EUGENE, FRANCOIS DE SAVOIE, commonly called Prince Eugene, was paternally descended, In the third degree, from the ducal hours of Savoy, bat was a French subject by birth, being a younger son of the Comte de Seinen; and born at Paris October 18, 1663. Ile was designed for the church, but having formed a decided prefer 'nee for a military life, and being also moved by certain wrongs wide!' he conceived to have been done to his family by Louis XIV., and which lie deeply resented, he entered the service of the emperor Leo pold. From tilts time he renounced his allegiance to France, and long after, when Ida reputation was at its height, rejected the most brilliant offers =de by the Freoch government to purchase his return to the service of his native country. Ills first campaign was against the Turks, at the celebrated siege of Vienna In 1683. Emloent bravery and talent, joined to high birth, ensured him rapid promotion. In 1038-89, on the breaking out of war between France and the Empire, he was employed on a diplomatic mission to the Duke of Savoy, and in 1691 was raised to the commend of the imperial army in Piedmont. During two campaigns he maintained n decided advantage over the French : in 1693 he was leas successfuL The duke having returned to the Freoeh alliance, we next find Prince Eugene commanding the army in Hungary, where he won a great victory over the Turks at Zenta, on the river Theirs, September 11,1697. The peace of Cerlowitz (1699) closed this scene of action; but a more brilliant one was opened in 1701 by the war of the Spanish succession. During two years Eugene maintained the imperial cause in Italy with honour against superior forces commanded eucoessively by Catinat, Villeroi, and Vendome, against the last of whom he fought the indecisive battle of Luzara, August 1, 1702, in which the flower of his troops was destroyed. At the end of this campaign he returned to Vienna, and was appointed president of the council of war.
In 1704 he commanded the imperial troops at the battle of Blen heim, August 13, 1704. The successes of the French in Piedmont made it expedient for him to return thither in 1705. He soon re stored the Duke of Savoy's declining fortunes, and won the decisive battle of Turin, September 7, 1706, after which the French evacuated the country. Ile was thus set again at liberty to cooperate with Marlborough in 1703, and had a share in the victory of Oudenarde, and in the capture of Lille, the siege of which was entrusted to him, while Marlborough protected his operations. In 1709 he was wounded at the bloody battle of Malplaquet, of which he was the chief adviser, and in which he led the attack upon the left wing. On the death of the emperor Joseph in 1711, he took an important part in securing the succession to Ida brother Charles VI., and he visited England at the end of that year, in hope of preventing the secession of England from the alliance. He was received as his services deserved, but made
no progress towards his object ; for the dismissal of the Whig ministry was soon followed by the congress and peace of Utrecht. The emperor being no party to that treaty, Eugene invaded France in 1712 with little advantage, and it became evident that the interests of the empire would be best consulted by peace: the preliminaries were accordingly signed at Rastadt, March 6, 1714.
In 1716 Prince Eugene again marched against the Turks, and won the battle of Peterwaradin. August 6, against an enormous disproportion of numbers. In the following year he besieged Belgrade with 40,000 men. With troops wasted by disease, pressed by an army of 150,000 men from without and opposed by a powerful garrison from within, he was in the utmost danger, when, with the happy boldness which distinguished him, he seized the right moment, and inflicted a signal defeat on the army which threatened him. Upon this the town surrendered. Peace was concluded in the following year.
He now took up his residence at Vienna, honoured and trusted by the emperor, in whose political service he was much employed. In 1733 a fresh quarrel with France called him again to command the imperial army on the banks of the Rhine. This war is said to have been undertaken against his advice : at all events age had diminished his energy : he coutouted himself with standing on the defensive, and used his influence to effeot a reconciliation. Preliminaries of peace were signed at Vienna, October 5, 1735. He died suddenly in that capital April 21, 1736, aged 73.
As a general Prince Eugene ranks among the first of his kind, but that kind was not of the highest order of excellence. His name is memorable for no improvements in the art of war, neither was he famous for skill in tnaucouvring or combining the operations of dis tinct masses upon one object. His characteristics were penetration, quickness of perception, decision, and what usually goes along with them, readiness in amending a fault when made; so that his skill lay rather in making the beat of given circumstances than in bending cir cumstances to his will beforehand. It is said that he always took great pains to learn the character of the general opposed to him. Careless of his own person (he was thirteen times wounded in battle), he was also somewhat prodigal of his soldiers' lives. However, he threw a glory round the Austrian arms such as has never dignified them either before or since.
The best account of hie exploits is L'Histoire du Prince Eugene,' 5 vole. 12mo, by M. de Maubillon, but published without his name. In English, there Is Campbell's' Military History of Prince Eugene and the Duke of Marlborough,' 2 vols. folio, besides several smaller works. Prince Eugene wrote memoirs of himself, which have been published both in French and English.