took Belgrade, after having gained a decisive victory over a third army that came to its relief, During 15 years of peace which fol lowed, Eugene served Austria as faith fully in the cabinet as he had done in the field. He was one of the great gen erals of modern times. He died in Vienna, April 21, 1736.